FINAL: Virginia 2, Pitt 0

Virginia 2, Pitt 0 – FINAL

Box Score

Game Updates

9:05 – FINAL – UVA 2, Pitt 0

That’s it from Ambrose Urbanic Field

There will be a game recap later. I’ll try to get some reaction from Pitt coach Jay Vidovich on a rough night for the Panthers as they drop to 1-3 in tough ACC.

9:04 – UVA with yet another foul — one of the dumbest you’ll ever see. After Pitt’s Arbona takes shot from outside box. Arbona gets another try on free kick and puts it on frame, but Shutler there with save 89′

8:56 – Kizza now issued a yellow card.

If I recall, last year’s match between these two sides that went to OT in Charlottesville, there was a lot of pushing and shoving late in match too.
Not exactly friendly encounters when these teams get together.

8:48 – Pimentel is booked (again!) for what appeared to be pushing off UVA defender near top of box. Double yellow means he’s out. Pitt playing down a man. 76′

8:46 – Kizza with a grand chance

8:36 – Pitt finally goes with some subs.

T. Townsend IN, Dexter OUT

Almeida IN, Dambrot OUT

8:32 – GOAL – UVA, now leads 2-0. Aboubakar Keita (63′) heads it in.

It came from a second consecutive corner kick. Ball played to far post — and another physical battle goes to another big, strong Cavalier, Keita, who out muscled Pitt’s defenders to ball, got in position and put it home.

8:27 – Physical play continues. This time — Pitt’s Jackson Walti fouled on left side about 35 yds out. Free kick in from Perez sails into hands of UVA keeper Colin Shutler. 59′

8:24 – Marcony Pimentel is booked for a late challenge (56′)

8:16 – GOAL – UVA, 1-0 (50′)

Cabrel Happi Kamseu breaks into the box and puts it past Penaranda. UVA leads 1-0

8:11 – second half starts

Same starting XI for Pitt:

#24 Jackson Walti, #10 Marcony Pimentel, #13 Alexander Dexter, #14 Jose L. Sena Arbona, GK #0 Johan Penaranda, #22 Robby Dambrot, #9 Edward Kizza, #6 Javi Perez, #2 Peter Prescott, #16 Nyk Sessock, #19 Chandler Vaughn.

7:55 – HALF – Pitt 0, UVA 0

pretty evenly played 1st half.
Pitt had more moments early, UVA had some late. Stats pretty even too:
Shots 5-5 (UVA 3-2 on target)
Corners 1-1
Fouls 8-7 UVA

7:47 – Close call for Pitt — defender Nyk Sessock saves ball heading in by far post denying UVA’s chance.
39′

7:43 – Perez gets ball after Pimentel picks ball away from UVA midfielder.  The Panthers’ senior MF lets one go from 24 yards but it sails right of post. 34′

7:39 – Again it’s UVA’s Dike in center of box — connects with an in slicing free kick — redirects header but again Penaranda is there for quick reaction save. 31′

7:37 – Dike from UVA gets a weak header on frame but easy save for Johan Penaranda.

7:34 – Pitt’s Javi Perez limps off — and getting trainer’s attention by bench now. Panthers midfielder stretched out — and looks like he’s good to go back in. 25′

7:28 – Just looked over Pitt’s line-up bit more closely. Remarkably have eight underclassmen in starting XI.

Four freshman, four sophomores. Other three are SR’s.

7:20 – Pimentel with a shot from distance that hits the bar, bounces down, but cleared away by UVA. 12′

7:13 – Panthers get it into the box again — Robby Dambrot drives a shot from 18 too high that smacks the scoreboard behind the goal. 5′

7:11 – Kizza gets into the box, goes down. Crowd wants a call but ref lets them play on. 3′

Preview

Pitt (4-4-0, 1-2-0 ACC) vs Virginia (4-0-2, 1-0-1 ACC)

7 pm

Ambrose Urbanic Field, Petersen Sports Complex | Pittsburgh, Pa.

 

PSN COVERAGE

John Krysinsky – reporting (Twitter: @pghsoccerscribe)

FOLLOW

ACC Network Extra / WatchESPN/WatchESPN 

Live stats 

 

PITT’s LAST TIME OUT

·       Pitt earned its first ACC win of the season with a 3-1 victory over No. 12 NC State Tuesday, Sept. 25 at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

·       The win was Pitt’s first over a ranked opponent since it defeated No. 7 Notre Dame, 1-0, Friday, Oct. 13, 2017 in South Bend, Ind.

·       The Panthers bounced back from an early deficit, surrendering a goal off a free kick to the Wolfpack in the sixth minute, before reeling off three unanswered goals to win the game.

·       Sophomore Marcony Pimentel led the team with four shots to go along with a goal and an assist on the night, while sophomore Alexander Dexter followed with two shots and two assists. Sophomore Edward Kizza also contributed two shots while adding his team-high sixth goal of the season. Seniors Javi Perez and Robby Dambrot, sophomore Jose Luis Sena Arbona and freshman Jackson Walti all recorded one shot apiece, with Walti adding his first career goal.

 

SURVEYING THE STATS

·       Six different Panthers have scored a goal so far this season in Kizza, Perez, Pimentel, Dambrot, Walti and redshirt freshman Fiorre Mane.

·       Kizza leads the team with six scores, followed by Perez and Pimentel with two. Dambrot, Mane and Walti have each netted one goal apiece.

·       Pitt has also seen seven players record assists on the season.

·       Dexter leads the squad with three assists, followed by Pimentel with two. Dambrot, Sena Arbona and freshmen Nyk Sessock, Alec Townsend and Chandler Vaughn have all added one helper each.

 

SIZING UP THE 2018 SLATE

·       Pitt faces some tough competition in the 2018 season, with a schedule that includes 12 NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.

·       In eight matches, the Panthers have already faced five ranked opponents this season in then-ranked No. 25 Colgate, No. 4 Akron, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 6 Louisville and No. 12 NC State.

·       Of Pitt’s remaining nine matches, four teams are currently ranked in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll.

 

KIZZA COMMANDING ATTENTION

·       Coming off a freshman campaign in which he scored four goals, Kizza has already notched six goals through eight games this season.

·       The Kampala, Uganda, native currently leads the team in shots (20), shots on goal (12), points (12) and goals (six).

·       The sophomore currently ranks 19^th in the nation in goals and 44^th in points, while ranking second and fifth in the ACC in the same categories, respectively.

·       Kizza netted three goals in Pitt’s second match of the season against Delaware Monday, Aug. 27, making him just the 20^thplayer in program history to record a hat trick.

·       The sophomore’s goal in the opening minutes of the contest was also the quickest goal to start a game in school history, coming just 1:40 into the match and besting the previous record of 1:58 set in 2006.

 

THE SERIES – VIRGINIA

·       The Panthers and Cavaliers have met seven times in program history, with Virginia holding a 6-0-1 all-time series edge over Pitt.

·       In their most recent meeting, then-ranked No. 10 Virginia earned a 2-1 double overtime win against the Panthers Friday, Oct. 20, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va.

·       The teams’ previous two matchups have both gone to double overtime, with the squads tying 0-0 in a 2016 meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa.

 

SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS

·       Virginia enters Friday’s match with a 4-0-2 [1-0-1 ACC] record, most recently earning a 2-0 win over Syracuse Friday, Sept. 21 in Syracuse, N.Y.

·       The Cavaliers are led by head coach George Gelnovatch, who enters his 23^rd season with the program. Gelnovatch has compiled a 311-125-56 (.690) overall record during his time with Virginia.

·       Through six games, sophomore Nathaniel Crofts and freshman Cabrel Happi Kamseu lead the team with two goals apiece, while senior Kennedy Nwabia and sophomore Joe Bell have added one score each.

·       In goal, redshirt sophomore Colin Shutler has started all six matches for the Cavaliers, recording five shutouts while collecting 24 saves and surrendering just one goal.