Connect with us

College Soccer

FINAL: Virginia Tech 3, Pitt 1

Pitt 6-6-0 [2-3 ACC] at Virginia Tech 6-4-2 [1-3-1 ACC]

Friday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m. at Thompson Field, Blacksburg, Va.

 LIVE STATS | WATCH | GAME NOTES

 

LAST TIME OUT

·       Pitt dropped a 4-3 contest to Cleveland State Monday, Oct. 8 at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

·       The Panthers were forced to play a man down for more than half the match following a red card on senior defender Peter Prescott in the 34th minute. Pitt led 2-1 going into the break, but was outscored 3-1 in the second half of play.

·       Sophomore Edward Kizza recorded his second hat trick of the season in the match, with redshirt senior Robby Dambrot, senior Tom Moxham and sophomore Jose Luis Sena Arbona adding assists.

 

SURVEYING THE STATS

·       Seven different Panthers have scored a goal so far this season in Dambrot, Kizza, Sena Arbona, senior Javi Perez, sophomore Marcony Pimentel, redshirt freshman Fiorre Mane and freshman Jackson Walti.

·       Kizza leads the team with 11 goals, followed by Perez and Pimentel with two. Dambrot, Mane, Sena Arbona and Walti have each netted one goal apiece.

·       Pitt has also seen 10 players record assists on the season.

·       Sophomore Alexander Dexter leads the squad with three assists, followed by Dambrot, Perez, Pimentel and Sena Arbona with two. Moxham, Walti 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 12 matches, the Panthers have faced six ranked opponents this season in then-ranked No. 25 Colgate, No. 4 Akron, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 6 Louisville, No. 12 NC State and No. 11 Virginia.

·       Of Pitt’s remaining five matches, two teams are currently ranked in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll, with one other squad receiving votes.

 

KIZZA COMMANDING ATTENTION

·       Coming off a freshman campaign in which he scored four goals, Kizza has already notched 11 goals through 12 games this season.

·       Kizza is currently tied for 10th place in program history with Joe Luxbacher (1971) for single-season goals. No Pitt player had cracked the top-10 in single-season goals since 1977.

·       The Kampala, Uganda, native currently leads the team in shots (32), shots on goal (22), points (22) and goals (11).

·       The sophomore ranks fifth in the nation and first in the ACC in total goals (11), seventh in the nation and second in the ACC in total points (22) and eight in the nation and first in the ACC in shot accuracy (.688).

·       Kizza netted three goals in Pitt’s second match of the season against Delaware Monday, Aug. 27, making him just the 20th player 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.

·       Kizza scored both of Pitt’s goals in a thrilling 2-1 double overtime win against Clemson Friday, Oct. 5 at Ambrose Urbanic Field. The sophomore scored his first goal in the 10th minute of the match before closing the game with a score from the middle of the box in the 102ndminute.

·       Kizza recorded his second hat trick of the season against Cleveland State Monday, Oct. 8 at Ambrose Urbanic Field, netting two goals in the first half and one in the second.

 

THE SERIES – VIRGINIA TECH

·       The Panthers and Hokies have met eight times in program history, with Virginia Tech holding a 4-0-4 all-time series edge against Pitt.

·       Most recently, Virginia Tech earned a 3-0 victory over the Panthers Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 at Ambrose Urbanic Field in Pittsburgh.

·       Head coach Jay Vidovich owns a 13-4-1 career record against the Hokies during his time at both Wake Forest and Pitt.

 

SCOUTING THE HOKIES

·       Virginia Tech enters Friday’s match with a 6-4-2 [1-3-1 ACC] record, most recently suffering a 2-1 defeat to No. 3 North Carolina Saturday, Oct. 6 in Durham, N.C.

·       The 2017 squad finished last season with a 10-10 [3-5 ACC] record en route to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where they earned a 2-0 win against Air Force before falling to Michigan State, 3-0.

·       Virginia Tech is currently receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, and has ranked as high as 14th in the nation this season.

·       The Hokies are led by head coach Mike Brizendine, who is in his 10th season with the program. Brizendine has compiled a 66-92-24 (.429) record with Virginia Tech and a 93-116-24 (.451) career record during more than 12 years as a head coach.

·       Through 12 games, sophomore Kristo Strickler leads the team with five goals, followed by junior Nico Quashie with four, sophomore Jon Ingason with three and junior Marc Hoppler with two. Five other players have also added one goal each for the Hokies.

·       In goal, sophomore Mathijs Swaneveld has started all 12 matches for Virginia Tech, recording three shutouts while collecting 56 saves and allowing 13 goals.

  

UP NEXT

·       The Panthers will return home as they host Temple Monday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

Subscribe to PGH Soccer Now

Enter your email address to subscribe to PGH Soccer Now and receive notifications of new posts by email.

More in College Soccer