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Pitt Falls to No. 14 Duke, 3-1

No. 14 Duke 3, Pitt 1

BOX SCORE | SEASON STATS

From University of Pittsburgh and Duke University reports  / Matt Keenan 

Pitt’s men’s soccer team dropped its match to No. 14 Duke, 3-1, Friday night at Koskinen Stadium.

The loss drops Pitt to 7-8-0 [2-5-0 ACC] on the season, with six of its losses coming at the hands of ranked opponents. The win improves the Blue Devils to 9-4-1 [4-2-0 ACC] on the year.

Duke used a three-goal first half to separate itself from the Panthers early. Pitt notched a goal of its own in the second half of play, but was unable to catch the Blue Devils before time expired.

Duke scored its first goal of the match in the 10th minute before adding another score just five minutes later off a header. The Blue Devils scored their third goal with less than a minute left in the first half, recording a header out of a free kick feed. Though the score looked uneven through the first 45 minutes of play, Pitt finished the first half leading Duke in shots, 6-5.

In the second half of play, sophomore Edward Kizza would collect his team-high 13th goal of the season after receiving a pass from freshman Rodrigo Almeida in the 58th minute.

While it looked like momentum was starting to mount for the Panthers, a disheartening red card was then issued to Kizza in the 67th minute, leaving Pitt a man down for the rest of the match, with its deficit ultimately being too much to overcome.

Kizza, senior Javi Perez, sophomore Alexander Dexter and redshirt freshman Fiorre Mane each recorded two shots apiece, with senior Robby Dambrot adding one shot in the match.

In goal, freshman keeper Johan Penaranda surrendered three goals during his 90 minutes of action.

Up next, the Panthers will play their final road match of the regular season against West Virginia Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

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