FINAL: Pitt 4, Virginia Tech 1

THE SERIES – VIRGINIA TECH

• Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 5-3-4, with Pitt winners of the last three games.
• Both teams have combined for 13 goals in the last three matches, with the most recent outcome a 2-1 double-overtime Panther victory in Blacksburg, Va.
• Head Coach Jay Vidovich is 16-5-1 all-time against the Hokies.

SCOUTING THE HOKIES

• Virginia Tech enters the match 9-3-3 overall and 3-3-1 in conference action. The Hokies are 1-2-1 away from home this year.
• The Hokies are 13th in the country in total assists (36), 17th in assists per game (2.40) and 18th in total points (98).
• Kyle McDowell is tied for the league lead in assists with seven, matching Panther Jasper Löeffelsend’s total. McDowell is also second in the conference in assists per game (0.50), one spot behind Löeffelsend.
• Jacob Labovitz leads the team with 19 points with eight goals and three assists. Conor Pugh is second on the squad in goals (6), while goalkeeper Ben Martino has registered an 8-3-2 record in goal with 48 saves in 13 games played.

HOME TURF ADVANTAGE

• The Panthers extended their home winning streak to 17 games with a 5-1 victory over UMass Oct. 25.
• Pitt’s 17-straight matches won at Ambrose Urbanic Field is currently the most at any home venue in the conference. Clemson previously held that title with 31-straight wins at Historic Riggs Field before Pitt defeated them 2-0 Sept. 25.
• In addition to the longest active streak in the ACC, the Panthers currently hold the second longest unbeaten streak at home in the nation.
• Pitt’s last home loss came Oct. 4, 2019 against No. 20 North Carolina (2-1).
• Head Coach Jay Vidovich is 26-15-3 at home in six plus seasons at Pitt and is 17-2-1 in the past two seasons at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
• Since the Panthers 6-0 victory at home vs. Howard Oct. 7, 2019, Pitt has outscored its opposition 58-13 with a 28-6 mark this season.

SENIOR NIGHT

• Prior to Friday’s match, nine seniors will be honored at midfield for their athletic and academic achievements at Pitt.
• Nico Campuzano, Jasper Löeffelsend, Arturo Ordoñez, Rodrigo Almeida, Alexander Dexter, Sito Sena, Matt Bailey, Jackson Walti and Anthony Harding will be recognized prior to kick-off.

If you missed our featured on Harding, from Norwin High School, here it is..

Harding makes most of surprise start for Pitt in NCAA tournament

LAW-FULL ZEND’S IT IN

• Graduate student Jasper Löeffelsend (yas-pur Law-full-zend) finished the 2020-21 season as one of the best passers in the country and is keeping that status this season.
• The Cologne, Germany, product is 24th in the nation in assists (7) and eighth in assists per game (.64).
• The defender recorded his first assist of the year at West Virginia and followed that match up with two at home vs. Lehigh.
• Löeffelsend registered an assist against both North Carolina and Penn State before tallying two at home vs. Cleveland State.
• He scored his first and second career goals at home vs. UMass Oct. 25, scoring two second half goals – and an eventual game-winner – in the 5-1 victory.
• In 27 career games, he is third all-time in career assists with 16.

RODRIGOAL

• Senior Rodrigo Almeida is having a career year in 2021, totaling six goals and six assists.
• The midfielder scored a goal in Pitt’s first two home matches (Duquesne, Lehigh) before recording the first multi-goal game of his career at home vs. North Carolina.
• The Salvador, Brazil, native scored Pitt’s lone goal against Penn State, proving to be the game-winner in a 1-0 shutout victory.
• Almeida tallied his first assist of the season at Wake Forest.
• He recorded his team leading sixth goal in Pitt’s 3-2 double overtime victory at home vs. Syracuse.
• Almeida registered two assists in Pitt’s 4-0 victory over Cleveland State.
• He became the second Panther this season (Feitosa) – and fourth in the past two seasons (Feitosa, Löeffelsend, Jacquesson) – to record three assists in one match vs. UMass Oct. 25. That number is tied for second at Pitt for assists in a single-match.

PITT RANKED NO. 12 IN UPDATD POLL

• The Panthers were ranked No. 12 in the updated United Soccer Coaches poll Oct. 26.
• This marks the 29th-straight week the Panthers have been ranked.
• Of the 29 weeks ranked, 20 have been in the Top-5 and 24 in the Top-10.

UP NEXT

• Pitt awaits its seeding for the ACC Championship Tournament following the conclusion of the Virginia Tech match.
• The Panthers could finish as high as a one seed to as low as a seven seed, depending on different outcomes around the conference.
• The ACC Championship starts Wednesday, Nov. 3 with matches beginning at 6 PM, 7 PM or 8 PM. Seeds 5-12, 6-11, 7-10 and 8-9 will all play Wednesday, with seeds 1-4 earning a first round bye.