Back on Track: Second half scoring surge sends Pitt to 5-0 win

Back on Track: Pitt tops Howard, 5-0

NFrom University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department report

Behind a season-high five goals by five different players, the No. 2 Pitt men’s soccer team (3-1-0) got back on track Monday night as they downed Howard 5-0 in front of the home fans at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Mathys Lefebvre and Leonardo Andrade each netted their first career goals in the dominant win for the Panthers.

Pitt is now 3-0 at home to start the season and improved to 27-3-1 on their home turf over the last four seasons. The .887 winning percentage at home over the last four years is the best in the ACC.

After a plethora of chances through the first 40 minutes of the match, the Panthers finally broke through with the first goal of the match in the 43^rd minute. Lehigh transfer Josh Luchini sent a great cross into the box and Bertin Jacquesson buried a side volley beauty into the upper right corner to give Pitt the 1-0 lead at halftime.

43' | HIGHLIGHT REEL GOALLL!!@BertinJacquess4 nets his third of the season on a side volley after a perfect feed by Josh Luchini.

No. 2 Pitt 1, Howard 0#H2P pic.twitter.com/GRswYIW38K

— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) September 5, 2022

Pitt doubled their lead early in the second half as Guilherme Feitosa netted his first of the season after a great feed by Luchini once again. Just over five minutes later,

53' | PANTHERS GOAL‼️@gc_feitosa nets his first of the season after another great cross by Josh Luchini.

No. 2 Pitt 2, Howard 0#H2P pic.twitter.com/Ls4Fwqdq7D

— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) September 6, 2022

Filip Mirkovic pushed the Pitt lead to 3-0 as he took a feed from Valentin Noel and deposited a low hard shot into the left corner of the Howard goal.

The Panthers extended their lead to 4-0 in the 77^th minute as Rodrigo Almeida sent a cross into the box where Luis Sahmkow flicked the ball over to Mathys Lefebvre on the doorstep and he beat the keeper to the lower left corner of the goal for the first of his collegiate career.

77' | GOAL!

Mathys Lefebvre nets his first career goal off the corner kick to make the Pitt lead four.

No. 2 Pitt 4, Howard 0#H2P pic.twitter.com/pkT5BzaEcD

— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) September 6, 2022

The fifth and final goal of the night came in the 85^th minute as Almeida sent a great cross into the box and Leonardo Andrade headed home the first of his Pitt career. Andrade’s marker capped a four-goal second half eruption by the Pitt offensive attack.

Pitt held the dominant 29-3 advantage in shots and the 13-1 lead in corner kicks in the victory.

The Panthers begin ACC play on Friday night on the road as they travel to Chapel Hill, NC to take on the No. 13 North Carolina Tar Heels at 7:00 pm. Friday’s game will air live on ACC Network Extra.

Notes 

*** Jacquesson scored his third goal of the season and now has 48 career points in 42 games.

*** Noel netted an assist in the win and now has 65 career points which ranks sixth in program history. He is now one point shy of Alexander Dexter for fifth place on the career list.

*** Luchini finished off his fist multi-point night as a Panther as he collected two assists.

*** The goals for Lefebvre and Andrade were the first of their careers.

*** Almeida notched two assists in the win and now has three multi-assist games in his career.

*** van der Sar collected his second career clean sheet in the win.

 

Pitt’s Starters: