ACC Men’s Soccer
FINAL: No. 1 Pitt 2, No. 17 Virginia Tech 0
Match Summary
A 24-hour delay only slowed down another inevitable strong finish from Pitt men’s soccer, as the Panthers pulled ahead once again with a pair of goals in the final 45 minutes — this time defeating host Virginia Tech, 2-0 at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, VA, on Saturday night.
The Panthers converted an own goal from a corner kick in the 65th minute, then Casper Grening put the match out of reach in the 78th minute.
Goalkeeper Jack Moxom made three saves, as the Panthers withstood the Hokies’ pressure that included a 15-8 shots advantage (3-1 on frame).
It was the fifth straight win for Pitt (9-1-0, 4-0-0 in ACC), while Virginia Tech (1-2-0 in ACC) drops its second straight ACC match. The result was also the Panthers’ eighth straight win against the Hokies.
Senior forward Luis Sahmkow and junior defender Casper Svendby both assisted on Grening’s tally.
Sahmkow, a native of Richardson, Texas, has logged a point in each of Pitt’s last five matches and is tied for the league lead with 15 this season.
Of note, Pitt is in sole possession of first place in the ACC with just four league matches remaining.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides came out looking to control possession, as the first 19 minutes featured zero shot attempts. Virginia Tech attempted the first two shots of the match in the 20th minute.
Pitt’s first attempt on goal came in the 23rd minute. The Panthers’ best scoring opportunity of the first half came in the 38th minute, as Grening fired a strike, forcing a save from Virginia Tech’s keeper.
The Hokies attempted five shots over the final 15 minutes of the opening frame – three were blocked.
In an evenly played first half with possession at 50/50 mark, the Hokies held a 7-2 shot advantage.
Virginia Tech came out aggressive in the second half, firing two shots within the first four minutes of play.
Pitt’s first attempt of the half came from Eben McIntyre in the 53rd minute.
Virginia Tech responded to Pitt’s own goal in the 65th minute, attempting four shots over the next eight minutes, resulting in two Jack Moxom saves.
In the 77th minute, Grening extended Pitt’s lead, notching his second goal of the season.
The Panthers held on defensively, securing their third-straight clean sheet to earn the 2-0 victory.
Pitt Match Notes
- Pitt improved to 4-0 in the ACC, remaining in first place with 12 points.
- Sahmkow notched a point for the fifth-consecutive match.
- Svendby has now logged an assist in three-straight matches.
- Grening made his 50th-career appearance.
- Mateo Maillefaud made his 45th-career appearance and his 35th-career start.
The Panthers will now open a four-match home stand, hosting a quartet of opponents in Howard (Oct. 2), Denver (Oct. 7), Cal (Oct. 11) and High Point (Oct. 14) with each match kicking off at 7 p.m., respectively.
Match Updates
FINAL — PITT 2, VT 0
Another strong finish for Pitt, who now move to 5-0-0 in ACC.
78′ — GOAL – Pitt (2-0) Casper Grening slots it in bottom left of goal with his right footAssists credited to Luis Sahmkow & Casper Svendby No. 1 Pitt now leads Va Tech, 2-0
65′ — GOAL — Pitt (1-0) — Own Goal
Ball bounces Pitt’s way on a corner kick.
45′ — HALF — Pitt 0, Virginia Tech 0
1′ — They’ve kicked off in Blacksburg… A fun Pittsburgh connection — former Seneca Valley standout Ethan Hackenburg, is Va Tech’s leading scorer (3 goals).
Hackenburg is not in XI tonight, but his former Steel City FC teammate Michael Sullivan is in for Pitt
Here’s Pitt’s starters…
Preview
Seeking its fifth-consecutive victory, and looking to remain unbeaten in ACC play, the No. 1-ranked Pitt men’s soccer team will face No. 17 Virginia Tech Saturday evening at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, Va — following a full day delay as the match was originally scheduled for Friday, but postponed due to severe weather from Hurricane Helene.
This will be the first match for Pitt since earning a No. 1 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches poll this Tuesday.
As the case throughout the conference, this will be a stern test for the Panthers, playing a talented ACC team on the road. The Hokies have shown they can score and defeat quality opponents, boasting a road win at Syracuse and playing No. 23 Kentucky to a draw at Lexington.
Virginia Tech Hokies: A Closer Look
One area where the Panthers struggled a year ago was on the road, as they didn’t win a single road contest. This year’s much improved squad already has
Virginia Tech has gotten off to a stellar 5-1-1 start this season, including a 1-1 record in ACC play.
Most recently, the Hokies dropped a 2-0 decision to SMU.
Notably, Virginia Tech drew then-No. 23 Kentucky, 2-2, on Sept. 2.
The Hokies have been led by Ethan Hackenberg, a former WPIAL standout at Seneca Valley, who has tallied a team-high three goals.
Additionally, goalkeeper Cooper Wenzel has recorded four clean sheets this season. Of note, Wenzel was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17.
This will mark the 17th all-time meeting between the two teams as Pitt currently leads the series, 7-5-4.
Of note, the Panthers have won seven straight. Last season, Pitt earned a 3-1 victory at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
Head coach Jay Vidovich has compiled a 20-5-1 ledger against the Hokies throughout his career.
PITT MSOC MATCH NOTES
Sahmkow’s Streak
Senior forward Luis Sahmkow has recorded five goals in the last three games, bringing his season total to seven – which ranks fifth nationally. Of note, Sahmkow recorded back-to-back braces against Louisville and Cleveland State.
Feitosa’s Dimes
After a stellar two assist performance against Boston College, senior midfielder Guilherme Feitosa now leads the ACC in assists with five this season.
Three Panthers rank in the top 10 of the ACC in points per game – Sahmkow (1.75), Feitosa (1.38) and Albert Thorsen (1.38).
Defensive Effort
Defensively, Pitt ranks seventh in the country with a .625 goals against average. In goal, keeper Cabral Carter has accumulated a 6-0 record, while allowing only four goals.
Last Time Out
Behind second half tallies from Thorsen and Sahmkow, Pitt downed Boston College, 2-0, Friday evening at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
The victory marked Pitt’s fourth-consecutive win – the Panthers’ longest streak since the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Additionally, Pitt has now surpassed last season’s win total (six) through only eight matches.
Individually, the Panthers were paced by Feitosa, who registered an assist on both goals Friday. Feitosa has tallied an assist in three of Pitt’s last four matches.
After entering the halftime break deadlock at zero, Pitt took the lead just three minutes into the second frame as junior defender Casper Svendby found fellow Drammen, Norway, native Thorsen in the box – who slotted home his fifth goal of the season.
Pitt continued to pressure Boston College’s back line, resulting in a 85th minute strike from Sahmkow. Sahmkow, a product of Richardson, Texas, recorded his fifth goal in the last three matches, bringing his season total to seven.
Panthers in the Polls
|
|
United Soccer Coaches |
TopDrawerSoccer |
NCAA RPI |
|
Preseason |
Unranked |
Unranked |
– |
|
Week 1 |
No. 3 |
No. 10 |
– |
|
Week 2 |
No. 8 |
No. 12 |
– |
|
Week 3 |
No. 7 |
No. 6 |
– |
|
Week 4 |
No. 2 |
No. 5 |
– |
|
Week 5 |
No. 1 |
No. 3 |
No. 1 |
Up Next
Following Pitt’s showdown with Virginia Tech, the Panthers will open a four-match home stand, hosting a quartet of opponents in Howard (Oct. 2), Denver (Oct. 7), Cal (Oct. 11) and High Point (Oct. 14) with each match kicking off at 7 p.m., respectively.
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