Pitt Men’s Soccer Falls to .500 After Top 5 Road Loss

Photo courtesy Clemson University athletics

Pitt Men’s Soccer showed plenty of fight in a road loss to the No. 3 Clemson Tigers.

After leading 1-0 early, the Panthers couldn’t reestablish a lead.

The 3-2 loss marked Pitt’s first in which they scored a goal since the 2023 season.

After a delayed start as a result of lightning in the area, Panthers’ midfielder Arnau Vilamitjana broke the ice in the 6th minute, heading in a corner kick feed that Clemson goalkeeper Joseph Andema got a hand on but couldn’t stop as the No. 10 Panthers (2-2) went up 1-0.

Tigers’ midfielder and reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Week Ransford Gyan tried to retaliate three minutes later after a Vilamitjana yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct set up a penalty kick, stutter-stepping on his way to the ball in an attempt to throw off goalkeeper Jack Moxom, but the junior goalkeeper didn’t fall for the gambit.

Pitt couldn’t keep Gyan from the stat sheet for long, however.

Sparring with Jackson Gilman as the Panthers’ last line of defense, the 5-foot-3 sparkplug darted left, creating just enough space for him to beat Moxom with a trickling kick to the wide side at 22′.

Andema stopped attempts from Lasse Dahl and Josh Hardin to regain the lead, then Gyan netted a brace after breaking away down the right sideline courtesy of assists from Remi Okunlola and Kwaku Agyabeng.

All alone, Moxom came up to meet Gyan but couldn’t slow his progress, the sophomore midfielder darting wide before lacing in a sharp angle shot.

Freshman midfielder Grayson Carter worked free from Clemson forward Andres Beirute at 63′ with the help of a quick exchange with Dahl, then beat Andema with a rocket of a shot — the first of his college career — to make it 2-2.

Once again, the Tigers came up with the crucial next goal as Gyan led Nathan Richmond with a perfect pass, allowing the senior midfielder to stay onside before beating Moxom wide at 81′.

Pitt managed just one more shot, from Vilamitjana in the waning seconds. This time, Andema got the better of the encounter.

Pitt Men’s Soccer will host the Butler Bulldogs at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 8