NCAA Men’s Soccer
FINAL: Pitt 2, Penn State 1
In its first true road test of the 2026 campaign, the Pitt men’s soccer program marched into the Lion’s Den at Jeffrey Field on Friday night and walked away with complete state bragging rights.
Powered by a penalty kick conversion from Penn State transfer Caden Grabfelder against his former school and a second-half game-winner from WPIAL product Anders Bordoy, the Panthers downed in-state rival Penn State, 2-1, securing their second straight victory of the young season.
The win extended Head Coach Jay Vidovich’s remarkable unbeaten run against the Nittany Lions to six consecutive matches, as Pitt has not dropped a contest to Penn State since 2019.
How It Happened
Pitt controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, asserting dominance in possession (63% overall) and utilizing smooth build-up play along the flanks. The Panthers broke through in the 33rd minute when left-back Cannon Scretchen went on a dynamic surge up the wing and was dragged down inside the 18-yard box to draw a penalty.
Up stepped Grabfelder. The senior midfielder—facing the program he starred for before transferring to Oakland—calmly stepped up and slotted home his first goal in a Pitt shirt to put the Panthers ahead 1-0.
Penn State managed a response five minutes later against the run of play when Amadou Kone found an equalizer in the 38th minute, with a well-placed volley on a ball that floated into the box — sending the sides into the locker room deadlocked at 1-1.
The decisive moment arrived early in the second half. In the 54th minute, Bordoy—who played in high school at Kiski Area, had a season with Riverhounds as a USL Academy signee, and most recently has honed his skills with Steel City FC in the spring/summer—drove up the left side and uncoiled a well-placed floater from outside the 18.
His effort floated over to the back post area, took a deflection off a Penn State defender and skipped past keeper Daniel Peluffo-Wiese, for his first goal of the season, putting Pitt back on top 2-1.
From there, the Panther backline slammed the door shut. Vidovich’s defense suffocated the Nittany Lions’ attack down the stretch, allowing just one total shot in the second half to seal the road victory.
Match Statistics
| Metric | Pitt Panthers 🔵🟡 | Penn State Nittany Lions ⚪️ |
| Final Score | 2 | 1 |
| Possession | 63% | 37% |
| Shots | 5 | 7 |
| Saves
(Pitt – Moxom) (PSU – Peluffo-Wiese |
2 | 1 |
| Corner Kicks | 5 | 3 |
What’s Next
With back-to-back wins under their belt, the Panthers (2-1-0) continue their Big Ten road trip on Thursday, September 3, when they travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on B1G+
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