Behind Jack Moxom’s moxie and timely goals, Pitt bounces back to blank No. 18 Cornell, 2-0

NCAA Men’s Soccer

FINAL: Pitt 2, #18 Cornell 0

Match Stats

Match Summary

Four days after a frustrating home loss to SMU defined by missed opportunities and faulty clearances, Pitt men’s soccer delivered a emphatic response at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

Riding an early finish from Miguel Bertran, a five-save clean sheet performance from goalkeeper Jack Moxom who showed plenty of moxie under pressure, and an 84th-minute dagger from Mamadou Tall, the Panthers earned a hard-fought 2-0 victory over No. 18 Cornell on Tuesday night. Former Kiski Area standout, Anders Bordoy assisted on both goals.

Pitt (4-2-1) controlled the opening half, weathered a fierce second-half barrage from the Big Red, then showed the defensive composure that eluded them in its last result to secure a vital ranked non-conference victory that helps boost confidence and help with the team’s NCAA resume.

Updates

2nd Half 

FINAL — PITT 2, CORNELL 0

84′ — GOAL (PITT 2, CORNELL 0): Pitt put the match out of reach off a slick build-up play.

Cannon Scretchen and Anders Bordoy carved through the midfield, finding Mamadou Tall inside the 18. Tall took a quick touch with his right foot and slotted a low finish into the bottom right corner. Following a secondary VAR confirmation, the goal stood to seal the 2-0 victory.

It was the Kiski (Area) to Kiski (School) combo at the end of that sequence that sealed the deal for Pitt.

77′ — Versterre Responds: Pitt broke out on a counter, and Anders Bordoy nearly doubled the lead with a low strike toward the bottom right corner, forcing a sharp save from Cornell keeper Filip Versterre.

70’–76′ — Moxom Under Siege: The Big Red mounted their heaviest spell of pressure midway through the period. Moxom made key bottom-corner saves on Donahue (70′), Andrew Miles (75′), and Liam May (76′) inside a frantic six-minute window to keep the Panthers ahead.

54′ — Crucial Diving Stop: Cornell emerged out of halftime pressing high for an equalizer. Donahue tested Moxom again with a curling shot targeted for the top left corner, but Moxom produced a leaping save to turn it over the bar.

1st Half 

36′ — Thorsen Blocked: Thorsen nearly doubles the lead shortly after coming on, but his strike inside the 18 is turned away by a big block from the Big Red defense.

35′ — Local Sub: Winchester Thurston product Alex Hauskrecht enters the pitch for Tall to close out the half up front.

31′ & 36′ — Physicality Escalates: Tensions flare midway through the half, resulting in back-to-back yellow cards for unsporting conduct issued to Cornell’s Blake Donahue (31′) and Pitt’s Albert Thorsen (36′).

29′ — Moxom Stays Sharp: Cornell substitute Blake Donahue finds space in the box and hits a low drive toward the bottom right corner, forcing a clean save from Jack Moxom to protect the 1-0 lead.

28′ — Early Rotation: Pitt manager Jay Vidovich makes his first adjustments, bringing on Albert Thorsen (for Bertran) and Grayson Carter (for Carter Kopay) to inject fresh energy into the midfield and attack.

18′ — Key Defensive Block: Cornell mounts its first real threat as Dominik Kolbl cuts inside and unleashes a shot, but the Pitt backline steps up to block the attempt, conceding only a corner kick that is safely cleared.

14′ — GOAL (PITT 1, CORNELL 0): Miguel Bertran opens the scoring for the Panthers, ripping a shot into the top left corner of the net. The play was set up by slick combination work inside the box, with Mamadou Tall and Anders Bordoy earning the assists. A mandatory VAR review confirmed the call, keeping the goal intact.

Lineups

Game Notes

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