ACC Men’s Soccer
FINAL: No. 10 Pitt 1, Syracuse 1
Match Summary
Facing waves of pressure on the road in the ACC can be daunting enough, but doing so playing down a man for the final 50 minutes pushed Pitt men’s soccer team to the limit at Syracuse, but the Panthers hung on to split the points with the Orange, 1-1, at Syracuse Soccer Stadium on Friday night.
That was the narrative for No. 10 Pitt, despite losing senior captain Logan Oliver to a send off for a second yellow card late in the first half, the Panthers dug deep to earn a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Orange.
Albert Thorsen put the Panthers (6-2-2, 2-1-1 ACC) ahead early, and redshirt freshman goalkeeper Jack Moxom delivered four crucial saves while under constant pressure, though Pitt’s defenders scrambled to make numerous blocks, pick off many passes and clear many balls out of dangerous spots.
Although Syracuse (4-3-3, 1-1-2 ACC) eventually found an equalizer through Pedro Gulli in the 77th minute, Pitt stood tall down the stretch—and nearly walked away with a dramatic late winner in the final seconds.
Pitt opened the match with quiet authority, comfortably managing possession and neutralizing Syracuse’s early direct looks.
The breakthrough for Pitt came in the 13th minute off a quick transition sequence. Winger Anders Bordoy broke into space and ripped a hard, low strike on frame that forced Syracuse goalkeeper Juan Martinez-Bastidas into a diving save. Sophomore forward Albert Thorsen reacted fastest to the rebound, calmly slotting home the secondary chance to give Pitt an early 1-0 lead. Bordoy was credited with his team-leading fourth assist of the season.
The complexion of the match altered drastically in the 41st minute.
Following a yellow card warning moments earlier, Pitt captain Logan Oliver was sent off with a straight red card after a tackle and subsequent VAR review. The decision forced head coach Jay Vidovich to adjust on the fly before halftime, withdrawing Thorsen and Miguel Bertran to bring on defender Carter Kopay and midfielder Santiago Ferreira to re-establish structural stability.
Despite playing a man down, the Panthers managed their shape well through the remainder of the half, carrying their 1-0 advantage into the break.
With a numerical advantage, Syracuse unleashed a high-pressing siege in the second half, outshooting the Panthers 15-5 over the final 45 minutes and racking up 21 total shots on the night.
However, Pitt’s backline—anchored by Gavin Wetzel and boosted by relentless work rates from Mamadou Tall and Cristian LoGrasso—refused to buckle easily. In goal, Jack Moxom repeatedly turned away danger, making big stops on Jordan Grey and organizing the box through a barrage of corner kicks.
Pitt also managed to keep Syracuse honest on the counter, with substitute Cannon Scretchen forcing Martinez-Bastidas into a low save in the 85th minute after a surging run.
Syracuse finally broke through in the 77th minute. Following a diagonal service into the box from Chimere Omeze, Pedro Gulli timed his run between Pitt’s central defenders and beat Moxom to the high ball to level the match at 1-1.
Pitt immediately appealed for offside, but a detailed VAR review confirmed Gulli was barely played on.
Rather than settling for a road point, 10-man Pitt pressed forward in stoppage time looking for a winner.
In the 89th minute, midfielder Caden Grabfelder found space on the left edge of the 18-yard box and launched a curling effort that forced Martinez-Bastidas into a critical save.
Off the ensuing corner kick as the clock ticked under 10 seconds, the ball flashed dangerously across the face of the goal box, just missing a back-post connection before time expired.
Next up for the Panthers, they’ll begin a four-match homestand on Friday, October 9, when they host another ACC challenger, Virginia Tech, at Ambrose Urbanic Field (7 p.m. kickoff).
Match Highlights / Key Moments
FINAL — PITT 1, SYRACUSE 1
Second Half
Pitt shows plenty of resolve against a very good Syracuse team, absorbing pressure by being out shot 21-8 (with the hosts holding 15-5 edge in the second half), limiting Syracuse to only five shots on frame, with Jack Moxom making four key saves.
89′ — in the dying seconds Pitt had the better chance to get the game-winner. Caden Grabfelder has room to send a shot from left edge that forces a save from Syracuse keeper Juan Martinez-Bastidas. Then as clock ticked down, a corner chance got off in time but flew through the goal box without connecting.
82′ — Pitt with a chance in transition. Long cross from right side — appears to find Scretchen breaking in on the left side but the winger can’t connect on frame.
80′ — Gulli — the Orange’s number nine in the middle nearly puts in a redirect on a half-hearted bicycle attempt that goes wide after another long cross in.
77′ — SYRACUSE GOAL! Pitt 1, Syracuse 0
Pedro Gulli beats Pitt’s central defender and Jack Moxom to the ball after a diagonal service into the box from Chimere Omeze. Pitt challenged the goal — but VAR confirmed that Gulli was (barely) onside.
58′ — What’s been impressive has been Pitt’s ability to continue to control bouts of possession while playing a man down. We’ll see if they can keep this up.
First Half
41′ — RED CARD — Logan Oliver — Pitt’s captain is sent off!
13′ — PITT GOAL!! Pitt 1, Syracuse 0
Albert Thorsen is there to pounce on rebound after Anders Bordoy’s hard low shot is saved. It’s Thorsen’s second goal of the season.
Starting Lineups
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