Punching Back: No. 7 Pitt finds a second half gear to outlast Duquesne, 2-1, in The City Game

NCAA Men’s Soccer – The City Game 

FINAL: Pitt 2, Duquesne 1

Match Stats 

For nearly an hour at Ambrose Urbanic Field on Tuesday night, Duquesne delivered the precise, high-intensity blueprint required to threaten a top-tier national power on their home pitch.

When the Dukes took an early lead, they forced No. 7 Pitt into uncomfortable territory.

But in a local derby the Panthers (8-2-2 overall) showed why they are one of the most dangerous and now even more resilient teams in college soccer as they keep finding different ways to win matches.

Behind a second-half bending strike from local product Anders Bordoy and a sublime header from Albert Thorsen off a Cannon Scretchen assist, Pitt erased a 1-0 deficit to claim a 2-1 victory over Duquesne (6-3-2), preserving their 11-0-2 all-time series lead in The City Game.

“We get slapped in the face—we come back and punch even harder,” Bordoy said of the team’s halftime resolve and response.

How It Happened

Duquesne arrived on the pitch brimming with confidence following their emotional weekend victory over Dayton, immediately taking the fight to the hosts. The Dukes’ early high-energy pressing yielded results almost immediately in the 8th minute.

Following an early injury stoppage for Dagur Matthiasson and a subsequent corner kick, Pitt’s backline failed to clear a second-phase ball inside the six-yard box—a defensive lapse echoing the Panthers’ early-season loss to SMU. Co-captain Jaxon Ervin kept the play alive, finding fellow co-captain Ashwin Menon, who pounced on the loose ball to bury the opener and send the Duquesne bench into a frenzy.

“We got the goal in the first ten minutes of the game,” Duquesne head coach Chase Brooks noted post-match. “But at that point, you know you are going to get a reaction. They’re number seven team in the country for a reason.”

Pitt threatened to answer just three minutes later when Anders Bordoy unleashed a low, left-footed strike that forced a diving save from Dukes keeper Sam Coss.

The rebound fell squarely onto the boot of freshman topman Mamadou Tall at the far post, but the former Kiski School standout and Pitt’s current leading goal scorer sent his sitter high over the bar, squandering a golden counter-attacking opportunity.

From there, Duquesne’s deep, disciplined shape choked out central channels and disrupted Pitt’s rhythm. While the Panthers controlled spells of possession late in the half, the Dukes remained extremely dangerous in transition. In the 29th minute, Jameson Michel carved through the left channel and whipped a far-post service that narrowly missed a rushing Ervin, leaving the Panthers lucky not to go down 2-0 heading into halftime.

Recognizing the need for dynamic width and energy to unbalance Duquesne’s low block, Jay Vidovich introduced substitute winger Cannon Scretchen alongside former Winchester Thurston product Alex Hauskrecht at the top of the attack out of the break.

“They outworked us in the first half,” Bordoy shared.

“The message was that we had to turn it on. It was still in our hands.”

Scretchen made an immediate impact, forcing Coss into an early diving save off a Kareem Ahmed header.

Although Duquesne nearly extended their lead on a blistering counter led by Cody Da in the 49th minute, Pitt’s pressing engine finally clicked into gear in the 56th minute.

A relentless right-side trap forced a turnover 25 yards out, funneling the ball to Anders Bordoy. The Steel City product took space, shifted onto his favored left foot, and unleashed a curling 22-yard strike past the outstretched arms of Coss to knot the match at 1-1.

“It came to me in the top of the box, and I turned to shoot, I wasn’t aiming, I just went to shoot and the ball went in the net,” Bordoy explained with a chuckle.

“It was the repress that got the ball back to me, and I let it ride.”

Five minutes later, the Panthers completed the turnaround with a moment of individual brilliance. In the 61st minute, Scretchen received the ball near the left edge of the penalty box and whipped an exquisite trivela cross—hitting it with the outside of his right boot—straight into the path of Albert Thorsen.

The Norwegian forward timed his jump perfectly, picking out his header and placing it inside the right post for his second goal in as many matches to give Pitt a 2-1 lead.

Despite losing the lead, Duquesne refused to go away silently.

In fact, Duquesne nearly leveled the match in the 72nd minute when Cody Da undressed a defender on the right edge, delivering a short cross to Roni Badler.

However, Badler’s first-time volley inside the box lifted high over the crossbar.

“In the second half, we didn’t take as many chances,” Brooks added.

“That still the part where we have to mature in certain moments. We have to take advantage of those moments we have.”

From that point forward, Pitt showed composure, while staying on the front foot.  Playing fearlessly and with confidence, the Panthers limited the Dukes to Badler’s 72nd minute attempt as the only shot in the second half.

Rather than dropping deep — which after all would have cramped their style — the Panthers locked down the match by ruthlessly controlling possession over the final 15 minutes, cycling passes across midfield, suffocating any remaining Duquesne transition opportunities and even drawing a few fouls along with a late tactical foul of their own, to eventually seal the 2-1 victory.

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Key Match Moments

Second Half

FINAL — PITT 2, DUQUESNE 1

87′ — Yellow Card — Pitt’s Pablo Portero with the tactical foul near midfield to slow down Duquesne attack.

72′ — Opportunity knocks for the Dukes — Cody Da undresses Pitt captain Logan Oliver on right edge, gets room to sends a well crafted short cross in for Roni Badler — but Badler with a few Pitt scrambling defenders nearby lifts his sitter high over the bar!

65′ — Yellow Card — Cannon Scretchen for unsporting

61′ — GOAL! PITT 2, DUQUESNE 1

Albert Thorsen with a well placed header.

What brilliant service from Cannon Scretchen — outside right foot from the left edge — and somehow finds Thorsen who picks out his header and places it right side for the lead.

56′ — GOAL!  PITT 1, DUQUESNE 1

From 22 yards — it’s the Steel City kid — Anders Bordoy with time and room to shoot bends in a well-placed, left-footed strike after Pitt’s high press turns over Duquesne on the right side.

51′ — Deep run by Scretchen — lobbed cross in middle for Kareem Ahmed — header down forces save by Dukes keeper Sam Coss.

49′ — Duquesne with the first real chance of half — in transition.  Cody Da with all kinds of space on right side — sends ball across but Pitt GK Jack Moxom does enough to break up chance.

46′ — Pitt brings on Cannon Scretchen and former Winchester Thurston standout, Alex Hauskerecht

First Half 

HALF — Things slowed down considerably in the last 20 minutes, with Pitt on the ball a lot more. Lots of credit to Chase Brooks’ squad who’ve been very much up to the task. My completely inexact and unscientific expected goals (XG) is 2-2. Pitt needs to be sharper in the final third.

37′ — Late first half subs for Pitt include Kereem Ahmed (former Liverpool system product from Egypt in his third appearance), Albert Thorsen and

29′ — Great opportunity for Duquesne to double the lead!  Jameson Michel gets very deep into the box, then sends cross to far post side but can’t connect with the unmarked Jaxon Ervin! Close call for the Panthers.

28′ — Bunch of subs for Duquesne.

Da,Cody for Menon,Ashwin.

Kato,Tyler for Badler,Roni.

Philibin,Chris for Feneridis,Sergios.

26′ — Yellow Card to Duquesne’s Blase Hardy for hard challenge on Pitt’s Santiago Ferreira.

19′ — Enjoying the pace of this match. Each team with four shots apiece. Pitt starting to finally grow into the match — bringing more pressure but Duquesne is defending bravely but also getting their share of time on the ball, which helps the underdogs keep Pitt from getting in any kind of rhythm.

11′ — Golden chance for Pitt on the counter!  Anders Bordoy left footed low shot is saved by Sam Cass, rebound right to forward Mamadou Tall on the far post but the former Kiski School product hits a clear-cut sitter over the bar! Wow!

8′– GOAL!!  Duquesne!!

ASHWIN MENON

Following corner after the injury, Pitt had a few chances to clear but couldn’t do it.  Assist from his fellow co-captain, Jaxon Ervin.  Loose ball in box — Pitt like they did in loss to SMU — fail to clear the ball.  The Dukes have been bringing the pressure from the start and it pays off

7′ — Injury on field for Duquesne.  Dan Banks will come on for injured Dagur Matthiasson.

5′ — It’s all Dukes early on — few advances, crosses and a corner!

The City Game Notes

• Tuesday’s match is the 14th all-time meeting between Pitt and Duquesne, with the Panthers holding an 11-0-2 series edge.
• The two sides last met on Oct. 17, 2023, when Pitt earned a 2-0 victory at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
• Pitt entered Tuesday’s match with a 7-2-2 (3-1-1 ACC) record and is ranked No. 7 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, No. 6 in Top Drawer Soccer poll and No. 5 in NCAA DI RPI.

• Duquesne entered the match with 6-2-2 (3-1-0 A10) record and ranked No. 6 in goals allowed in NCAA Men’s DI.
• On Monday, Cody Da earned Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week honors for his goal and assist performance vs Dayton
• On Tuesday, Pitt’s Gavin Wetzel was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week
• In Saturday’s win vs Dayton, former West Allegheny and current Steel City FC standout Jaxon Ervin  became the eighth different player for the Dukes to score a goal this season and also pushed his career point total to 29

• Beyond the tactical clash, the City Game serves as a celebration of the region’s soccer ecosystem. Players across both rosters share histories dating back to youth academies, WPIAL high school rivalries, prep schools, and summer competition in USL League Two and the NPSL.

  • WPIAL & Prep Pipeline: Pitt’s attack features local standouts in Anders Bordoy (Kiski Area), freshman Carter Kopay (Moon Area), Alex Hauskrecht (Winchester Thurston), and Mamadou Tall (The Kiski School). Duquesne counters with a strong Western PA core led by co-captain Jaxon Ervin (West Allegheny), freshman defender Nico Simakas (North Catholic), midfielder Jack Karwoski (Quaker Valley), and defender Luke Fiscus (Hampton).

  • Summer Connections: A large contingent of both squads spend their offseasons training and competing side-by-side in Pittsburgh’s summer ecosystem with Steel City FC and Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2—including Pitt netminder Jack Moxom, Niklas Sørensen, Duquesne veteran defender Ashwin Menon, and Duquesne goalkeeper Sam Coss.

  While Pitt holds an 11-0-2 all-time series advantage. In the last meeting between the two programs, Pitt scored twice in the second half for a 2-0 victory Oct. 17, 2023, at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

Lineups