Pitt
Howard
Men's Soccer Defeats Howard 2-0
9/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 29, 2010
INDIANOLA Pa. - Pitt registered two goals in the second half to overcome Howard in a 2-0 decision Wednesday night at Founders Field. Pitt now improves to 5-2-1 overall, and remains 0-0-1 in the Big East, Howard falls to 1-9-0.
The Panthers dominated the first half of the game offensively, but couldn't find the back of the net.
Four minutes into the second half, a corner kick from Ryan Brode set the Panthers up for their first goal of the night. Senior Andy Kalas made the initial shot, but was denied by the Bison goalkeeper who couldn't keep control of the ball. Terry Akpua quickly gathered the loose ball, firing it into the lower left corner of the net. The tally marks Akpua's first goal as a Panther. He now has four points on the year off of one goal and two assists.
In the 52nd minute, Alex Betancourt was tripped by a Howard defender and awarded a penalty kick. His shot went straight into the upper left corner of the net for the game-winning goal. Betancourt now leads the team in both goals scored and points with three and seven respectively.
Anchored by Connor Malone, Shane Flowers, Alex Harrison, and Andy Kalas, the Panthers' stellar defense continued to shine, holding the Bison to one lone shot and recording their second-consecutive shutout.
The 2-0 win also marks goalkeeper Hami Kara's fifth shutout of the season. Kara now holds a 0.60 goals against average, .821 saves percentage and has made 23 saves on the year. The Panthers haven't recorded five shutouts in a season since 2008.
Pitt will return to action on Saturday Oct. 2 when it travels to Seton Hall for its second conference game of the season. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
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