Pitt Travels to Rutgers, Opens Big East Play on Friday
9/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 22, 2011
Game Notes 
Catch Live Action (R Vision)
The University of Pittsburgh men's soccer team opens Big East play this weekend with a road trip to Rutgers on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Following the road test, Pitt will play six of its next seven games at home - five of which are Big East games. The Panthers step off their field turf at the brand-new Ambrose Urbanic Field and switch to a grass surface at Yurcak Field on Friday.
The Panthers split their matches at home last weekend. The Panthers bested their cross-town rival, Duquesne, 1-0, Friday, Sept. 16 and dropped a 5-1 contest versus Richmond on Sunday, Sept. 18. Sophomore Nico Wrobel scored both of the goals for the Panthers - each coming on penalty kicks which improve his mark to 4-of-4 on penalty strike goals this season.
Head coach Joe Luxbacher, who begins his 31st season overall and 28th at Pitt, is the longest tenured active head coach in the Big East. The Panthers are 1-1 over its last two games and 1-3 over its past four.
Series History
The Panthers and Scarlet Knights are meeting for the 15th time in program history. Pitt trails 5-7-2 in head-to-head meetings with Rutgers. The Panthers have won the past two-straight contests, outscoring the Scarlet Knights 4-0 over those two games. Prior to a 3-3 tie in 2004, RU had captured four consecutive and six of seven meetings. The last time Pittsburgh traveled to New Jersey was in 2005 where the Panthers were defeated by the Scarlet Knights 4-1.
The Scarlet Knights have dropped two consecutive games (0-2 to Indiana, 0-1 Iona) heading into Friday's battle. RU is 3-3-0 on the season with wins over La Salle (3-1), Charleston (2-1) and Drexel (3-1).
Friday's game marks the fourth-straight at home for the Scarlet Knights in a stretch of five home games in-a-row. Both of Pitt's two wins have come via a shutout while Rutgers with three wins has yet to hold an opponent scoreless this season.
Pitt opens Big East play on the road for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. The Panthers are 8-14-4 in Big East openers.
Last Time Out
The Panthers dropped a 5-1 decision to Richmond at home on Sunday. After closing to 2-1 against the Spiders and giving up a goal shortly thereafter to make it a 3-1 game - Pitt could get no closer. The Panthers pulled its defense up to attempt to close the gap, but UR tallied two quick and easy scores to register the 5-1 win.
On the Road
Pitt began the 2011 season with a string of four-straight road/neutral games. The last time a Panthers squad played four or more road or neutral games consecutively was during the 2003 season (five-straight). Pitt has never in its 57-year history opened a season with four road/neutral games - the most were three contests to start the 1982 campaign (at George Mason, at Virginia, at Grove City). The most away games to start a season under head coach Joe Luxbacher is two-straight on three occasions.
The Panthers posted a 0-5-1 away mark and a 0-2 neutral mark last season. This season, Pitt is 1-2-1 in away neutral games - 0-2 in road games and 1-0-1 in a pair of neutral contests.
Ah. There's No Place Like Home
Pitt finally returned to home after a four-game break with four-straight games over the past two weekends. The Panthers have gone 1-3-0 at home since making their debut on their new home turf on Sept. 9. The Panthers are home for the next four-straight (after Rutgers) and six of the next eight games.
Some Highs, Some Lows
Pitt posted a season-high 24 shots on Sunday against Richmond, topping its previous season-high of 18 (at Robert Morris in the season opener). Prior to Sunday, the Panthers had a combined 26 shots in the three games prior to UR. Eleven of the 24 shots were on goal - tying s season-high (also at RMU on Aug. 29).
After struggling to score last season (19 goals in 17 games/1.12), Pitt has experienced some similar woes this season. The Panthers have recorded six goals in eight games this season (0.75 per game).