Pitt
4-8-4, 0-5-2ACC
Duke
6-8-1, 3-4-0ACC
Pitt Drops Road Match At Duke, 2-1
10/24/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C. - Duke scored two early goals and held on to hand Pitt a 2-1 loss on Friday, Oct. 24 at Koskinen Field.
The Blue Devils (6-8-1, 3-4 ACC) received goals from Markus Fjortoft and Jake Butwin within the first 10 minutes of the game. Sean Davis, one of the nation's top assist men, helped on Fjortoft's goal while Brody Huitema and Jack Coleman had the other assists. Duke's netminder, Wilson Fisher, made two saves for the win.
Senior Dan Prete tallied Pitt's (4-8-4, 0-5-2 ACC) goal and junior Patrick Dixon was credited with the helper after his initial shot was denied. It was Prete's fourth goal of the season, which surpasses last season's goal leader and is tied for the 11th most in a year since 2002.
Junior goalkeeper Dan Lynd made seven saves, the fourth time this year he's reached that total. Lynd came into the game leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in total saves and now has 68 on the season.
Pitt entered the game riding a 200 minute-plus scoreless streak while Duke had lost five straight games. It became apparent early that the scoreless streak wouldn't last long as Duke, desperation for a win and to lock up a spot in the ACC Championship, attacked Lynd right away with the Blue Devils putting a shot on goal five minutes in.
Duke opened the scoring with two goals in the first 10 minutes, and within three minutes of each other. Fjortoft got the Blue Devils started on his header in the seventh minute. Davis began the play with a deep free kick from the left side. The cross drew Lynd out of the box, and by the time he could retreat back towards the goal, Fjortoft sent his header over the top and into the net.
It was only a matter of two minutes, 52 seconds until Duke doubled its lead to 2-0 on Jake Butwin's score. Jack Coleman intercepted a pass in the Pitt defensive third and threaded a pass through the defense to Butwin, who one-timed a shot to the lower right corner of the goal by a splitting Lynd.
The Blue Devil offense didn't back off with a two goal lead, but Lynd proved to be a brick wall in between the pipes for the remainder of the game. During an eight minute span shortly after the two goals, Lynd made three saves and would finish the opening half with six of his seven stops.
Pitt responded placing two shots on goal in the next 10 minutes with redshirt senior Cory Werth going top shelf and sophomore Kevin Murray, the hero in Pitt's last game, attacking the net. But Fisher turned both shots away to keep Duke's lead at two heading into halftime.
The teams went back and forth for much of the beginning of the second half until Dixon let a shot rip from way outside of the box. Fisher made the initial save, but the ball deflected high up into the air and dropped down in front of Prete, who tapped the ball into the goal to cut the lead in half in the 58th minute.
For the remainder of the game, Duke was the only team to get a shot off, registering four over the final 30 minutes. But with less than a minute to go, Pitt was awarded just its second corner kick of the match. Freshman Darcy Bloemen took the corner and the Duke defense cleared it out. With Pitt stuffing the box, the Panthers were unable to get another opportunity as the game ended.
Duke doubled up Pitt in shots, 14-7, and had a slight edge in corners, 3-2.
Pitt closes out the regular season at home on Saturday, Nov. 1 with defending National Champion and nationally-ranked No. 1 Notre Dame.
Team Stats
Fjortoft, Markus (1)
Assisted By: Davis, Sean
Header off of free kick
6:45
Butwin, Jake (1)
Assisted By: Huitema, Brody , Coleman, Jack
1-touch off through ball
9:37
Dan Prete
Assisted By: Patrick Dixon
Tapped in off rebound
57:11
