Pitt to Host No. 11 Virginia Friday

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh men's soccer team is set to host No. 11 Virginia Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at Ambrose Urbanic Field in the Petersen Sports Complex.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Friday's match will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra and may be viewed on WatchESPN/WatchESPN app by clicking here.
Live stats for the match can be found here.
Fans can also follow along with live updates on Twitter.

LAST TIME OUT

Pitt earned its first ACC win of the season with a 3-1 victory over No. 12 NC State Tuesday, Sept. 25 at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
The win was Pitt's first over a ranked opponent since it defeated No. 7 Notre Dame, 1-0, Friday, Oct. 13, 2017 in South Bend, Ind.
The Panthers bounced back from an early deficit, surrendering a goal off a free kick to the Wolfpack in the sixth minute, before reeling off three unanswered goals to win the game.
Sophomore Marcony Pimentel led the team with four shots to go along with a goal and an assist on the night, while sophomore Alexander Dexter followed with two shots and two assists. Sophomore Edward Kizza also contributed two shots while adding his team-high sixth goal of the season. Seniors Javi Perez and Robby Dambrot, sophomore Jose Luis Sena Arbona and freshman Jackson Walti all recorded one shot apiece, with Walti adding his first career goal.

SURVEYING THE STATS

Six different Panthers have scored a goal so far this season in Kizza, Perez, Pimentel, Dambrot, Walti and redshirt freshman Fiorre Mane.
Kizza leads the team with six scores, followed by Perez and Pimentel with two. Dambrot, Mane and Walti have each netted one goal apiece.
Pitt has also seen seven players record assists on the season.
Dexter leads the squad with three assists, followed by Pimentel with two. Dambrot, Sena Arbona and freshmen Nyk Sessock, Alec Townsend and Chandler Vaughn have all added one helper each.

SIZING UP THE 2018 SLATE

Pitt faces some tough competition in the 2018 season, with a schedule that includes 12 NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.
In eight matches, the Panthers have already faced five ranked opponents this season in then-ranked No. 25 Colgate, No. 4 Akron, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 6 Louisville and No. 12 NC State.
Of Pitt's remaining nine matches, four teams are currently ranked in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll.

KIZZA COMMANDING ATTENTION

Coming off a freshman campaign in which he scored four goals, Kizza has already notched six goals through eight games this season.
The Kampala, Uganda, native currently leads the team in shots (20), shots on goal (12), points (12) and goals (six).
The sophomore currently ranks 19^th in the nation in goals and 44^th in points, while ranking second and fifth in the ACC in the same categories, respectively.
Kizza netted three goals in Pitt's second match of the season against Delaware Monday, Aug. 27, making him just the 20^th player in program history to record a hat trick.
The sophomore's goal in the opening minutes of the contest was also the quickest goal to start a game in school history, coming just 1:40 into the match and besting the previous record of 1:58 set in 2006.

THE SERIES – VIRGINIA

The Panthers and Cavaliers have met seven times in program history, with Virginia holding a 6-0-1 all-time series edge over Pitt.
In their most recent meeting, then-ranked No. 10 Virginia earned a 2-1 double overtime win against the Panthers Friday, Oct. 20, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va.
The teams' previous two matchups have both gone to double overtime, with the squads tying 0-0 in a 2016 meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa.

SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS

Virginia enters Friday's match with a 4-0-2 [1-0-1 ACC] record, most recently earning a 2-0 win over Syracuse Friday, Sept. 21 in Syracuse, N.Y.
The Cavaliers are led by head coach George Gelnovatch, who enters his 23^rd season with the program. Gelnovatch has compiled a 311-125-56 (.690) overall record during his time with Virginia.
Through six games, sophomore Nathaniel Crofts and freshman Cabrel Happi Kamseu lead the team with two goals apiece, while senior Kennedy Nwabia and sophomore Joe Bell have added one score each.
In goal, redshirt sophomore Colin Shutler has started all six matches for the Cavaliers, recording five shutouts while collecting 24 saves and surrendering just one goal.

TICKETS NOW ON SALE

Flex season ticket packages, as well as single game and group tickets, are on sale for the 2018 men's soccer season. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling the Panthers Ticket Office at 800-643-7488.

UP NEXT

The Panthers will continue their homestand as they host Columbia Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

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Pitt to Host No. 11 Virginia Friday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Robby Dambrot

Alexander Dexter

Edward Kizza

Fiorre Mane

Javi Perez

Marcony Pimentel

Sito Sena

Nyk Sessock

Alec Townsend

Chandler Vaughn

Jackson Walti

Pitt to Host No. 11 Virginia Friday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Robby Dambrot

Alexander Dexter

Edward Kizza

Fiorre Mane

Javi Perez

Marcony Pimentel

Sito Sena

Nyk Sessock

Alec Townsend

Chandler Vaughn

Jackson Walti

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