#25 Pitt Faces #1 Clemson in ACC Semifinals Wednesday

PITTSBURGH – The 25th-ranked University of Pittsburgh men's soccer team [9-6-2, 5-3-1 ACC] is set to play in the program's first ACC semifinal game Wednesday, Nov. 15 at Historic Riggs Field in Clemson, S.C. The Panthers will take on the No. 1 seed and top ranked Clemson Tigers [15-1-1, 6-1-1 ACC] in the semifinals.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on ACC Network and may also be viewed by clicking here.
Live stats for Wednesday can be found here.
Fans can also follow the match with live updates on Twitter.

LAST TIME OUT

Pitt hosted and won its first ACC quarterfinal game in program history, defeating NC State 2-1 in overtime Sunday, Nov. 3 at Ambrose Urbanic Field in Pittsburgh.
Junior Edward Kizza was Pitt's goal scorer in the postseason game, recording goals in the 13th and 94th minutes. Kizza now has a team best 11 goals on the season.
Pitt finished with 11 shots and seven corner kicks.
Junior Alexander Dexter recorded both assists on the night.
It only took Dexter and Kizza 3:42 to find the goal to lift the Panthers to victory in overtime.

THE SERIES - CLEMSON

The Panthers and Tigers meet for the fifth time in program history with Clemson leading the all-time series, 3-1-0.
The two teams last met a year ago in Pittsburgh when Pitt defeated Clemson for the first time in program history, 2-0, in two overtimes. Edward Kizza scored both goals in the win.
Head coach Jay Vidovich owns a 14-8-6 record against the Tigers.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Clemson enters Wednesday's game 15-1-1 overall, 6-1-1 against ACC foes and as the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
The Tigers are ranked No. 1 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll and fourth in the NCAA RPI.
In their last time out, the Tigers shutout Notre Dame, 3-0, in the ACC quarterfinal game Sunday night.
Clemson's only loss of the season came in a 3-2 (OT) loss against Wake Forest in September. The Tigers also tied Virginia Tech 0-0.
Junior Robbie Robinson leads the Tigers with 39 points coming on 15 goals and nine assists. He leads the nation in points per game with 2.60 and is tied for first in total points per game. Junior Kimarni Smith is right behind Robinson with 31 points on 13 goals and five assists.
Clemson's goalies have combined for nine shutouts on the year.
The Tigers are led by 10th year head coach Mike Noonan. Noonan has a 331-179-70 career record.
Clemson finished the 2018 season 7-9-1, 2-6-0 ACC. The Tigers' season ended in a 2-0 loss versus Notre Dame in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

PANTHERS IN THE POLLS

For the first time since 2002, the Panthers have cracked the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll.

All-Time Rankings

11/9/96 - 23
9/22/97 - 14
10/6/97 - 16
10/13/97 - 18
10/20/97 - 16
9/11/00 - 18
9/18/00 - 14
9/25/00 - 15
10/2/00 - 9
10/9/00 - 7
10/16/00 - 9
9/9/02 - 20
9/16/02 - 18
11/12/19 - 25

MAKING HISTORY

For the first time in program history, Pitt men's soccer will advance to the ACC Tournament Semifinals. History will be made Wednesday, Nov. 15, at History Riggs Field, S.C.
For the first time in program history, Pitt men's soccer hosted a round of the 2019 Men's Soccer ACC Championship when it defeated NC State, 2-1 (OT), Sunday, Nov. 10.

PITT IN THE RPI

The NCAA released the fifth RPI of the 2019 season Monday, Nov. 11.
The Panthers moved up to No. 32 after previously sitting at No. 36.
Pitt's highest RPI in program history came in October of 2017 at No. 14.
The Panthers have defeated two teams inside the top 25 in the RPI including #1 Virginia and #7 Virginia Tech.
Four ACC schools are among the top 10 including No. 1 Virginia, No. 5 Wake Forest and No. 4 Clemson and No. 7 Virginia Tech.

THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

The Championship is a 12-team single elimination tournament.
The semifinals will be held on Wed., Nov. 13 at campus sites. Pitt, Clemson, Wake Forest and Virginia will all be competing for a spot in the Championship Final.
The Championship Final will be held Sunday, Nov. 17 in Cary, N.C., at WakeMed Soccer Park. It will be aired on ESPNU at noon.

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#25 Pitt Faces #1 Clemson in ACC Semifinals Wednesday

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Players Mentioned

Alexander Dexter

Edward Kizza

#25 Pitt Faces #1 Clemson in ACC Semifinals Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alexander Dexter

Edward Kizza

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