No. 1 Pitt Defeats Duke, 2-1, to Advance to ACC Championship Semifinals

Sunday, November 15

Raleigh, N.C.

6 p.m.

Pitt

6-0-0, 4-0-0

Duke

2-6-0, 2-4-0

Duke

Pittsburgh

Photo by: Nat LeDonne

No. 1 Pitt Defeats Duke, 2-1, to Advance to ACC Championship Semifinals

11/15/2020 10:32:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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RALEIGH, N.C. – The number one ranked University of Pittsburgh men's soccer team held off Duke's late second half push and earned a 2-1 victory in the ACC Championship quarterfinals Sunday night at Dail Soccer Field/Track Complex.

News & Notes

The win advanced the Panthers into the ACC Championship semifinals, the second trip to the semis in as many years.
Junior Jackson Walti opened the scoring for both teams in the 34^th minute for his first goal of the season. Walti's score was the third of his career, with his last goal coming at home against Duke on Oct. 25, 2019.
Sophomore Valentin Noel scored his sixth goal and first game-winning score of the season. With his goal in the 62^nd minute, Noel became the first player in program history to score a goal in four consecutive games.
The Panthers begin the season 6-0 for the first time since 2000.
The win improved Pitt's ACC Tournament record to 3-3-1, including a 3-1-1 mark since 2018.

"It was a tremendous game for us considering the situation, coming back and pulling out a win in a big time game," said head coach Jay Vidovich. "I am proud of the effort our guys showed out there and the personality of the steel weathering the storm. We found goals when needed to and it was overall a tremendous effort and a big step for the program."

Duke controlled the early portion of the game, totaling three shots and one shot on goal in the first seven minutes of the game. Pitt, who last played October 23^rd against Louisville, started to find its rhythm on the offensive end and capitalized in the 34^th minute. The Panthers went on the attack in the middle of the field into Duke territory. Noel found Walti on the left side of the 18-yard box, who used his right foot to find the far post for the game's opening goal.

Pitt went into halftime leading 1-0. Duke held an 8-6 advantage in shots, while both teams tallied four corner kicks. The Blue Devils also tallied three yellow cards in the first 45 minutes.

The Panthers came out firing early in the second half, as both Noel and senior Alexander Dexter had shots on goal from five yards out. Duke knotted the contest up at one all in the 59^th minute, as Stephen O'Connell gathered a rebound off a save from graduate student Nico Campuzano and found the back of the net.

Pitt answered back quickly, courtesy of Noel in the 62^nd minute. Collecting the ball off a turnover, freshman Filip Mirkovic passed up-field to Dexter, who ran along the left sideline and crossed it in to Noel for the goal.

Duke put the pressure on Pitt's back line late in the second half, forcing three shots including one that hit the cross bar in the final six minutes. The Panthers held off the Blue Devils' late push and clinched a spot in the ACC Championship semifinals with a 2-1 victory.

See you soon, Semifinals ??#H2P pic.twitter.com/GMqnvGdsNk
— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) November 16, 2020

Duke finished the game with a 15-12 shot advantage, only the second team to outshoot the Panthers this season (Virginia Tech). Duke also edged the Panthers in corner kicks, 6-5. Campuzano collected two saves in a complete game effort.

Pitt next plays Notre Dame Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 8 PM. The game will be held at the Dail Soccer Field/Track Complex in Raleigh, N.C., and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.

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