Sunday, November 22
Cary, N.C.
12 p.m.
Pitt
vs
Clemson
Photo by: Nat LeDonne
No. 1 Pitt, No. 2 Clemson Set for ACC Championship Final
11/21/2020 11:59:00 AM | Men's Soccer
RALEIGH, N.C. – For the first time in program history, the No. 1 University of Pittsburgh men's soccer team will play in the ACC Championship Final Sunday, Nov. 22 at 12 PM against No. 2 Clemson at WakeMed Soccer Park.
The Panthers are making their first trip to the finals, while Clemson will play in their 11th ACC final in 34 appearances in the tournament. The Tigers have won the ACC Tournament title three times, most recently in 2014 at WakeMed Soccer Park.
THE MATCH
The Panthers are making their first trip to the finals, while Clemson will play in their 11th ACC final in 34 appearances in the tournament. The Tigers have won the ACC Tournament title three times, most recently in 2014 at WakeMed Soccer Park.
THE MATCH
- No. 1 Pitt's historic season continues with the biggest game in program history Sunday, Nov. 22 in the ACC Championship Final.
- The Panthers face No. 2 Clemson in a winner take all final at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
- The game is slated to kick-off at 12 PM and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
- A victory in the ACC Championship Final would be the first ACC tournament championship captured in program history. Volleyball is the last Pitt team to be named ACC Champion (2019), while Gymnastics was the last team to win their respective conference tournament in 2016.
- Head Coach Jay Vidovich, who has won one national championship in his career, (Wake Forest - 2007) is seeking his first ACC Tournament trophy.
- This year has been a milestone season for Pitt, setting new program highs and making school history.
- The Panthers earned a ranking of number one in the country on Oct. 20 for the first time in program history. Men's soccer joins football and men's basketball as the only Pitt athletics teams to earn the No. 1 spot in their respective polls.
- Pitt's 7-0 overall start is the best start to a season in program history. No other team has started the season undefeated through its first seven games of the season.
- The 4-0 record in the ACC is now tied for most ACC wins in a season. Pitt went 4-3-1 in league play last year.
- Six of the seven victories have been on the road or at neutral site fields. Pitt won its first four road games of the season for the first time since 2000.
- Three first half goals and three key first half saves set the tempo for the No. 1 ranked Panthers Wednesday night in the ACC Championship Semifinal, as Pitt defeated Notre Dame 3-1.
- Sophomore Veljko Petkovic scored two goals, including one from a free kick 25-yards out, to lead the Panther offense. The multi-goal game was the second of Petkovic's career.
- Sophomore Valentin Noel scored his seventh goal of the season and kept his goal streak alive at five games.
- Sophomore Raphaël Crivello and graduate student Jasper Löeffelsend each registered an assist, while graduate student goalkeeper Nico Campuzano tied a career-high six saves.
- One of the top goal scorers in the country, sophomore Valentin Noel has led the Panther offense in 2020 at a record breaking pace.
- The Niort, France, native goes into the ACC Championship Final second in the country in total goals (7), second in total points (16), second in shots on goal per game (2.83) and first in goals per game (1.17).
- On Nov. 15 vs. Duke, Noel set a school record for consecutive games played with a goal at four. The streak went to five games after his first half score against Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Semifinal on Nov. 18.
- Freshman Bertin Jacquesson has made an immediate impact for the Panthers since game one, totaling nine points including two goals and five assists.
- The Frenchman totaled three points in each of his first three games, with highlighted moments including a goal at both Notre Dame and Syracuse and three assists at home vs. Virginia Tech.
- Jacquesson ranks third in the country in assists per game (0.83), second in game-winning goals (2) and third in total assists (5).
- The Panthers enter the ACC Championship Final with the number one scoring offense in the country, averaging 3.14 goals per game.
- Pitt has scored three or more goals in six of its seven games and has scored four goals in two.
- The Panthers are also the number one ranked team in points per game with a 9.86 mark, 2.69 points higher than second-place Kentucky and 4.46 points higher than fourth-place Clemson.
- Pitt enters the game third in the nation in shot accuracy at .530, a number that is also best in the ACC.
- In just seven games, Pitt has totaled 25 assists as a team. In 2019, the Panthers registered 29 assists in 20 games played.
- Graduate student goalkeeper Nico Campuzano came up big Wednesday night against Notre Dame, tying a career-high six saves and seeing a career-high 18 shots.
- Campuzano (Comp-ew-thawn-oh) has not allowed the opposition to score more than two goals a game all season.
- The Cantabria, Spain, native has recorded four or more saves four times this season and sits sixth in the country with 24 total saves.
- The Tigers lead the all-time series 4-1, with the latest contest a 1-0 Clemson victory in the ACC Championship Semifinals November 13, 2019.
- Pitt's only victory over Clemson came at home Oct. 5, 2018 in 2-1, double overtime fashion.
- Head coach Jay Vidovich's career record against the Tigers is 14-9-6.
- Clemson enters the contest 7-2-1 overall and finished ACC regular season competition 3-2-1. It's two losses came against North Carolina and Wake Forest, with its tie also happening against UNC.
- The Tigers enter the game ranked top-five in multiple offensive categories, including assists per game (4th - 1.60), points per game (4th - 5.40), shots per game (3rd - 14.10) and total goals (3rd - 19).
- Senior forward Kirmani Smith leads the country in total goals with eight and became the second player in ACC Championship history to tally a hat trick. He also heads into the final tied for first in the ACC Championship record books for goals in a tournament with four.
- Smith has eight goals, three assists, 28 shots, 16 shots on goal and a .571 shot on goal percentage. His .80 goals per game is fifth in the nation.
- Junior forward Grayson Barber leads the team in assists with six, a mark that is tied for first in the country with Pitt defender Jasper Löeffelsend.
- Barber has two goals, six assists, 27 shots, 11 shots on goal and a .407 shot percentage.
- The Panthers conclude the fall season, but will return for their second leg starting spring of 2021.
- The NCAA announced teams may start spring action February 3. Pitt has yet to announce its spring schedule.
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's SoccerPitt Men's Soccer | Vermont Postgame | Jay Vidovich
Thursday, December 12
Postgame vs. Vermont | Jay Vidovich
Saturday, December 07
Pitt Men's Soccer | Pitt 3, Kansas City 2 | Field Pass
Tuesday, December 03
Field Pass | Pitt 3, Kansas City 2 | NCAA Third Round
Tuesday, December 03