Pitt Advances to Sweet 16 with 5-2 Win Over Northern Illinois

Sunday, November 21

Pittsburgh, Pa.

4 PM

Pitt

12-5-1, 5-2-1

Northern Illinois

15-3-2, 4-0-2

Northern Ill.

Pitt

Photo by: Matt Hawley/Pitt Athletics

Pitt Advances to Sweet 16 with 5-2 Win Over Northern Illinois

11/21/2021 8:07:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery

PITTSBURGH – The No. 5 seed Pitt men's soccer team advanced to the NCAA Tournament Third Round after a 5-2 defeat of Northern Illinois Sunday evening at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

NEWS & NOTES

The NCAA postseason victory at home is the second in program history. The Panthers improved their overall record to 12-5-1 and will host Hofstra at a time and date to be determined.
Sophomore Bertin Jacquesson tallied a goal and three assists. His single-game assist total tied an NCAA Tournament record and also tied his career mark set last season. The five points in the match were also a career-high for the Frenchman.
Five different Panthers scored and the team as a whole recorded six assists. Pitt entered the match as the number one team in the country in assists per game and second in total assists.

"We are very excited about the win tonight," said Head Coach Jay Vidovich. "We had a tremendous opponent who tested us early in both half's. I was proud of the way we responded after their [NIU] goals and the resiliency and the ability to take the lead and hold out for the rest of the game. I thought it was a great result for us."

Northern Illinois scored off the first shot of the match in the fifth minute as Anthony Markanich gave the Huskies the early lead. Thirty-one seconds later, freshman Guilherme Feitosa received a cross to the left post from Jacquesson, who after a deflection off a Huskie defender finished and scored to tie the game 1-1.

A critical response from Pitt.

Jacquesson finds G to tie the match 1-1 in Pittsburgh.

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— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) November 21, 2021

The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the 30^th minute courtesy of a Jacquesson goal. Junior Raphaël Crivello found sophomore Filip Mirkovic in space who sent a long ball pass toward the right side of the 18. Jacquesson hit a powerful right foot strike and connected with the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season. With less than a minute to play in the half, graduate student Jackson Walti scored his first NCAA postseason goal, putting the Panthers up 3-1 at the break.

The Frenchman ???? puts Pitt on top.

Crivello ?? Mirkovic ?? Jacquesson ?

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— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) November 21, 2021

The Huskies again scored quickly into the half, converting a shot into a goal in the 47^th minute off the foot of Roque Viegas Jr. Pitt answered six minutes later as junior Valentin Noel received a long pass from right to left from Jacquesson, took one touch and scored. The goal was Noel's fourth career NCAA Tournament score.

Jacquesson with the precision pass ??

Noel with the finish ??

?? - https://t.co/6T6JEroIhK (ACCNX)#H2P pic.twitter.com/HOvRl0Vswd
— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) November 21, 2021

Graduate student Alexander Dexter added Pitt's fifth goal in the 74^th minute and Jacquesson earned his third assist of the evening. The goal for Dexter was the third NCAA postseason goal in his career.

The Panthers outshot the Huskies 14-9 for the match and finished a 4-3 corner kick advantage. Graduate student goalkeeper Nico Campuzano recorded three saves and earned his 28^th career win in goal as a Panther.

Pitt will host Hofstra this weekend with a time and date to be determined. Follow @Pitt_MSOC on twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.