No. 1 Pitt, No. 4 Clemson Meet in ACC NCAA AQ Match

PITTSBURGH – The No. 1 ranked Pitt men's soccer team travels to Clemson, S.C., for a pivotal matchup with No. 4 Clemson Saturday evening at 7 p.m. for a chance to claim the Atlantic Coast Conference's NCAA automatic qualifying berth.

The winner of the match automatically qualifies for the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show is Monday, April 19 at 12 p.m. and first round action of the NCAA Tournament begins April 29. All NCAA Tournament games will be held in Cary, N.C., or the surrounding Cary area.

THE SERIES – CLEMSON

Clemson leads the all-time series 5-1-0.
Pitt's lone win came in 2018, when the Panthers won 2-1 in double overtime.
Most recently, Pitt fell to Clemson, 2-1, in the ACC Championship Final Nov. 22 in Cary, N.C.
Head Coach Jay Vidovich is 14-10-6 all-time against Clemson.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Clemson enters the contest as the Atlantic Division Champions out of the ACC, finishing with a 12-3-2 overall record and 7-3-2 conference mark.
The fourth-ranked Tigers are second behind the Panthers for total goals in the ACC this year, totaling 30 for fifth in the country.
Nine Tigers were named to the All-ACC Conference Teams this past week, with three first team, one second team, three third team and two freshman team awardees.
The three first team recipients - Grayson Barber, Philip Mayaka and Kimarni Smith - all moved on from the program following the conclusion of the fall season. Smith was taken No. 3 overall in the 2021 MLS Superdraft, while Mayaka was chosen immediately after him at No. 4. Barber signed a Homegrown Player contract with Sporting KC.
Leading the way on Clemson's defense is Oskar Agren, who was named to the All-ACC second team. Agren has helped the Tigers register six shutouts this season.
Leading the Tiger attack is Callum Johnson, who has four goals, four assists and a .448 shot on goal percentage this year.
James Brighton is second on the team in total goals with five and leads the team with 36 shots and has tallied 17 shots on goal.
Clemson goalkeeper George Marks sits second behind Pitt goalie Nico Campuzano in total saves with 39. Marks received All-ACC third team recognition.
The Tigers are known for shooting the ball on net, totaling 14.88 shots per game and 6.35 shots on goal per game, both of which lead the conference.

THE REMATCH

Saturday night's contest is a rematch of the ACC Championship Final Nov. 22, 2020, a game in which the Tigers won 2-1 in Cary, N.C.
The two teams have squared off three times since 2018, with each game being decided by one goal. Pitt defeated Clemson at home 2-1 in double overtime in 2018, while the Tigers have won the last two meetings (1-0 in 2019 / 2-1 in 2020).
Head Coaches Jay Vidovich and Mike Noonan have a combined 659 wins. Noonan ranks 11th among active coaches in the NCAA with 346 victories, while Vidovich ranks 19th with 313.

TOP RANKED PANTHERS EARN MULTIPLE ALL-ACC AWARDS

The Atlantic Coast Conference released its annual All-Conference Teams Wednesday, April 14, and Pitt earned a school record 10 All-ACC honorees, three Player of the Year awardees and Coach of the Year.
Sophomore Valentin Noel was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year. The Niort, France, native ranks among the best in the nation in major offensive categories, including total goals (3rd - 11), points per game (24th - 1.71), goals per game (10th - .79), total points (3rd - 24) and shot accuracy (49th - .549).
Graduate student Jasper Löeffelsend was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Löeffelsend has cemented himself as one of the best passers in the country, totaling seven assists (1st in ACC/5th in country). His .50 assists per game ratio ranks second in the league. Löeffelsend, along with teammate Bertin Jacquesson, each tallied three assists at home against Virginia Tech, both of which tied for second in program history for a single game.
Freshman Bertin Jacquesson made an immediate impact when he arrived at Pitt in the fall, totaling nine points in his first three games. Jacquesson was honored by the ACC with Freshman of the Year. He has three goals, six assists, 27 shots and 13 shots on goal for the season.

VIDOVICH NAMED ACC COACH OF THE YEAR

For the sixth time in his illustrious career, Pitt head coach Jay Vidovich was named ACC Coach of the Year.
Vidovich has led the Panthers to a 13-2 overall record and 9-1 ledger in conference play. Pitt's 13 wins is tied for second most all-time in school history and its nine conference victories surpassed the 1995 team that won eight Big East games for most league wins in a single year.
Vidovich, who won the award in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009 as Wake Forest's head coach, has led the Panthers to its first number one ranking in program history. The team has been ranked number one for seven weeks this season.

TEN NAMED TO ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

A record ten Panthers were named to the All-ACC Teams, with three earning first team, three second team, two third team and two freshman team.
Graduate student goalkeeper Nico Campuzano, graduate student Jasper Löeffelsend and sophomore Valentin Noel were tabbed first team.
Freshman Bertin Jacquesson, sophomore Veljko Petkovic and junior Jackson Walti received second team.
Senior Alexander Dexter and sophomore Arturo Ordoñez earned third team.
Jacquesson and freshman Filip Mirkovic rounded out the group with All-Freshman team honors.

DEXTER NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Senior Alexander Dexter had a career performance at home against Virginia April 8, scoring a goal and tallying two assists in Pitt's 5-0 shutout of the Cavaliers.
Dexter was named College Soccer News Player of the Week for his performance against Virginia, and became the second Panther this season to be named National Player of the Week by College Soccer News, joining sophomore Veljko Petkovic (Oct. 11).

ACC'S NO. 1 SCORING OFFENSE

Pitt enters the Clemson match with the number one scoring offense in the conference with a 2.53 goals per game mark, a number also good for eighth in the nation.
The Panthers have totaled 38 goals this season, which leads the nation. Pitt also leads the country in total points (111) and is second in total assists (37).
Pitt's 7.53 points per game mark and .552 shot accuracy rank first in the conference and ninth and third in the nation, respectively.
The Panthers have had 10 different goal scorers this season and have had 12 different players assist a goal this year.

No. 1 Pitt, No. 4 Clemson Meet in ACC NCAA AQ Match

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nico Campuzano

Alexander Dexter

Bertin Jacquesson

Jasper Löeffelsend

Filip Mirkovic

Valentin Noel

Arturo Ordoñez

Veljko Petkovic

Jackson Walti

No. 1 Pitt, No. 4 Clemson Meet in ACC NCAA AQ Match

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nico Campuzano

Alexander Dexter

Bertin Jacquesson

Jasper Löeffelsend

Filip Mirkovic

Valentin Noel

Arturo Ordoñez

Veljko Petkovic

Jackson Walti

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