Friday, September 16
Pittsburgh, Pa.
7 PM
Pitt
5-1-0, 2-0-0
3
vs
0
NC State
2-3-1, 0-2-0
1
2
F
NC State
0
0
0
Pittsburgh
0
3
3
No. 10 Pitt Blanks NC State, 3-0, Behind Strong Showing From Luchini & Rosa
9/16/2022 10:09:00 PM | Men's Soccer
PITTSBURGH – The Pitt men's soccer program improved to 5-1-0 overall and 2-0-0 in the ACC with a 3-0 win over NC State Friday evening at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Grad transfer Josh Luchini recorded a brace and Lucas Rosa added three points (1G, 1A) to the lead the offense as Jay Vidovich became the first ACC Men's Soccer head coach to reach the 100-win plateau in league play.
Vidovich now owns a 100-76-26 mark in ACC action, including a 16-3-1 ledger at Pitt over the past three seasons.
The opening half was a possession battle with Pitt controlling play and generating a handful of dangerous scoring chances. The Panthers recorded a 9-2 advantage in shots in the opening 45 minutes of action, including a laser off the right foot of Filip Mirkovic that banged off the crossbar before being cleared out of the box in the 37th minute.
Pitt got on the board less than two minutes into the second half off a free kick just outside the right edge of the box. Bertin Jacquesson drew with some quick footwork on the outside and Mirkovic dropped a precision pass over the Wolfpack defense to the back post where Luchini headed home his first goal as a Panther.
van der Sar made a nice diving stop in the 52nd minute to deflect a low cross out of the box to preserve the Panthers 1-0 lead.
Pitt continued to press the goal and nearly double their lead in the 57th minute as Rosa fed Valentin Noel at the top of the box. A deft touch by Noel put him in on the NC State keeper, but Lucas Haisios made a terrific diving stab to stop the attack.
Luchini struck again off a header at the 68:58 mark to push the lead to 2-0. Rosa slid into the attack from his right back position and worked the end line before placing a looping cross on Luchini, who popped it over the keeper and a back post defender from 10-yards out on the left wing. Mirkovic also collected an assist on Luchini's second of the night.
van der Sar preserved the clean sheet with a kick save off a skipping shot from the top of the box in the 73rd minute. The Wolfpack earned a corner on the ensuing aerial battle before the Pitt defense cleared possession back into the offensive attack.
The Panthers continued to press for another goal as Ideal Shefqeti ripped a shot from 12-yards out that was poked away by the Wolfpack keeper in the 81st minute. Two minutes later, Michael Sullivan foced another diving stop by the keeper from just inside the top of the box.
Rosa continued his outstanding night with his second goal of the season off a free kick at the 84:40 mark. After Sullivan earned a foul at the top of the box, Rosa slipped a diving free kick over the wall and off the inside left post to give Pitt the 3-0 lead and eventual home ACC win.
The Panthers finished the night owning the 17-4 edge in shots while the Wolfpack held the slim 7-5 lead in corner kicks in the loss.
Pitt returns home Monday, Sept. 19 as they welcome #14 Akron to Ambrose Urbanic Field for a non-conference showdown. First kick Monday is set for 7:00 pm and the match will air live on ACC Network Extra.
NOTES
*** With the home win, Pitt improves to 28-3-1 (.891) at Ambrose Urbanic Field over the past three seasons. The .891 winning percentage at home marks the best in the ACC over the span.
*** Pitt improves to 2-0 in ACC play for just the second time in program history.
*** With the win, Pitt has now won three straight against NC State and own a 4-3-1 record against the Wolfpack all-time.
*** van der Sar made one save as he secured his third straight cleansheet for the Panthers. He extends his scoreless streak to 334 consecutive minutes as he hasn't allowed a goal since the first half of the Marshall game on Sept. 2.
*** Pittsburgh native Josh Luchini netted the first two goals of his Pitt career in the win. The four-point night marked the best of his career as a Panther.
*** Rosa finished his night with a goal and assist for three points. It marks his first three-point game as a Panther.
*** Mirkovic collected his first multi-assist game of his career as he netted two helpers in the win.
Vidovich now owns a 100-76-26 mark in ACC action, including a 16-3-1 ledger at Pitt over the past three seasons.
The opening half was a possession battle with Pitt controlling play and generating a handful of dangerous scoring chances. The Panthers recorded a 9-2 advantage in shots in the opening 45 minutes of action, including a laser off the right foot of Filip Mirkovic that banged off the crossbar before being cleared out of the box in the 37th minute.
Pitt got on the board less than two minutes into the second half off a free kick just outside the right edge of the box. Bertin Jacquesson drew with some quick footwork on the outside and Mirkovic dropped a precision pass over the Wolfpack defense to the back post where Luchini headed home his first goal as a Panther.
van der Sar made a nice diving stop in the 52nd minute to deflect a low cross out of the box to preserve the Panthers 1-0 lead.
Pitt continued to press the goal and nearly double their lead in the 57th minute as Rosa fed Valentin Noel at the top of the box. A deft touch by Noel put him in on the NC State keeper, but Lucas Haisios made a terrific diving stab to stop the attack.
Luchini struck again off a header at the 68:58 mark to push the lead to 2-0. Rosa slid into the attack from his right back position and worked the end line before placing a looping cross on Luchini, who popped it over the keeper and a back post defender from 10-yards out on the left wing. Mirkovic also collected an assist on Luchini's second of the night.
van der Sar preserved the clean sheet with a kick save off a skipping shot from the top of the box in the 73rd minute. The Wolfpack earned a corner on the ensuing aerial battle before the Pitt defense cleared possession back into the offensive attack.
The Panthers continued to press for another goal as Ideal Shefqeti ripped a shot from 12-yards out that was poked away by the Wolfpack keeper in the 81st minute. Two minutes later, Michael Sullivan foced another diving stop by the keeper from just inside the top of the box.
Rosa continued his outstanding night with his second goal of the season off a free kick at the 84:40 mark. After Sullivan earned a foul at the top of the box, Rosa slipped a diving free kick over the wall and off the inside left post to give Pitt the 3-0 lead and eventual home ACC win.
The Panthers finished the night owning the 17-4 edge in shots while the Wolfpack held the slim 7-5 lead in corner kicks in the loss.
Pitt returns home Monday, Sept. 19 as they welcome #14 Akron to Ambrose Urbanic Field for a non-conference showdown. First kick Monday is set for 7:00 pm and the match will air live on ACC Network Extra.
NOTES
*** With the home win, Pitt improves to 28-3-1 (.891) at Ambrose Urbanic Field over the past three seasons. The .891 winning percentage at home marks the best in the ACC over the span.
*** Pitt improves to 2-0 in ACC play for just the second time in program history.
*** With the win, Pitt has now won three straight against NC State and own a 4-3-1 record against the Wolfpack all-time.
*** van der Sar made one save as he secured his third straight cleansheet for the Panthers. He extends his scoreless streak to 334 consecutive minutes as he hasn't allowed a goal since the first half of the Marshall game on Sept. 2.
*** Pittsburgh native Josh Luchini netted the first two goals of his Pitt career in the win. The four-point night marked the best of his career as a Panther.
*** Rosa finished his night with a goal and assist for three points. It marks his first three-point game as a Panther.
*** Mirkovic collected his first multi-assist game of his career as he netted two helpers in the win.
Team Stats
NCS
PIT
Goals
0
3
Shots
4
17
Shots on Goal
1
8
Saves
5
1
Corners
7
5
Fouls
8
12
Scoring Plays
Josh Luchini (2)
Assisted By: Filip Mirkovic
GOAL by PIT Luchini, Josh Assist by Mirkovic, Filip.
46:40
Josh Luchini (2)
Assisted By: Lucas Rosa , Filip Mirkovic
GOAL by PIT Luchini, Josh Assist by Rosa, Lucas and Mirkovic, Filip.
68:56
Lucas Rosa (2)
GOAL by PIT Rosa, Lucas.
84:39
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
2
Assists
0
mid
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
2
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
F
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