#20 Panthers Conclude Regular Season At #5 Notre Dame Friday Night

PITTSBURGH – The Pitt men's soccer team (6-4-4, 2-2-3 ACC) wraps up their regular slate on Friday night on the road as they get set to battle #5 Notre Dame at Alumni Stadium in South Bend, IN. Friday's regular season finale will kick at 7:00 pm and air live on ACC Network Extra.

Pitt can finish the regular season as high as the No. 5 seed and as low as the No. 10 seed for the upcoming 2023 ACC Tournament. In order to host a first round match, Pitt will have to finish as at least the No. 8 seed.

FOLLOW ALONG

Friday night's contest will air live on ACC Network Extra and can be found online HERE.
Live stats for Friday's game can be found HERE.
Live updates throughout the game will also be posted on Twitter by following the Pitt men's soccer account @Pitt_MSOC.

THE SERIES VS. NOTRE DAME

This meeting marks the 33rd all-time between the two programs with the Fighting Irish owning the 20-7-5 advantage in the series.
The two teams have tied each of the past two meetings including a 1-1 draw in Pittsburgh last season.
Pitt's last win in the series came at home in 2021 as they earned the 2-0 victory.
The Panthers are 3-2-2 over the past seven meetings against the Fighting Irish.
Pitt is 4-11-2 all-time in games played in South Bend with their last win on the road in the series coming in 2020 as they earned the 3-1 win.

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH

Notre Dame enters Friday's match with a 10-1-4 overall record and a 5-0-2 ACC mark. They earned a 1-1 road draw at Wake Forest last time out after winning six straight before that match.
Notre Dame is currently ranked #5 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll.
The Fighting Irish are being led offensively by Matthew Roou who ranks second in the ACC with nine goals, three assists and 21 points on 29 shots. Roou has also netted a team-high three game-winning goals on the season.
Eno Nto is enjoying a strong season as he has six goals, one assist and 13 points on 29 shots with two game-winners. KK Baffour has a team-high five assists and two goals on a team-best 30 shots so far this season.
The stingy Notre Dame defense has allowed just eight goals against on the season. Their team goals-against average (0.53) and team save percentage (.867) both rank second in the nation so far this season.
In goal, Bryan Dowd is having a great season as he owns a 9-1-4 record with a 0.57 goals-against average and .860 save percentage while securing seven shutouts.

LAST TIME OUT VS. #9 DUKE

The Panthers and Blue Devils each had golden opportunities late in the second half to secure the game-winner but the keepers came up with big stops as the two ranked foes battled to a 0-0 draw at Ambrose Urbanic Field on Saturday night.
In the 61st minute, Pitt had two scoring chances from in tight but the Duke keeper came up with a pair of point blank stops. Luis Sahmkow had the first chance that deflected off the keepers leg and Eben McIntyre grabbed the rebound and took a shot towards the left corner but the keeper bounced back and made a remarkable diving stop.
After a giveaway in the 85th minute, Cabral Carter made a huge point blank save to secure the draw for Pitt.
For the match, Duke held the 12-9 edge in shots while Pitt held the 5-2 lead in corner kicks.
In goal, Cabral Carter secured his second straight clean sheet as he made six saves.

SECOND HALF DOMINATION

One of the strengths of this Pitt squad so far this season has been their ability to make changes at halftime and own the second half of play.
So far this season, Pitt owns a 15-5 edge in second half scoring.
In Pitt's last win over Duquesne, the Panthers netted a pair of second half goals to secure the 2-0 cleansheet.
Pitt has outscored their opponent seven times in the second half this season. They are 6-0-1 on the season when they win the scoring battle in the second 45 minutes.
The Panthers are 0-3-0 when they are outscored in the second half of games.
Pitt has outscored their opponents 14-2 in the second half in home matches at Ambrose Urbanic Field this season. They own a 6-1-2 record on their home turf.

PANTHERS OWN SECOND HARDEST STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE IN NATION

What has become every season thing for the Panthers since head coach Jay Vidovich took over the program, Pitt once again has played one of the hardest schedules in the nation.
Pitt currently owns the second hardest strength of schedule in the nation heading into Friday's road match against #5 Notre Dame.
Notre Dame is Pitt's seventh ranked opponent of the season. They are also the fourth top-10 foe the Panthers have played this season.
All four of Pitt's losses this season have come against programs currently ranked ahead of the Panthers (No. 20) in the RPI poll.

CARTER ON A ROLL IN GOAL

Sophomore goalkeeper Cabral Carter is turning into one of the best keepers in the ACC during his first season of action.
So far this season, Carter owns a 6-4-4 overall record to go along with a 1.14 goals-against average, .729 save percentage and six shutouts.
Carter ranks second in the ACC in shutouts (six), third in save percentage (.729) and fifth in goals-against average (1.14).
Carter has secured two straight shutouts for the Panthers (Duquesne, Duke) and currently owns a shutout streak of 242:17, dating back to the first half against Virginia (10/13).
His six shutouts are currently tied for the eighth most in a single season in program history.

NEXT UP

The 2023 ACC Soccer Tournament begins Wednesday, Nov. 1 at campus sites. Pitt can finish anywhere from the No. 5 seed to the No. 10 seed for the upcoming tournament.
The No. 5, No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 teams will host a first round match on Wednesday, Nov. 1 while the No. 9 and No. 10 seed would mean a road match in the first round.