Top-Ranked Panthers Travel for Top 20 Clash at No. 17 Virginia Tech

PITTSBURGH – Seeking its fifth-consecutive victory, and looking to remain unbeaten in ACC play, the No. 1-ranked Pitt men's soccer team will travel to face No. 17 Virginia Tech Friday evening at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, Va.

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET, and the match can be streamed via ACCNX.

    Need to Know - Game 9
    No. 1 Pitt (7-1-0, 3-0-0 ACC) vs. No. 17 Virginia Tech (5-1-1, 1-1-0 ACC)
    Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 - 7 PM - ACCNX
    Blacksburg, Va. – Thompson Field

The Opening Kick
Sahmkow's Streak
Senior forward Luis Sahmkow has recorded five goals in the last three games, bringing his season total to seven - which ranks fifth nationally. Of note, Sahmkow recorded back-to-back braces against Louisville and Cleveland State.

Feitosa's Dimes
After a stellar two assist performance against Boston College, senior midfielder Guilherme Feitosa now leads the ACC in assists with five this season.

Potent Attack
Three Panthers rank in the top 10 of the ACC in points per game - Sahmkow (1.75), Feitosa (1.38) and Albert Thorsen (1.38).

Defensive Effort
Defensively, Pitt ranks seventh in the country with a .625 goals against average. In goal, keeper Cabral Carter has accumulated a 6-0 record, while allowing only four goals.

Scouting the Hokies

Virginia Tech has gotten off to a stellar 5-1-1 start this season, including a 1-1 record in ACC play.
- Most recently, the Hokies dropped a 2-0 decision to SMU.
Notably, Virginia Tech drew then-No. 23 Kentucky, 2-2, on Sept. 2.
The Hokies have been led by Ethan Hackenberg, who has tallied a team-high three goals.
- Additionally, goalkeeper Cooper Wenzel has recorded four clean sheets this season.
  - Of note, Wenzel was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17.

Series History

Friday will mark the 17th all-time meeting between the two teams as Pitt currently leads the series, 7-5-4.
- Of note, the Panthers have won seven straight.
Last season, Pitt earned a 3-1 victory at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
Head coach Jay Vidovich has compiled a 20-5-1 ledger against the Hokies throughout his career.

Last Time Out
Behind second half tallies from Thorsen and Sahmkow, Pitt downed Boston College, 2-0, Friday evening at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

The victory marked Pitt's fourth-consecutive win – the Panthers' longest streak since the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Additionally, Pitt has now surpassed last season's win total (six) through only eight matches.

Individually, the Panthers were paced by Feitosa, who registered an assist on both goals Friday. Feitosa has tallied an assist in three of Pitt's last four matches.

After entering the halftime break deadlock at zero, Pitt took the lead just three minutes into the second frame as junior defender Casper Svendby found fellow Drammen, Norway, native Thorsen in the box – who slotted home his fifth goal of the season.

Pitt continued to pressure Boston College's back line, resulting in a 85th minute strike from Sahmkow. Sahmkow, a product of Richardson, Texas, recorded his fifth goal in the last three matches, bringing his season total to seven.

Panthers in the Polls

	United Soccer Coaches	TopDrawerSoccer	NCAA RPI
Preseason	Unranked	Unranked	-
Week 1	No. 3	No. 10	-
Week 2	No. 8	No. 12	-
Week 3	No. 7	No. 6	-
Week 4	No. 2	No. 5	-
Week 5	No. 1	No. 3	No. 1

Up Next
Following Pitt's showdown with Virginia Tech, the Panthers will open a four-match home stand, hosting a quartet of opponents in Howard (Oct. 2), Denver (Oct. 7), Cal (Oct. 11) and High Point (Oct. 14) with each match kicking off at 7 p.m., respectively.