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October 2, 2024 | 7pm
ACCNX
Wednesday, October 2nd / 7pm
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BLACKSBURG, Va. – Behind two second-half goals, the No. 1 Pitt men’s soccer team defeated No. 17 Virginia Tech 2-0 on Saturday night at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, Va.
The Panthers (8-1-0, 4-0-0 ACC) have won five straight, marking the program’s longest winning streak since the 2020-21 season. Additionally, Pitt snapped an eight-game winning streak against the Hokies on Saturday.
Defensively, the Panthers achieved their third consecutive clean sheet. Remarkably, Pitt has remained scoreless for 275 minutes and 34 seconds since the second half of the game against Louisville (Sept. 13).
On Saturday, the Hokies (5-2-1, 1-2-0 ACC) and Panthers battled to a scoreless draw for the first 64 minutes, before an own goal in the 65th minute broke the deadlock. Just 12 minutes later, senior forward Casper Greningthroe extended the Panthers’ lead with his second goal of the season.
Senior forward Louis Samkow and junior defender Kasper Svenby both assisted on Groening’s score. Sahmkow, a native of Richardson, Texas, has scored in each of Pitt’s last five games and is tied for the league lead with 15 points this season.
What’s notable is that with four games left in the league, Pitt remains the sole leader in the ACC.
ACC Standings (Top 5)
place
school
point
ACC record
overall record
1
pit
12
4-0-0
8-1-0
2
stanford
10
3-0-1
8-1-1
3
north carolina
9
3-0-0
6-0-3
4
duke
7
2-1-1
4-2-2
5
Clemson
6
2-1-0
5-1-2
SMU
6
2-1-0
5-1-3
how did it happen
Both teams were trying to control the ball as there were zero shot attempts in the first 19 minutes. Virginia Tech attempted its first two shots of the game in the 20th minute. Pitt’s first attempt came at the 22:27 mark. The Panthers’ biggest scoring opportunity of the first half came in the 38th minute, when Groening took a shot that forced a save from the Virginia Tech keeper. The Hokies attempted five shots in the final 15 minutes of the opening frame, but three of them were blocked. The Panthers and Hokies entered the halftime break tied at 0. In the first half, possession was split evenly between both teams. The Hokies held a 7-2 shot advantage. Virginia Tech came out aggressive in the second half, making two shots within the first four minutes. Pitt’s first shot of the first half was scored by Eben McIntyre in the 53rd minute. At 64:12, Pitt took a 1-0 lead on an own goal. Virginia Tech attempted four shots over the next eight minutes, resulting in two saves by Jack Moxham. Groening extended Pitt’s lead in the 77th minute, scoring his second goal of the season. The Panthers held firm on defense, kept a clean sheet for the third consecutive year, and won 2-0.
Note details
Pitt improved to 4-0 in the ACC and led the league with 12 points. Samkow has earned one point from five games in a row. Svendby recorded an assist for the third straight game. Groening played in his 50th career game. Mateo Maillefour made his 45th career appearance and 35th career start.
to the next
The Panthers open their next four-game homestand, hosting a quartet of opponents in Howard (October 2), Denver (October 7), California (October 11) and High Point (October 14). , each game kicks off. Each ends at 7 p.m.