Pitt blows out No. 21 Hokies on Senior Night
Pitt men’s soccer head coach Jay Vidovich seems to have developed an affinity for Senior Night. His teams keep playing their best soccer when these celebrations come.
In his first three seasons at Pitt, Vidovich’s squad lost two of its home finales and tied another, putting a grand total of zero goals on the board in those three matches. But the No. 12 Panthers have enjoyed immaculate scoring outbursts in their last three Senior Nights, including a 4-1 beatdown of No. 21 Virginia Tech on Friday.
Although Pitt put together a few early chances, neither team gained any real momentum until the 23rd minute. Virginia Tech’s Sivert Haugli received a red card for a risky tackle that prevented a breakaway opportunity, leaving the Hokies with 10 men for the final 70 minutes.
But it wouldn’t take that long for the Panthers to capitalize. Pitt received a free kick just outside of the penalty box for Haugli’s foul, and sophomore Bertin Jacquesson curved his shot into the upper right corner to give Pitt the first lead of the night.
Before Tech could even process the magnificent shot, the Panthers added another goal to the scoreboard. Fourth-year midfielder Rodrigo Almeida put a bow on his stellar senior season with a lengthy laser that hit the crossbar and bounced across the goal line to put Pitt up 2-0.
The Panthers honored nine seniors at midfield prior to the match, each surrounded by family. All except one. None of forward Alexander Dexter’s relatives could make it to the match, so he asked Pitt custodian Lance White to take the field with him. The special moment wowed fans, coaches, and broadcasters alike.
Dexter got another senior night moment during the match as well. Just four minutes after Rodrigo’s score, Dexter drew a foul in the penalty box on a well-timed run. The Brooklyn native took the penalty kick himself, burying it in the top left corner. In just a matter of minutes, Pitt had gained a 3-goal edge.
The Panthers’ dominant night didn’t end in first half, but Hokie goalkeeper Ben Martino’s did. Virginia Tech head coach Mike Brizendine started junior Matt Zambetti for the second period, who made one save before the Panthers struck again.
Pitt defender Raphael Crivello found a streaking Luis Sahmkow at the center of the box in the 67th minute. The freshman forward’s first career goal came on a silver platter, and it extended the Pitt lead to four.
It also ended Zambetti’s night, bringing in a third Virginia Tech keeper, Connor Jordan-Hyde. The redshirt junior managed to prevent any further damage on the scoreboard, but Pitt had already built quite the cushion.
Virginia Tech’s Daniel Starr found the net in the 87th minute, spoiling Pitt goalkeeper Nico Campuzano’s Senior Night clean sheet. He’d take a dominant victory, though, as the Panthers won their 18th straight match at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
The win also clinched the number one seed for the Panthers in a tight race preceding the ACC tournament, giving Pitt an opening-round bye and home field advantage until the ACC Championship match. The Hokies may get a chance at revenge, as the winner of their matchup with Boston College will meet Pitt in the second round on Nov. 7.