Men’s soccer: Wysong’s two goals help Pitt continue undefeated season

Nick Wysong has had quite the week.

Friday, the freshman turned 19 and scored a hat trick. He…

Nick Wysong (4) has sparked Pitt’s offense its last three games, scoring five goals.

Bobby Mizia, Senior Staff Photographer

Nick Wysong has had quite the week.

Friday, the freshman turned 19 and scored a hat trick. He then registered an assist Sunday against Duquesne, these performances culminating in his title of Big East Rookie of the Week.

Wednesday night he continued his good form, scoring two goals to help Pitt beat Robert Morris 2-0 and remain undefeated.

“I guess I was in the right spot at the right time,” Wysong said of his brace.

Pitt, triumphant in its last four games, started out extremely poorly on Wednesday evening, allowing the Robert Morris Colonials (2-5-1) to stick around.

But after the break, Pitt started to show some life. That newfound energy led the Panthers to score two goals in front of the home crowd.

The first tally came when, after receiving a pass from freshman Matt Venanzi, midfielder Cory Werth advanced the ball to freshman Nick Wysong.

Wysong then rocketed a shot from about 12 yards out into the left corner, beating Colonials goalie Toba Bolaji and giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the 71st minute.

Not long after the first goal, the freshman connection would work again. Wysong received a beautiful feed from Matt Venanzi and dribbled his way through the Robert Morris defense before sending a blast off his left foot and into the left part of the net — his second goal of the game and fifth of the week.

Pitt head coach Joe Luxbacher saw marked improvement in the team during the second period.

“We made some adjustments at halftime, and the guys decided they were going to play a bit harder,” Luxbacher said. “I don’t want to make excuses, but we were tired, having played three games in past six days. It was a good win, and Nick scored some great goals, and we played much better in the second half.”

The victory marks the first time the Panthers have had a five-game winning streak since 2002.

They open Big East play against Cincinnati Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Petersen Sports Complex.