No. 7 Pitt men’s soccer (5-1-0, 2-0-0 ACC) claimed victory under the Friday night lights, beating Louisville 3-2 (4-2-0, 0-2-0 ACC). The win marks the Panther’s fifth of the year in just six matches. 

Panther faithful may recall the last time the inner-conference foes played — last year’s ACC tournament. The then-No. 9 Cardinals knocked the Panthers out in a 2-1 nail-biter that required double overtime. After the ACC tournament loss, Pitt dropped its NCAA tournament match against JMU 3-2, officially ending their 2023 campaign.

A plague of injuries, misfortunes and ultimately disappointment defined Pitt men’s soccer in 2023. The season marked the first since 2017 without a postseason victory. As a result, the Panthers entered 2024 unranked. In recent memory, this marked uncharted territory for Pitt men’s soccer as the Panthers earned a top-ten preseason ranking the previous four seasons.

Friday night presented an opportunity for revenge for the Panthers. They faced one of the teams responsible for ending their 2023 season while an all-important conference win remained up for grabs. Each victory the Panthers stack work to erase the stains of the past year.

But none of these crossed Pitt’s mind Friday night. The Panthers do not live in the past, and instead, they earned a win that they hope defines their future.

“I think the guys bought in, in the summer,” senior forward Luis Sahmkow said. “We didn’t want to repeat last year. We’re a different team. We all have a single goal, and I think we are willing to die on the field for each other now.”

Despite the close score, the Panthers dominated all aspects of the game. Amidst the chaos of two overturned Pitt goals and 18 Louisville fouls, Pitt imposed its will on the Cardinals. Every time Louisville gained momentum, Pitt had an answer, from a quick goal to a stretch of dominating possession.

The 2024 Panthers know they each have an important role to play. Senior midfielder Guilherme Feitosa opened the scoring in the 18th minute. After earning career highs in goals and assists his first year with five and six respectively, injuries have limited Feitosa, forcing him to miss time in the previous two seasons. With his third goal of this year, he already surpassed his total from last year as the newly named captain looks to achieve his potential.

Sahmkow led the Panthers with six goals last season and currently leads them with four. Sahmkow effortlessly buried his penalty shot in the 26th minute, putting the Panthers up 2-0. He exudes extreme confidence in himself and his teammates.

“The penalty kick is something I pride myself on,” Sahmkow said. “I’d like to think every single time I’m on the penalty spot, I’m gonna make it. I’m that confident. So as soon as the penalty got called, I was thankful that Casper was able to dribble in and get the foul because I knew I was going to hit the back of the net”.

Then, when the Cardinals got on the board, making the score 2-1, Sahmkow delivered again. After a nice feed from first-year midfielder Miguel Bertran, Sahmkow put the Panthers up by two. 

Although junior goalkeeper Cabral Carter allowed a goal on both shots on goal, he too remains a crucial component for Pitt’s success. In his last outing, Carter saved six shots against SMU. This week, the Panthers’ defense returned the favor.

Anchored by junior defender Jackson Gilman, Pitt held down the fort. After Louisville’s second shot on goal found the back of the net in the 85th minute, Pitt slammed the door shut. Despite a potential momentum shift, Pitt possessed the ball for most of the final minutes as Louisville failed to find another scoring chance. 

Head coach Jay Vidovich knows that closing out games is an essential part of maturing as a team and securing victories.

“I don’t think there’s a game besides Notre Dame [that] we didn’t control,” Vidovich said. “We just didn’t have enough maturity at the end of the game to win the games like we did today. So the maturing of the guys who stayed and the new guys who’ve joined us have helped us have a stronger competitive culture.”

With new and familiar faces alike, this Panthers team continues forging their identity each game. And with a renewed commitment to winning and each other, expect the 2024 Pitt men’s soccer team to keep surpassing expectations.