Defense fails Pitt on the road

There’s no question that superb defense has led the Panthers to where they are at this point in… There’s no question that superb defense has led the Panthers to where they are at this point in the season. In nearly every game this year, the men’s soccer team has kept the score close, giving it a chance to be in the game.’ But it was different on Sunday. The Panthers lost, 4-1, against No. 15-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend, dropping their overall record to 6-5-2, while their Big East record fell to 2-4-1.’ Pitt’s only goal of the game came on a self-goal by Notre Dame senior defenseman Jack Traynor, giving the Panthers the early 1-0 advantage. After that, the Irish went on to score four consecutive goals. ‘We were totally outplayed in the first half,’ said Pitt coach Joe Luxbacher.’ Even though the teams were knotted at 1-1 at the half, the Panthers were outshot 9-1 and 6-0 on corners. But Pitt came out a different team in the second half. At one point in the second half the shot totals were 11-9 in favor of the Irish. The renewed Panther attack wasn’t enough to keep the opposition off the board, however, as the Irish tallied again to make it 2-1. ‘We gave up a horrible goal. In fact, we gave them a goal,’ said Luxbacher of the Irish’s second strike to put them ahead. Notre Dame scored again in the 80th minute to bring the score to 3-1. ‘We threw more people forward,’ said Luxbacher of his team’s strategy in the closing minutes of the game.’ The aggressive offensive strategy allowed the Irish to tally once again in the final minute, to give the game its final 4-1 score. The Panthers also suffered a key injury in the game when an Irish forward collided with senior star goalkeeper Eric Barnes. Barnes’ status is uncertain for Saturday’s match-up against Georgetown.’ ‘ Even though the loss is disappointing, there isn’t time for the team to get down. The Panthers are still very much in Big East title contention, only three points from second place in the conference. ‘Even though the loss was disappointing, I think the mindset of this team is very good,’ said Luxbacher. ‘I wasn’t disappointed with the effort. Our guys came out and fought hard, never quit the entire game.’ The Panthers will face Georgetown at Founders Field on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ‘Every game is a new game,’ said Luxbacher. ‘If we win, we’re going to move up. Whoever brings their A-game on Saturday is going to win.’