Pitt strikes late, upsets No. 20 Rutgers in OT

The intensity at Founders Field Friday evening was tangible, as the Pitt men’s soccer team… The intensity at Founders Field Friday evening was tangible, as the Pitt men’s soccer team prepared to square off against 20th-ranked Rutgers. The Panthers pulled off the upset: a 1-0 shutout victory thanks to senior forward E.J. McCormick’s late-game heroics, breeding credibility to the team’s best start in years and giving Pitt its first win in conference play. But Pitt (5-2-1) couldn’t keep the momentum going Sunday, dropping a 1-0 decision to Villanova in double overtime. Pitt 1, Rutgers 0 It took just more than 84 minutes for the scoreboard to participate in the evening’s activity, when McCormick rifled a shot to the far left corner after contesting and controlling a loose ball around the Rutgers goal. Pitt faithful cheered in an uproar, as the Panthers capped off a night of domination that began at kickoff. Pitt coach Joe Luxbacher said he was proud of his team’s play. ‘This was really a gutsy, hard-fought win for our guys,’ said Luxbacher. ‘I’m proud of them.’ The Panthers attacked Rutgers hard, fighting for every loose ball and getting in the Rutgers’ players’ faces on every possession. Equally as noticeable was Pitt’s offensive play, which has been the team’s Achilles heel. Pitt opened the game by generating a multitude of scoring chances in every which way, winning the corner kick battle 5-2 and outshooting the men in red 9-5 in the first half. Everything appeared to be working in Pitt’s favor until Rutgers forward Gaetano Panuccio stood point-blank in front of Pitt’s goal and unleashed a powerful strike that sailed just inches wide. The near goal ended Pitt’s invincibility and gave Rutgers the much-needed momentum heading into the second half. Pitt looked slightly less sure of itself in the second half but equally as determined, as Rutgers went on the offensive, outshooting the Panthers 5-2 and earning three corner kicks to the Panthers’ two.’ But it was Pitt’s defensive play, which has been the signature of the team thus far this season, coupled with timely saves, that enabled Pitt to compete. ‘Our defense has played really well this season, and we needed that to be the case here again,’ said Luxbacher. An evening filled with emotions and expectations for the Panthers turned into a night of heartache for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights when McCormick put the ball in the back of the net and sent Rutgers back home. Villanova 1, Pitt 0 Pitt (5-2-1) entered its game against Villanova on an emotional high ‘mdash; along with a handful of injured players, all of whom have been critical to the team’s success. And while for much of the season the resilient bunch has been able to overcome its injury plague, Pitt struggled Sunday. ‘The effort was there, and we played smart, but we’re just beat up and tired right now,’ said Luxbacher. The fatigue was prevalent from the outset, as Pitt could not generate a good scoring chance the entire game. Maybe its best chance came midway through the first half on a long Joe Prince-Wright blast that caught nothing but goalkeeper. And with the energy being certainly sub-par offensively, it was the defense that again kept Pitt in the game for more than 100 minutes of playing time. ‘Our defense played great today, but you have to score some goals and we’re not doing that,’ said Luxbacher. The loss evens Pitt’s Big East record at 1-1-0, and heading into a stretch of critical conference games, the challenge becomes much greater from here. ‘Every game in the Big East is competitive. These teams are really good and tough. But we know that coming in, and we have to work through it,’ said Luxbacher. After two scoreless halves and overtime, both teams appeared to be heading for a tie. But a sound of a whistle changed the fates of the respective teams, as Villanova was awarded an indirect kick, which led to forward Adam Brazitis’ game-winning tally in the 101st minute. Villanova forward Danny DeMasters shot a ball through a Pitt wall, which deflected off a Pitt player. Brazitis then picked up the loose ball and kicked in the game winner. ‘I thought it was a questionable call there at the end,’ said Luxbacher. ‘And then the indirect kick hit our guy. Just bad luck [that] didn’t go our way.’ The Panthers came second in all categories, losing both the shooting (outshot 15-7) and corner kick (5-4) battles. But the biggest loss appeared in the score. ‘We had three points sitting there and couldn’t pick up one,’ said Luxbacher. Pitt will get its chance at redemption next week against South Florida.