Men’s soccer drops another narrow contest

One-goal losses are too familiar to the Pitt men’s soccer team this season. Five of its… One-goal losses are too familiar to the Pitt men’s soccer team this season. Five of its first seven defeats were of the one-goal variety.

Make that six of its first eight losses now. The bad luck struck again Wednesday night at Founders Field when the Panthers took on Bowling Green in their last non-conference matchup of the season.

The Falcons scored the first two goals of the game, jumping out to a 2-0 lead before Pitt got on the board in the second half. The score held there as Pitt lost, 2-1, dropping its record to 4-8-2.

“Obviously it is always good to get a victory and this was a touch mid-week trip,” Bowling Green head coach Fred Thompson said on bgsufalcons.com of his team’s win over Pitt.

Bowling Green opened up an early lead in the ninth minute of the first half when sophomore Justin Kim found a spot in the right side of the net.

The goal was set up by a series of quick touch passes by the Falcons’ offense. Jacob Lawrence found Kyle Williams with a pass downfield, while Williams made the final dish to Kim who netted the goal.

The Panthers missed an opportunity to score in the 31st minute when freshman Matt Baker received a pass from senior Keeyan Young as he headed toward the Falcon net. His shot, however, bounced off the right goal post.

Later, Kim put the Falcons up 2-0 with his second goal of the game.

Alec Perea sent a pass across the field to Kim, who was streaking down on a breakaway. Kim used a move with his feet to open up a shooting lane and drilled the ball in for his fifth goal of the season at the 33:45 mark.

Pitt’s defense, up to the Bowling Green game, allowed only four first-half goals, while its offense put up 10, which led to early Pitt leads. The Falcons, though, escaped the first half up 2-0 on the Panthers.

But Thompson knew his team has had problems shutting the opposition down and playing with a lead.

“We have been starting our games fresh and lively and we are doing what we need to do to go out there and win,” he said. “Right now we are working on playing with and maintaining a lead.

“It can be pretty simple, but it is something that we have not done and we are learning to deal with.”

In the 53rd minute, Young put the Panthers on board, cutting the Bowling Green lead in half.

Junior Matt Langton took the ball up field behind Young. Langton dumped the ball off to the senior, who made one move and sent a shot towards the left side of the goal which found its way past the Bowling Green goalie.

The goal was Young’s 24th of his career, which moved him into a three-way tie for fourth place on Pitt’s all-time goals list. In the game, Young posted one point to advance on the list.

Moments after scoring Pitt’s first goal, Young came back and knocked a header towards the goal in an attempt to tie the game. It just missed, however, as it headed just above the crossbar.

“I thought it was very competitive at the end, and it says a lot that we hung in there and won the game,” Thompson said.

Despite losing, the Panthers put up more shots than Bowling Green (12 to seven) but couldn’t get as many of their shots on goal. All seven Bowling Green shots were on goal as Pitt goalie Andy Jorgensen made five saves.

Bowling Green goalkeeper stopped two Panther shots in the game for the win.

Pitt resumes action Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. when it welcomes the defending Big East champion Connecticut Huskies to Founders Field.

Pitt head coach Joe Luxbacher could not be reached for comment.