Football enjoys bye week

Men and Women’s Basketball – On Saturday, in the Petersen Events Center, Pitt will be… Men and Women’s Basketball – On Saturday, in the Petersen Events Center, Pitt will be hosting the second annual Fan Fest and the Blue and Gold Scrimmage for both the men and women’s basketball teams. Fan Fest includes many fan-oriented events, including scrimmages and autograph sessions. The doors will open at 3:45 p.m. and Fan Fest will end at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

Cross Country – The Panthers will compete for the Big East Championship in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., on Friday. Last year, Maureen McCandless finished third overall, the best finish in the history of the women’s cross country program.

Football – After Pittsburgh’s 34-17 victory over Syracuse last weekend at Heinz Field, the Panthers will have a bye this upcoming weekend.

Men’s Soccer – The Panthers gave up a 3-0 decision to No. 4 Connecticut and a 2-1 decision to Notre Dame last weekend. This week, the Panthers (3-10-1 overall, 2-7-0 Big East) will try to redeem themselves when they travel to Georgetown to face the Hoyas (9-7-0 overall, 5-4-0 Big East) on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Last year, Pitt won 2-1 against Georgetown thanks to Justin Gene’s game-winning goal with only three minutes left. On Saturday, Pitt will host Providence (4-3-7 overall, 2-3-4 Big East) on Founders Field at 1 p.m. Last year, the Panthers registered a 2-0 win when they faced the Friars at Founders Field.

Women’s Soccer – Pitt (4-10-3 overall, 3-10-2 Big East) defeated the Providence Friars last weekend 1-0 with the only goal from Corina Sebesta. Even though they were shut out 1-0 by the 2004 Big East Champion Connecticut Huskies, the Panthers still qualified for next weekend’s Big East Tournament. Jamie Pelusi, the leader in the Big East for number of saves, made eight saves in the loss. Pitt’s first ever trip to the conference tournament begins next weekend when the Panthers travel to Rutgers (7-7-2, 4-4-1), a rematch of a 6-2 Scarlet Knight win earlier this season.

Swimming ‘ Diving – The Panthers will travel to Olean, N.Y., to take on St. Bonaventure on Friday. Both Pitt’s men and women’s teams have defeated St. Bonaventure for the last three years. On Saturday, the swimming and diving teams will take on the Orange in Syracuse at 9 a.m. Last year, both teams registered wins against the Orange.

Tennis – The Panthers are still competing in the ITA Regional Championship in West Point, N.Y. The four-day tournament will conclude on Tuesday.

Volleyball – The Panthers’ six-match winning streak was put to an end by No. 6 Louisville last Saturday when they fell 3-1 to the Cardinals. Pitt also fell to Cincinnati in a five-set match the day after. Pitt (13-9 overall, 6-3 Big East) will return home this upcoming weekend to host the Seton Hall Pirates (12-12, 2-6) on Friday, a team Pitt has swept each of the last two seasons.