Men’s soccer falls to Syracuse in overtime

Torrential rain dampened senior night for the Pitt men’s soccer team, but the biggest downer… Torrential rain dampened senior night for the Pitt men’s soccer team, but the biggest downer of the night came almost two hours after the ceremony.

Syracuse’s Brad Peetoom scored in the 87th minute to tie the game, then scored his second goal of the night on a breakaway in the 107th minute of the game, giving the Orange (5-12, 3-7 Big East) a 3-2 win in extra time over the Panthers (5-8-3, 3-6-1).

The deciding goal was scored with only 3:49 remaining in extra time and was set up on a ball through by Mike McCallion. Peetoom controlled the ball and worked his way past a Pitt defense playing loosely off of him before firing to the left of goalkeeper Justin Lowery.

Lowery got a touch on the ball, and Pitt captain Jacob Kring made a valiant effort to keep the ball from crossing the line. In the end, Kring went sliding into the goal with the ball, but the damage had been done, giving the Orange — ironically clad in all blue — the win.

“It was real disappointing. We were up on them the whole game, and I don’t know the numbers, but I’m sure we outshot them,” senior Billy Brush said after the game. Many of the Pitt players boarded the team bus immediately after the final whistle, eager to return to campus and get out of the monsoon-like conditions.

Before the game, and before the rain began to fall heavily, Pitt honored its three departing players: Kring, Brush, and redshirt junior Justin Genes, who will leave because of graduation.

But while the seniors were honored, it was a true freshman that opened the scoring for Pitt. Just before halftime, Pat Kerr collected the ball in a scramble around the top of the penalty area and fired a shot that curled into the top-left corner of the net, giving the Panthers a 1-0 halftime lead and giving Kerr his first collegiate goal.

The Panthers came out in the second half controlling play, but it was Syracuse, against the run of play, that leveled the score in the 59th minute. Isaac Collings, who carried the ball through midfield, was allowed to shoot from 30 yards out, and his foot did not fail him, firing a hard shot past Lowery.

Pitt jumped back ahead 2-1 on a goal by Keeyan Young. Brush shot low and hard, forcing a save from Syracuse goalkeeper Alim Karim. The rebound went straight to the foot of Young, who slotted the ball home on the ground.

Both goalkeepers had excellent games, Karim finishing with 12 saves and Lowery finishing with seven, and each came up with a memorable save in a breakaway situation.

Lowery’s biggest save came immediately after Young’s goal. The Orange took the kickoff and moved straight down the field, springing McCallion on a breakaway. Lowery charged out to meet the onrushing attack and blocked McCallion’s shot at point-blank range. The ball spun away, but Lowery quickly pounced to control it and ended the threat.

Karim’s save came with just over five minutes to play in overtime, as he stopped Young on a close-range shot. Young took a through ball, and with good body control, shielded a Syracuse defender as he made his way into the box, only to have his potential game-winner snuffed out.

Young’s missed opportunity was the last for the Panthers, who end their Big East season in ninth place with 10 points. Syracuse finishes behind them in 10th, with nine points.