The bus for the Canisius Golden Griffins broke down, they arrived late, and after 90 minutes… The bus for the Canisius Golden Griffins broke down, they arrived late, and after 90 minutes of play, they were still stuck in the middle of the road.

After their bus broke down in Erie, Pa., and delayed kickoff by an hour, the Panthers (1-0) used goals by three different players, along with a stifling defense, to win a battle of blue and gold, shutting out Canisius College 3-0 Wednesday night at Founder’s Field. The win was Pitt’s first of the season and second straight on opening day.

“We want to be a better defensive team this year,” said Luxbacher, who is in his 21st season as the Panthers head coach. “Their chances were all coming on free kicks and serve-ins, but they never really got behind our defense.”

The strong defensive effort along with Pitt’s consistency in winning 50-50 balls helped keep the Canisius attack at bay. The Golden Griffins (0-1) only managed two shots for the game, making it an easy day for junior goalkeeper Justin Lowery, who earned the shutout.

The Panthers drew first blood when sophomore Tyler Bastianelli took a cross from junior Keeyan Young and had his shot deflect off a defender to find the back of the net in the 21st minute.

In the 59th minute, the Panthers continued to force the issue when senior Billy Brush evaded a diving goalkeeper and tucked the ball into the open net to put Pitt up 2-0. Junior Justin Genes sent a long ball through the seams of the Canisius defense for a streaking Brush.

“Once [Brush] got the goal, his game really elevated,” Luxbacher said of his senior, a rare class represented on this young squad. “He is a very good player, but as all players, he needs his confidence.”

After a Golden Griffins defender fouled Chris Bastidas in the penalty box, the freshman secured the Panther victory when he buried his penalty kick in the lower left corner in the game’s 83rd minute. The goal was his first donning gold and blue and his only shot of the game.

“You never finish all the chances that you get,” Luxbacher said, with a smile. “But we started to finish our chances in the second half.”

The Panthers registered 10 shots for the game while earning six corner kicks that helped create early scoring chances. From the start, the Panthers dominated the flow of the game, not allowing Canisius to get into a rhythm.

“Getting a win is great, and they are a good team who are well-organized,” Luxbacher said. “We knew it would be a tough game coming in.”

Pitt can now get out their scouting report on No. 12-ranked Rutgers in preparation for its Big East opener. Luxbacher is excited for Friday’s game, remembering that his team knocked off highly ranked Boston College last season in its opener.

“It’s an exciting atmosphere there, but we are going down there looking to win,” he said, with a smile. “It’s early. You never know how things can go.”

The game against Rutgers is slated to start at 7 p.m., barring any mechanical problems with team buses.