Men’s Soccer: Panthers earn first point in conference play with scoreless draw

The Pitt men’s soccer team played Virginia Tech to a scoreless tie Tuesday evening at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

The match featured just five saves from the goalies and 22 shots on goal through 110 minutes. The draw was the first point the Panthers have earned in conference play, and it came on a night when the team was missing key members of its back line.

“The back line played well tonight, but the team as a whole played pretty well,” head coach Joe Luxbacher said. “We played better tonight than we have the last few games. Tonight the guys played good defensive soccer and took care of the ball. Virginia Tech is a good team, and they’ve had some good results against top teams like North Carolina. They’re a good solid team for sure.”

In the first half, Pitt (0-6-3, 0-5-1 ACC) and Virginia Tech (3-3-4, 1-1-4 ACC) played evenly, with the Panthers gaining the only two chances to score. On the best of the two opportunities, senior forward Chris Davis did a fantastic job of controlling the ball in the Hokies’ box and rifled a shot toward the net, forcing Virginia Tech goalie Kyle Renfro to make a toe save.

Following the pair of chances, the two teams played the remaining 15 minutes of the first half without incident.

After the halftime break, neither team could assert itself. The Hokies had their only real chance to score when, in the 77th minute, forward Brandon Eaton fired a dangerous shot that Pitt redshirt junior Cory Werth was able to clear out.  

Following the Virginia Tech chance late in the second half, the Panthers brought on freshman midfielder Sam Marks, who nearly scored on multiple occasions.

“It was good to get into the game and log my first action of the season,” Marks said. “I’ve been working hard to get into a game all season, so when I finally did, I just tried to make the best of it.”

In the overtime periods, the two teams played on even levels, with the Panthers having the only real chance to score. In the first overtime, Davis had a clear run to the net, though the chance was thwarted once he tripped over the ball and allowed the Hokies to clear it.

Following Davis’ slip, neither team had a legitimate shot to score the golden goal of the match, and the game to ended in a scoreless tie.

Wile the point may not seem like a big deal for a team that has struggled mightily in conference play, sophomore midfielder Nick Wysong sees the result as a possible catalyst.

“Tonight’s result is hopefully a stepping stone to a better result in the future,” Wysong said. “There’s a lot that can come from a positive result like this. But like any game, there’s always a chance to improve.”