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The Pitt men’s soccer team was paired up with Georgetown in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday, and unfortunately for Pitt, that entailed a trip to Washington, D.C., where third-seeded Georgetown hadn’t lost since Nov. 25, 2018. That pattern would hold on Sunday, as the Panthers were defeated by the Hoyas 5-0 at Shaw Field.
Georgetown was aggressive from the start and kept the ball in Pitt’s half of the field for much of the early goings of the matchup. That inevitably led to opportunities for the Hoyas, and they capitalized on them quickly, with Georgetown midfielder Dylan Nealis getting a shot past Pitt goalkeeper Arie Ammann in the fifth minute.
From that point on, things began to spin out of control for Pitt, as Georgetown forward Derek Dodson, who had assisted on the first goal, pivoted away from two Pitt defenders and placed a shot inside the right post that beat a diving Ammann to put the Hoyas up 2-0 in the 13th minute. And less than seven minutes later, Pitt conceded an own goal when a Georgetown free kick ricocheted off Arturo Ordoñez.
All in all, the Panthers went into the halftime break down 3-0 and having been outshot 7-2. The Hoyas would only amp up the pressure in the second half, as they added 13 more shots in the final 45 minutes. Pitt would only get off two more, and Georgetown would add two more goals to bring the total to 5-0.
”It’s hard to look and reflect on the year when the last 90 minutes didn’t reflect our year,” Pitt head coach Jay Vidovich said after the game. “There was a lack of competitiveness, work rate and collectiveness. ... I would’ve expected us to go out with a really good fight and not roll over like we did. When we go back and watch this, there will be a lot to learn from it, and we’ll grow from it.”
The loss brings Pitt’s season to an end and leaves the team’s 2019 record at 10-8-2. While the finale was disheartening, the past few months were anything but, as Pitt made immense progress under Vidovich and posted its first winning record and first 10-win record since 2008. Next season, the team will look to build on its success.