Veljko Petkovic racks up honors after impressive start

Pitt midfielder Veljko Petkovic is off to a phenomenal start to the 2021 season, as he has two goals and two assists just two games into the campaign. And as a result, he was the recipient of multiple honors this week, as he was named the Offensive Player of the Week by the ACC and made the Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News teams of the week.

The Serbian playmaker made his mark on Pitt’s season-opening 7-0 rout of rival Duquesne in the City Game last Thursday, as he came up with both of his goals and assists in the matchup, playing a role in four of his team’s seven scores. And in addition to that, Petkovic set a school record for for fastest consecutive goals by the same player, as his goals came just one minute and eight seconds apart.

Unfortunately for Petkovic, he was unable to match his season-opening performance when Pitt faced West Virginia on the road on Monday, as he was held scoreless. His contributions would be missed as well, as the third-ranked Panthers fell to the Mountaineers 2-1.

The ACC Offensive Player of the Week honor is the second of its kind Petkovic has received. Last season, he earned the distinction after a one-goal, one-assist performance in Pitt’s 4-2 win over Virginia Tech on Oct. 10, 2020.

Notably, Petkovic was the only ACC player to earn a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer team of the week, although North Carolina midfielder Ernest Bawa received honorable mention. And on the College Soccer News team of the week, Petkovic was joined by Clemson forward Isaiah Reid and Virginia Tech defender Sivert Haugli.

Last season, Petkovic recorded nine goals and eight assists and produced reliably for the Panthers in the NCAA tournament, scoring three of his goals during the high-stakes event. In addition, he was the ACC’s most accurate shooter, as 64.1 percent of the shots he took were on target. And for his efforts, Petkovic earned All-ACC honors and was named the Player of the Year by Top Drawer Soccer.