September 1, 1998

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh's Drew Kopp scored one goal and assisted on another to lead the Panthers to a 3-0 victory over Niagara University Tuesday night at Pitt Stadium.

Kopp, a senior co-captain, picked up where he left off last season, finishing as the team's third leading scorer. The Lebanon, Pa., native tallied six shots on goal for the evening.

The match, which was the season opener for both squads, was scoreless until Kopp put Pittsburgh on the board at 63:24 in the second half. Sophomore mid-fielder Ben Garry scored off a corner kick from John Turner's assist at 73:01. The Panthers added an insurance goal at 79:28 after a yellow card by Niagara's Osman Kabia. On the subsequent free kick, Kopp set up Travis Kruse, who ended the scoring for the night.

"I though we played a solid game," said Head Coach Joe Luxbacher. "The guys kept doing the right things and everything started falling into place. No matter the score or the opponent, all wins are good wins."

The Panthers, in their 45th season of soccer, improved its record to 25-16-4 in season openers all-time and 18-5-4 when the opener is at home. Pittsburgh has not lost its last nine home openers, winning eight and tying once.

Pittsburgh returns to action Fri., Sept. 4 when it hosts rival Duquesne. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. in Pitt Stadium. The Panthers will have another home match this weekend when Quinnipiac College comes to Pitt Stadium Sun., Sept. 6 at 1:00 p.m.