Sept. 30, 2001

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PITTSBURGH - Panther midfielder Bryan Hopper scored two breakaway goals to lead Pittsburgh to a 3-0 win over visiting St. Bonaventure in a non-conference game at Shaler Area High School on Sunday afternoon.

Hopper (North Versailles, Pa./East Allegheny) also had a season-high four shots on goal and missed a chance at a hat trick on a header late in the game. The two goals were his first two scores for the season. His first goal came at the 25:58 mark when he took an errant Bonnie pass and lifted the ball over St. Bonaventure goalkeeper Mike Krupka for the 1-0 lead.

The game remained that way until the 57th minute when Hopper tallied again on a similar play with assists by Mark Sikora (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and Chris Churchill (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley). Pittsburgh got its third and final tally when Churchill received a pass from Marco Carrizales (Missouri City, Texas/Alfonso Crutch Charter School) and blasted it past Krupka from 12 yards away.

Panther goalkeeper Joe Conlan (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) made his first career start in the first game since the 1998 season that Justin Gaul (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./William Tennent) did not start in the Panther net. Conlan responded my making two saves on eight Bonnie shots and recording his first career shutout.

For the Panthers, the win improved their record to 2-6 on the season and it ended a five-game losing streak dating back to Sept. 5. Sikora had a game-high five of the Panthers' 15 shots. Pittsburgh had a season-high 28 fouls compared to the Bonnies' 11.

The Panthers will play at Cleveland State on Wednesday before returning to Big East action at Syracuse on Oct. 6.