Oct. 14, 2006

Box Score

PITTSBURGH-The Pitt men's soccer team was narrowly defeated by defending Big East Champion and No. 19 Connecticut Huskies 4-3 Saturday at Founders Field. The Panthers scored three goals in the second half to tie the game with less than five minutes to play, but Connecticut was able to score in the 87th minute to take the victory.

Pitt (4-9-2 overall, 3-4-1 Big East) trailed  2-0 at halftime after the Huskies (9-4-2, 7-1-1 Big East) scored two first half goals. It was the Panthers getting the first opportunity of the day, however, when senior Tyler Bastianelli (Bear, Del./St. Mark's) sent a shot toward the Connecticut goal in the seventh minute. Bastianelli's shot ricocheted off the cross bar, but was rebounded by teammate Keeyan Young (North Wales, Pa./Haverford School). Young's shot was also off the mark, as it sailed wide left, keeping the score 0-0.

In the 28th minute of play, it was UConn who struck first as forward Chukwudi Chijindu headed teammate Ryan Cordeiro's pass into the left side of the net, putting the Huskies up 1-0.

Minutes later the Panthers had yet another opportunity spoiled on a mis-shot as Bastianelli was on a breakaway downfield and found Young, who was in front of an open Connecticut net. Young took a shot from five yards out, but it sailed high over the crossbar.

The Huskies struck again at 42:56 when sophomore Akeem Priestley dumped the ball into an open Panther net to take a 2-0 lead. Panther goalie Andy Jorgensen (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East/Elizabethtown) had been tangled up on a previous shot, leaving the goal open for Priestley.

Entering the second half trailing 2-0, Pitt found some offensive heat as it went on to score three goals. Junior Matt Langton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) scored the first goal of his career in the 51st minute of play after rebounding a shot from Young. Langton sent a rocket past a diving Matt Sangeloty into the left corner of the net to move the score to 2-1.

Connecticut responded in the 55th minute as Cordeiro rebounded a shot from teammate O'Brien White. The score remained 3-1 until the 70:27 mark when Pitt defender Eric Jaeger (Bergenfield, N.J./Tenafly) received a cross from teammate Shawn Wildman (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) and drove one deep into the left side of the Huskies' goal to put the Panthers back within one as the score was 3-2.

Pitt had a chance to tie the game in the 77th minute when Bastianelli found himself in front of an open Connecticut net with the ball. His shot, however, flew wide-left to keep the score 3-2.

With less than five minutes remaining in the game, senior captain Brendon Smith (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) scored his second goal of the season to tie the game at 3-3. Smith received a corner kick from Langton and rose above in front of the net to head the ball past Sangeloty.

The Huskies scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 87th minute of play. Awarded a penalty kick, junior captain Karl Schilling sent a rocket at Jorgensen, who dove to stop the ball, but was unable to cover it. Cordeiro rebounded and knocked it in for his second goal of the day and the final score of 4-3.

The Panthers outshot the Huskies 14-10 and each goalie finished with five saves.

Pitt will play its final home game of the season on Wednesday, Oct. 18 against Big East opponent Georgetown at 7 p.m. and finish their season on the road. The Panthers will travel to Seton Hall on Saturday, Oct. 21 and visit West Virginia on Monday, Oct. 23 to play a game that was postponed earlier in the season.

SCORING SUMMARY

Founders Field, Indianola, Pa.

UCONN          2          2          4

PITT                0          3          3

SCORING SUMMARY

UCONN: Chukwudi Chijindu (Ryan Cordeiro), 28:31

UCONN: Akeem Priestley (Chukwudi Chijindu), 42:56

PITT: Matt Langton (unassisted), 51:27

UCONN: Ryan Cordeiro (unassisted), 55:50

PITT: Eric Jaeger (Shawn Wildman), 70:27

PITT: Brendon Smith (Matt Langton), 85:29

UCONN: Ryan Cordeiro (unassisted), 87:44

-- 30 --