Pitt Blanks Lehigh, 3-0

September 1, 2015

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Pitt men’s soccer team (1-0-1) picked up its first victory of the 2015 season after shutting out Lehigh (1-1) Sunday afternoon at Ulrich Sports Complex. Two back-to-back goals in less than a minute from senior Patrick Dixon broke open the game in the second half, while freshman Curren Page secured the victory with his first collegiate goal in the 75th minute.

“It was a good win for us,” said head coach Joe Luxbacher. “Lehigh is a good team. Everything came together like you would want it to in the second half. We played sound defense and moved the ball. Patrick Dixon and Curren Page both scored great goals. That’s stuff you don’t coach.”

Today’s win marks the second shutout for the Panthers this season. Senior goalkeeper and captain Dan Lynd collected his 10^th career shutout, tying him for eighth best in Pitt men’s soccer history.

In a game that went back-and-forth throughout the first half, the Panthers defense limited Lehigh to just four shots in the first half and three in the second, including just two total on goal.

The Panthers struggled to get the ball past Lehigh’s keeper Jacob Gottwald in the first half, who had seven saves on the day. It wasn’t until the 20-minute mark of the second half that the game started to break open.

Sophomore midfielder Jack Dickens sent a high pass to freshman forward Tobias Marshall-Heyman in the box who went up for a header alongside a Lehigh defender. With Gottwald leaving the net to chase down the ball, Dixon beat him to it and scored on an open net in the upper left corner giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

“When a guy makes a play like that, all of the sudden everyone starts feeling better,” said Luxbacher.

Less than one minute later, Dixon received another ball from Marshall-Heyman outside the 18-yard box and placed it just over Gottwald in goal, giving Pitt a 2-0 advantage in the 71^st minute.

The Panthers weren’t done just yet.

In the 75^th minute, Page received a cross on the left side and fired a shot from 30 yards out in to the upper right corner with two defenders around him to secure Pitt’s lead, 3-0.

After the Panthers third and final goal, the Mountain Hawks attempted just one more shot on goal that was saved by junior defender Stephane Pierre, who bicycle kicked the ball out of the box while Lynd was tied up on the ground.

“We tell the guys that it’s just one game,” said Luxbacher. “It’s a step forward and now we have to keep building on that.”

Pitt returns to Ambrose Urbanic Field Friday, Sept. 4, for its home opener against Eastern Illinois. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

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