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With a team that has persevered through four losses and five ties among its 20 games, Pitt’s men’s soccer finds itself on the cusp off a second trip to the College Cup in the past three seasons. It was only 2021 when Pitt most recently reached the College Cup.
For the first time, Pitt (11-4-5) will be the host for an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight (quarterfinal) game when it welcomes Portland (15-2-3) to Ambrose Urbanic Field at 1 p.m. Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN+. It will be the first meeting between the teams.
A victory in the Panthers’ third consecutive Elite Eight match would move Pitt into the national semifinals Dec. 9 in Cary, N.C., against the Indiana/UNC Greensboro winner.
Pitt has risen among the elite college soccer programs thanks in large part to it French connection of Valentin Noel and Bertin Jacquesson. Both scored goals in the Panthers’ 2-1 upset of previously undefeated and No. 1 overall seed Kentucky on Sunday. Noel and Jacquesson have combined for 53 career goals, 18 this season. Noel is second on the all-time goals (34) and points (81) lists. Jacquesson is second all-time in assists (22) and seventh in points (60).
Portland has won five games in a row, including tournament victories against UC Riverside, No. 8 Oregon State and Western Michigan. Pitt’s only previous match against a team from Portland’s West Coast Conference was a 1-0 loss to Saint Mary’s (Ca.) in 2016.
Portland is fourth in the NCAA in goals (51) and points (154) and ninth in assists (52). Its goal differential (plus-33) is second best in the nation. The Pilots are led by Brandon Cambridge (12 goals, seven assists and 31 points on 50 shots). Five of his goals have been game-winners. Goalkeeper George Tasouris has a 0.92 goals-against average in 20 games.
The only team in the country to advance to each of the past three Elite Eights, Pitt is 1-0-1 in those games. They tied No. 4 Notre Dame last season but lost 4-2 in penalty kicks. Pitt defeated No. 7 Washington, 3-0, to advance to the College Cup in 2021.
Pitt has reached the NCAA Tournament four times in its history — all in a row. Over those four seasons, Pitt is 31-4-5 at home. Since the start of the 2019 season, Pitt has outscored its opponents 107-40 at home (23-12 this season).
Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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