Pitt Rallies to Beat Duke, 4-3

Friday, October 25

Pittsburgh, Pa.

7:00 PM

Duke University

6-7-2, 2-4-1ACC

Pittsburgh

8-5-2, 4-2-1ACC

Duke

Pittsburgh

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Pitt Rallies to Beat Duke, 4-3

10/25/2019 9:42:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score

Duke Returns Home Tuesday Night

PITTSBURGH, Pa. –Pittsburgh scored four unanswered goals, including three in the second half, to rally to a 4-3 victory over visiting Duke in ACC men's soccer action tonight at Ambrose Urbanic Field. The Blue Devils led 3-0 before the Panthers made the unlikely comeback.

Duke (6-7-1, 2-4-1) raced out to a 3-0 lead in the opening 37 minutes and dominated the run of play in that span as its high pressure gave the Panthers fits in trying to get out of their defensive third and into the attack.

Pittsburgh (8-6-2, 4-2-1) pulled within two before the half and then scored three unanswered in the second half with the winning tally coming with 4:28 remaining. Four different players scored for the Panthers in the win, while Alexander Dexter finished the night with the winning goal and two assists.

The Blue Devils jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a goal in the 12th minute from senior midfielder Max Moser. Junior Stephen O'Connell provided the pass as he beat Pitt goalkeeper Arie Ammann who got caught off his line to a 50-50 ball. O'Connell slid to touch it to a trailing Moser who put it past a Panther defender and into the empty net for his second goal of the year.

The Blue Devils continued to control play and took advantage of the time and space Pitt was allowing them. The senior duo of Daniele Proch and Suniel Veerakone to advantage of the open spaces and put Duke up ahead 2-0 in the 29th minute.

Proch sent a ball over the top right on to the foot of Veerakone. The veteran center midfielder got the ball on his right foot and hit a fabulous strike past Ammann for his first goal of the year and his first tally since the 2017 season. Less than 10 minutes later, junior Daniel Wright made it a 3-0 score when he used the open space in the penalty spot and struck right side netting for his second score of the campaign.

Pittsburgh got one back with 4:18 remaining as Edward Kizza got a touch on a cross from Dexter to make it 3-1 Duke at the half.

The Blue Devils held a 7-3 advantage in shots in the first half and took a lead into the locker room for the fourth time this season.

Carrying the momentum from the end of the opening period, the Panthers wasted little time in making the game even more interesting by pulling within one on a fabulous header from Veljko Petkovic on a left-footed service from Dexter. Petkovic, left unmarked at the six-yard box, did well to whip his header to the right corner for his sixth goal of the year.

Jackson Walti equalized in the 63rd minute with an unassisted goal and then in the 86th minute Dexter provided the finish in traffic to complete the comeback.

To tell the tale of the second half, Pittsburgh won the overall shots battle 12-11 and had the 5-4 advantage in corner kicks over 90 minutes.

Will Pulisic had three saves for the Blue Devils, while Ammann had six stops for Pitt.

Duke returns home for its final two games next week. The Blue Devils host Denver Oct. 29 and Virginia Tech for senior night Nov. 1. Both games are at 7 p.m., on ACC Network Extra.

#GoDuke