PITTSBURGH – The [19/17] University of Denver men's soccer team fell for the second time this season, suffering a 3-1 setback at [RV/25] Pittsburgh on Monday night at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
Significant Stats:
- Jason Belloli headed home his first goal of the season and the fourth goal of his career to make it a 2-1 Pitt lead in the 16th minute. .
- Sam Bassett extended his point-streak to four-consecutive matches. Bassett's assist on the corner kick service was his fifth assist of the season and the 11th of his career. Bassett's helper was career point number 37, moving into a tie for 13th with Brian Hoyt in Denver's Division I history.
- Pitt's opening two goals came in the opening quarter hour, just the 13th and 14th goals Denver has allowed in the first 15 minutes since head coach Jamie Franks joined the staff as an assistant in 2012.
First Half:
3' Joao Souza opened the scoring with a back-heel goal off a cross in from Noah Hall.
11' Pitt looked to make it 2-0 in the opening quarter hour, but after the ball bounced off Jason Belloli, Dominic Kallay cleared it off the line just in-front of his own goal line to keep the deficit at one.
14' The Panthers were able to double their advantage as Filip Mirkovic got Souza in-behind the Denver backline once again and after touching it down to himself, he was able to get on top of the ball and bury his second of the night and his third of the season into the lower-left corner.
16' Belloli pulled one back for the Pioneers to cut the deficit in half. Monday's Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honoree in Bassett played the corner kick service to the run of Belloli at the top of the six-yard box. Belloli headed it straight down and bounced it into the roof of the net.
31' Belloli got on the end of Denver's third corner of the night, but Pitt defended it much better this time around and bumped the centerback on the way up causing his shot to float wide of the net.
40' Bryce Willoughby relieved Pitts' best presence in Denver's defensive half going on a half-field run to beat the press down the Denver left. Willougby pulled up and got the ball swung around to Dylan Akau on the right. Akau sent a cross to Willougby at the near post, but his diving header was over the bar.
42' Kallay nearly made it 2-2 a couple of minutes later off another Denver corner. O'Toole played the corner short, got it back, and got the right-footed cross off to the run of Kallay, but his header bounced just wide of the opposite post and out for a goal kick.
Second Half:
54' Pitt restored its two goal advantage in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Santiago Ferreira and Eben McIntyre combined to setup Albert Thorsen for the opening goal of the second 45.
Up Next:
Denver will return home for a single game in the stretch of six of seven on the road, when the Pioneers welcome [RV/RV] Oral Roberts to the Mile High City for Alumni Weekend. The Saturday night match will kickoff at 7 p.m. MT, and be broadcast live on The Summit League Network.
Tickets:
Season and single game tickets for Denver men's and women's soccer are on-sale now and can be purchased here.
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