When Jay Vidovich was asked Monday how and why the Pitt men’s soccer program has thrived over the past three seasons, he gave a basic, uncomplicated answer.

“I’ve got some pretty good players,” he said.

Yet, Vidovich knows that Pitt’s success is tied just as closely to what occurs off the pitch: in the locker room where players work to maintain a winning culture and around the world where coaches hope to recruit those who fit the brand Vidovich has created over his seven seasons at Pitt.

The culture has spawned two trips for Pitt to the College Cup — college soccer’s Final Four — in the past three seasons, including this year’s event that starts Friday in Cary, N.C. The semifinals will feature Syracuse vs. Creighton at 6 p.m., and Pitt vs. Indiana at 8:30. Winners will play Dec. 12 for the championship.

Pitt reached the Cup this year after losing 1-0 to Virginia in the ACC quarterfinals. But they recovered quickly and allowed only two goals in four subsequent NCAA Tournament victories against Cleveland State (2-1), Akron (3-0), Kentucky (2-1) and Portland (1-0).

“I’ve been fortunate,” Vidovich said. “(I have a) great staff that does a really good job of finding players who are a good fit for Pittsburgh, for the type of soccer we want to play. We work very hard to create a positive culture that allows you to perform at your best, and the best is expected out of you.

“The players are buying in to what we wanted to do, our vision of what we thought we could do here in the ACC and, hopefully, nationally. That culture that has been created has taken us a long way.”

How far?

In 2016, Vidovich took over a program with a total of 10 victories in the three previous seasons to the brink of two national championships (2020 and now).

Pitt is 41-13-7 over the past three seasons, but Vidovich doesn’t build a schedule that guarantees victories. The schedule is intentionally challenging. Vidovich is fortunate to have so many strong programs a short bus ride away, Georgetown, West Virginia, Marshall and Akron, among them.

“You want players who are ambitious,” Vidovich said, “who are more interested in playing good soccer and preparing themselves to try to win something big, as well as, hopefully, taking their careers (into the future). That doesn’t happen if you’re cranking up against lower-level teams and just trying to collect stats. It comes about playing the best teams.

“The grind was a lot of fun, but it certainly wasn’t an easy one. That opportunity to play against difficult teams under pressure moments, figure out where we came up and short and find solutions going forward. That was the grind and how it’s preparing us right now.”

Indiana might be Pitt’s most difficult opponent to date. The Hoosiers defeated Pitt, 1-0, in the 2020-21 semifinals, played in the spring because of covid disruptions.

“They look to me like a very similar Indiana team,” Vidovich said of the ‘22 Hoosiers. “They can win big games. They can find ways to get goals one way or another.”

Of course, this season is different for another reason. Fans are part of the mix now.

“The first time we got here, we were down in the bubble in North Carolina. All the games were played there,” Vidovich said. “We were very excited to be back and have an opportunity to play in front of our crowd (Saturday at Ambrose Urbanic Field against Portland). Certainly, that helped us.”

Pitt’s leading scorers — Valentin Noel (11 goals, three assists), Bertin Jacquesson (eight/five) and Filip Mirkovic (three/12) — were important players two seasons ago. In 2020-2021, Noel was second in the nation in goals (14), Jacquesson was ninth in assists (seven) and Mirkovic started 18 games. Jackson Walti started 21 games this year, 20 two seasons ago.

“They know what you have to bring in a match like that,” Vidovich said. “Hopefully, they’ve shared enough in the locker room about the moment, being in the College Cup and how prestigious it is and how to cherish it and putting your best on the pitch.”

Vidovich was encouraged in 2021 before playing Indiana, and he said he feels the same now.

“I just would never bet against us. I feel pretty confident,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of good teams. So has Indiana. It will be heckuva a game. That much I can promise you.”

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