Pitt men’s soccer took another step forward in its quest to return to the College Cup on Sunday.
The fifth-seeded Panthers scored a 5-2 victory over Northern Illinois in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Ambrose Urbanic Field in Oakland.
Pitt (12-5-1), which reached the NCAA semifinals College Cup last season, will host Hofstra in the Sweet 16 next weekend at a time and date to be determined.
Sophomore Bertin Jacquesson had a goal and three assists.
“We are very excited about the win tonight,” coach Jay Vidovich said. “We had a tremendous opponent who tested us early in both halves. I was proud of the way we responded after their (NIU) goals and the resiliency and the ability to take the lead and hold out for the rest of the game. I thought it was a great result for us.”
Northern Illinois opened up a 1-0 lead five minutes in, but Pitt answered 31 seconds later when freshman Guilherme Feitosa scored. Jackson Walti, Valentin Noel and Alexander Dexter also scored for the ACC Coastal Division champion Panthers, who held a 14-9 advantage in shots.
Keeper Nico Campuzano made three saves for Pitt.
On to the ???????????????????? ???????? ‼️
Pitt defeats Northern Illinois 5-2 in the NCAA Second Round and will host its next match next weekend!#H2P pic.twitter.com/A2B94TWxCs
— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) November 21, 2021
A career night for the Frenchman ????????
Bertin Jacquesson's three assists tied an NCAA Tournament single-game record and he's the first player since 2018 to tally 3️⃣ assists in a tourney match.
He also scored tonight too ????#H2P pic.twitter.com/XLq4oXLoDg
— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) November 22, 2021
Sweet, sweet victory❗
We APPRECIATE all the support from our fans tonight! #H2P pic.twitter.com/rs2Y15TW2y
— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) November 22, 2021
