Back to Pitt! Lehigh takes on No. 3 Panthers in 2019 rematch

Friday, September 3

Pittsburgh, Pa.

7 p.m.

Lehigh University

Pittsburgh

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Photo by: Hannahally Photography

Back to Pitt! Lehigh takes on No. 3 Panthers in 2019 rematch

9/2/2021 4:43:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's soccer team looks to get back on track following back-to-back losses to open the season against Manhattan and Vermont. The Mountain Hawks, out-scored 5-0 in two games, have a tough test Friday night at No. 3 Pitt, taking on the Panthers at 7 p.m. from Ambrose Urbanic Field.

The Mountain Hawks are familiar with their opponent and its facilities, falling 2-0 at Pitt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019.

Much of Lehigh's team from the 2019 Patriot League Championship run is the same, with new blood in a lot of important areas in the nearly two years following that historic time.

Lehigh tried out two goalkeepers over the weekend, starting with senior Noah Sutherland at Manhattan and going with sophomore Blake Koski in the home opener against the Catamounts.

Sutherland allowed just one goal, an own goal in the 16th minute against the Jaspers, with three saves on 11 shots faced. Koski let three shots go to the back of the net, while making two saves on 14 shots faced.

The story of both games was the aggression of both opponents, as Manhattan led the way in fouls, 21-6 and Vermont had the edge, 14-9 with seven cards.

Offensively, the Mountain Hawks have been quiet with senior forward Josh Luchini limited to just two shots in two games. Junior defender Euan Forrest and freshman forward Perry Kingson each tallied three chances in Lehigh's defeat to Vermont on Sunday.

Luchini will be making his second homecoming to Pittsburgh on Friday night, while fifth year attacking midfielder Bratislav Petkovic will be active in a rematch vs. his younger brother Veljko, who many believe is one of, if not the best player in the country for the upcoming season. Bratislav missed the previous NCAA Tournament matchup in 2019 due to injury.

While coming into Friday night's game as the third-ranked team in the nation, Pitt is reeling following an upset loss to West Virginia in Morgantown on Monday night. The Mountaineers scored first in the 20th minute, but the Panthers tied things up in the 49th with a strike from Alexander Dexter. WVU stormed back with the game-winner in the 75th minute.

Pitt opened the season with a dominant 7-0 home victory over Duquesne on Aug. 26. Veljko Petkovic scored twice with two assists, totaling six points while Luke Mort had two assists on Petkovic's goals. Bertin Jacquesson, Arturo Ordonez, Valentin Noel, Sito Sena and Rodrigo Almeida all scored at least one goal in the win.

The Panthers completed a historic 2020-21 campaign with a 16-4-0 record and a run all the way to the College Cup Semifinals. Prior to the 1-0 defeat to No. 3/2 Indiana in that semifinal round, Pitt out-scored opponents 13-1 in the previous three rounds.

Pitt leads Lehigh, 2-0 in the all-time series between the two teams dating back to 2015.

Friday night's match will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra through the ESPN+ service (subscription required). Tickets are on sale through Pitt's website.

Like Lehigh Men's Soccer on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.