Pitt
NC State
Panthers Prepped For Nationally-Televised Matchup With No. 1 NC State
9/25/2025 5:06:00 PM | Men's Soccer
PITTSBURGH – Seeking its first win over a No. 1 team since the 2022 campaign, the Pitt men's soccer program returns to Ambrose Urbanic Field Friday night to host top-ranked NC State.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m., with Nate Gatter (play-by-play) and Michael Lahoud (analyst) on the call.
Need to Know - Match 10
Pitt (4-4-1, 0-2-0 ACC) vs. No. 1 NC State (7-0-1, 1-0-1 ACC)
Friday, Sept. 26, 2025 – 7:30 p.m. – ACC Network
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Ambrose Urbanic Field
The Opening Kick
- Pitt is seeking its first ACC win of the season while looking to become the first team to knock off the unbeaten Wolfpack.
- The Panthers' attack is led by graduate midfielder Arnau Vilamitjana, who netted the game-winner against Mercyhurst to raise his team-best points total to 11. His total currently ranks 36th nationally.
- Pitt found success on the attacking end in the second half against Mercyhurst as Jakob Lopping, Joshua Veychek and Loke Mattsson each played a career-high 61 minutes.
- The Panthers have been without several starters due to injury, including Casper Svendby, Lasse Dahl, Niklas Soerensen and Tomas Bedouret. Svendby was a First Team All-American last season, while Dahl and Soerensen earned ACC All-Freshman honors.
The Series
- Friday will mark the 10th all-time meeting between Pitt and NC State, with the Panthers owning a 5-3-1 record.
- Head coach Jay Vidovich has enjoyed success against the Wolfpack, boasting a 24-3-2 ledger throughout his historic career.
- The last meeting between the two sides took place during the 2022 season.
Scouting the Wolfpack
- Top-ranked NC State enters Friday undefeated at 7-0-1.
- The Wolfpack has not allowed a goal this season and owns the nation's best +25 goal differential.
- NC State is paced by the country's leading goal scorer, Donavan Phillip, who has tallied 12 goals in eight matches.
Last Time Out (vs. Mercyhurst)
Vilamitjana scored the game-winner early in the second half as Pitt rallied for a 2-1 victory over Mercyhurst on Monday night at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
Mercyhurst struck first in the seventh minute when Alvar Silva buried a finish off a setup from Jalen Jackson-Tyus. The Lakers managed only two total shots on the night, both in the opening half, as Pitt controlled 69 percent of possession.
The Panthers pulled even just before halftime. In the 43rd minute, junior forward Albert Thorsen netted his first goal of the season, finishing a cross from redshirt junior forward Marco Silva with an extra touch from freshman midfielder Jakob Lopping.
Pitt carried that momentum into the second half. In the 55th minute, Vilamitjana delivered his team-leading fourth goal of the year, slotting home a pass from senior defender Jackson Gilman, with sophomore midfielder Joshua Veychek also credited with an assist.
The Panthers outshot the Lakers 15-2, including 8-0 after halftime, and earned nine corner kicks to Mercyhurst's none. Pitt goalkeeper junior Jack Moxom went untested, while Mercyhurst keeper Gonzalo Onrubia finished with two saves.
Thorsen and Vilamitjana accounted for the Panthers' goals, while freshman midfielder Grayson Carter paced the attack with four shots. Lopping added three attempts and an assist off the bench.
Panthers in the Polls
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United Soccer Coaches |
TopDrawerSoccer |
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Preseason |
7 |
5 |
|
Week 1 |
3 |
4 |
|
Week 2 |
10 |
12 |
|
Week 3 |
NR |
21 |
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Week 4 |
NR |
NR |
|
Week 5 |
NR |
NR |
Up Next
Pitt opens a two-match road swing with contests against a pair of nationally ranked foes — No. 16 Duke (Oct. 3) and No. 6 Stanford (Oct. 11).
