University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Thursday, August 20
Pittsburgh, PA
7 PM
Pitt
vs
#7 Maryland
Men's Soccer Opens 2026 Season Against #7 Maryland
8/19/2026 3:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
PITTSBURGH – The Pitt men's soccer team opens the 2026 season Thursday, Aug. 20, at Ambrose Urbanic Field against No. 7 Maryland. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., with live coverage available on ACCNX with Kevin Wheeler and David Day on the call.
OPENING KICK
- Thursday's match marks the sixth all-time meeting between Pitt and Maryland, with the Terrapins holding a 5-0 edge in the series dating back to a first meeting in 1962.
- Head coach Jay Vidovich enters his 11th season leading the program, carrying a 95-75-22 record at Pitt and a 367-196-72 mark over his career. Maryland counters with Sasho Cirovski, who begins his 34th season at the helm with a career record of 477-192-82.
- Pitt will look to extend its season-opening win streak to three, having opened with wins over then-No. 16 Georgetown in 2024 and Quinnipiac in 2025. Last season, Pitt fell to Maryland on the road, 2-1, in College Park.
- Ten returners will face the Terps for the second consecutive year, and eight of Pitt's starting XI from that meeting are expected to be available Thursday.
SCOUTING THE TERPS
- Maryland enters the match ranked No. 7 in the preseason polls after advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2025, a run that ended with a 3-1 loss to national champion Washington.
- The Terrapins closed out the 2025 regular season ranked No. 1 in the country.
- Three Maryland players — Leon Koehl, Laurin Mack and Albi Ndrenika — have been named to the Big Ten players to watch list.
ROOKIES AND RETURNERS
- Six freshmen join the program this fall: goalkeeper Taren Wente, midfielders Kareem Ahmed, Carter Kopay and Simon Tonidandel, and forwards Mamadou Tall and Bruno Bertran.
- Thirteen returners round out the 2026 roster, lead by goalkeeper Jack Moxom who tallied 90 minutes every match last season. Sophomore Grayson Carter also returns, who started 15 of 18 games as a freshman and scored his first career goal last season against then-No. 3 Clemson. Carter appeared in all 16 matches he was eligible for and made 12 starts. Returner Gavin Wetzel will anchor the backline, while Albert Thorsen enters the new season as Pitt's leading returner in goals scored.
STAFF & PROGRAM NOTES
- Vidovich added two new assistants over the offseason in Robby Dambrot and Will Marshall, giving him a full staff of Pitt alumni alongside holdover Bryce Cregan.
- Pitt was picked 11th in the preseason ACC poll, and defender Niklas Sørensen was named to the ACC Preseason Player to Watch List.
- Sørensen and Grabfelder also both landed on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 List, checking in at No. 71 and No. 79, respectively.
- The roster carries an international flavor with players representing Spain, Switzerland, Norway, England, Senegal and Colombia, while three players have direct ties to the Pittsburgh area: Hauskrecht (Pittsburgh), Kopay (Moon Township) and Bordoy (New Kensington).
PITT TO THE PROS
- Two players on the current roster have already heard their names called in the MLS SuperDraft: Grabfelder went 50th overall to CF Montréal in 2025, and Sørensen went 48th overall to Real Salt Lake.
- 2025 graduate Jackson Gilman was drafted by Toronto FC and has since been called up to the first team, starting eight straight games.
- 2025 marked the sixth consecutive year a Panther has been selected in the MLS SuperDraft under Vidovich.
TICKET INFORMATION
- Season, match and group tickets for the 2026 season are now on sale through the Panthers Ticket Office.
- 2026 season tickets are ON SALE NOW for just $60.
- 2026 match tickets are ON SALE NOW for just $12 presale, $15 at the gate.
- All tickets are general admission seating.
- All tickets will be digital once again this season.
WHERE TO WATCH
Fans who can't make it out to Ambrose Urbanic Field for Thursday's season opener can catch all the action on ACCNX with Kevin Wheeler and David Day calling the match. Live stats are available at linktr.ee/pitt_msoc.
Players Mentioned
M
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's SoccerWednesday, August 05
Thursday, December 12
Saturday, December 07
Tuesday, December 03