Pitt Men's Soccer Rises to No. 3

Pitt Panthers men's soccer rose to No. 3 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll.

Pitt Men's Soccer Celebrates A Goal / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers men's soccer team started the season unranked, but after two impressive wins, they rose up to No. 3 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll.

Focused on next 📈 pic.twitter.com/yMgp0FRw6O

— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) August 27, 2024

Pitt started off the season with a 2-0 win over then ranked No. 16 Georgetown in front of a sold out crowd at Ambrose Urbanic Field on Aug. 22.

Sophomore forward Albert Thorsen opened the scoring in the 27th minute off a cross from senior forward Casper Grening, who transferred in this offseason from Kentucky.

The Panthers fended off the Hoyas' attack early on in the second half and senior forward Luis Sahmkow would seal the victory with a beautifully executed goal in the 78th minute.

Sahmkow spoke on the fact that Pitt didn't make it into the rankings to start the season, using it as motivation to prove they deserve the respect amongst the best in the country.

"Just keep sleeping on us," Sahmkow said. "Just keep sleeping on us. That's all I got to say. Just keep sleeping."

Pitt then defeated Mercyhurst 2-0 in the following game on Aug. 25, marking their opponent's first ever game at the Division I level, after moving up from Division II prior to the academic year.

The Panthers struggled in the first half to break down the Lakers' low block, but managed to get their first goal in the 54th minute, as freshman forward Lasse Dahl crossed it into Thorsen, who managed to sneak the ball into the net for his second goal of the season.

Preseason All-ACC member in senior midfielder Guilherme Feitosa would get his first goal of the season in the 78th minute to claim the win for Pitt, taking advantage of a header from a Mercyhurst defender and slicing his shot past the goalkeeper.

They join a five other ACC teams in the top 25, including reigning National Champions Clemson at No. 1, Syracuse at No. 7, Stanford at No. 13, Louisville at No. 15 and North Carolina at No. 17.

Pitt goes on the road for the first time this season this weekend, taking on rival Penn State on Aug. 30 and then facing Penn in Philadelphia on Sept. 1.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Report: Big Ten School Pursuing Pitt AD
• Pitt Makes Latest Preseason ESPN Bracketology
• Raiders Cut Former Pitt Starting QB
• Jaguars Release Former Pitt Safety
• Bills Released Former Pitt Starting QB

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt