Hokies squander chances against top-ranked Pittsburgh and fall 2-0
Blacksburg, VA- Despite doubling up the No.1 team in the nation on chances put on goal, Saturday night, the Hokies failed to convert when it mattered most in an attempt to upset the No.1 team for the fifth time in Coach Mike Brizendine's tenure.
"If they [Pittsburgh] had them [chances], at least two of them are goals," quoted Brizendine after his side missed various goal opportunities in their 2-0 loss to the Panthers.
In what was a largely dominant fixture for Tech, they realized they were under the Kosh and excelled at working the ball in tight-knit situations before often launching very dangerous counterattacks that made Pittshburgh look as if they were the lower-ranked side.
Two of the Maroon and Orange's best chances came from poor buildup play by the Panthers, in which the Hokies positioned themselves in places that immediately cut off the easiest outlet for Pitt keeper Jack Moxom, forcing Maxom to panic and leave himself in an underdog position to make the save. However, (common theme here) the Hokies could never do enough to force the ball past the goal line.
With tensions brewing and fans beginning to tighten their hold on accepting nothing less than a Hokie upset win, Ultimately, it was Pitt who showed that when you don't take your chances against a team with the quality of a no.1 side, though opportunities few and far between, goalscoring quality will always strike. Which is precisely what happened on an own goal off an errored header at the front post, 64 minutes into the night, ultimately foreshadowing a Hokie loss.
While senior midfielder Declan Quill took time before play had resumed to amp up the packed Thompson Field, it became obvious, Brizendine's squad was fighting their hardest battle of the day, attrition.
The once aggressive, front-footed maroon-trimmed squad was quickly wearing out, which was evident in their sudden uptick in long-range efforts, a sharp detour away from their silky movement seen prior.
The Panthers would go on to tack a second goal, signifying the knockout blow 12 minutes after their first gut punch, and while Brizendine believes his squad is almost at what he calls "championship" levels, the final third gulf of quality between the two sides awarded Tech their second loss in two games.
