Rutgers Edged 1-0 by Pittsburgh in BIG EAST Action
Sep 20 | Men's Soccer
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A second-half red card forced the Rutgers men's soccer team (3-2-1, 0-1-0 BIG EAST) to play the final 16 minutes of the game a man down as Pittsburgh (5-1-1, 1-0-0 BIG EAST) scored the go-ahead goal in the 84th minute, winning 1-0 in both team's BIG EAST opener Friday night.
"It was a tale of two halves," said associate head coach Jeff Zaun. "I thought we played poor in the first half but the guys were great in the second half. We discussed matching their intensity at half time, made a couple changes and in the second half we dominated the play until the red card."
"Give Pittsburgh credit," Zaun added. "They are a tough, physical team and they played well but that red card really changed the game. I'm proud of how our guys continued to fight in the second half but it's very unfortunate that that call made the difference. We'll just have to bounce back Sunday."
Pittsburgh held a significant advantage in shot opportunities in the first half, outshooting the Scarlet Knights 9-5. Senior goalkeeper Amir Haghshenas (Wyckoff, N.J.) played a major role in keeping the score knotted at zero as he recorded seven crucial saves in the opening half.
"I thought we came out flat in the first half but Amir made some great saves that kept us in the game," said Zaun.
The Scarlet Knights turned the table in the second half as they edged the Panthers 5-2 in the shots category. They also had more corner kick opportunities at 3-1. The increased offensive chances showed with Pitt goalkeeper Eric Barnes making three saves, while Haghshenas played the final 45 minutes without having to save a shot opportunity.
Both teams continued to play hard but a crucial caution in the 74th minute proved at the end to be the difference maker. Freshman Gaetano Panuccio (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), the reigning BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, was involved in a slight collision with Barnes which resulted in a red card.
"Gaetano went in hard with the goalkeeper for a 50-50 ball, nothing dirty and came out with a red card," said Zaun. "Not only did we lose a player but we lost Gaetano who was playing so well. It's a shame because our guys were playing very hard."
Following the ejection from the Pittsburgh contest, Panuccio will be required to sit out the Scarlet Knights' next game.
Rutgers will close out the two-match road trip on Sunday, Sept. 21, at West Virginia. The match is slated for a 12:00 p.m. start.
