IU Powers Past Pitt, Advances to College Cup Final

Friday, December 9

Cary N.C.

8:30 p.m.

Indiana University

14-4-6, 3-1-4

Pittsburgh

12-5-5, 3-2-3

Pittsburgh

Indiana

IU Powers Past Pitt, Advances to College Cup Final

12/9/2022 10:54:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

CARY, N.C. – In its 50th season, the Indiana men's soccer program will play for a national championship.

The No. 13-seeded Hoosiers (14-4-6, 3-1-4 B1G) defeated Pittsburgh (12-5-5, 3-2-3 ACC), 2-0, on Friday night at WakeMed Soccer Park.

First-half goals from redshirt senior forward Ryan Wittenbrink and sophomore forward Tommy Mihalic were enough as the Hoosiers earned their fourth clean sheet in as many matches during their NCAA Tournament run.

The Hoosiers will face No. 3 Syracuse (18-2-4, 5-1-2 ACC) in the College Cup Final on Monday (Dec. 12) at 6 p.m. ET at WakeMed Soccer Park. The game will be televsied on ESPNU.

KEY MOMENTS
• 14' – Wittenbrink took a pass on the left wing, dribbled into the box towards the end line and fired a shot that was deflected by Pitt senior goalkeeper Joe van der Sar into the path of senior forward Herbert Endeley around the six-yard box. Endeley approached to stuff it in but was taken down by a defender trying to clear, earning a penalty. Van der Sar guessed correctly with a diving stop to his right, but he deflected the ball in front of goal, and Wittenbrink got to it first to put it in the back of the net.
• 45' – Mihalic gave IU a two-goal lead with about 20 seconds before the end of the first half. Endeley was in the middle of the action again as his shot deflected into the path of Mihalic going toward the end line. The sophomore caught everyone off guard with a shot across the end line that fizzled over the surprised van der Sar and into goal.
• 59' – A pair of last-ditch plays in quick succession kept the shutout alive with a half-hour to play. Pitt junior forward Bertin Jacquesson got just in front of IU's last defender, senior defender Nyk Sessock, headed towards goal. The veteran stayed with him, using his physicality to deflect his shot out for a corner at just the right time. The resulting corner produced a header on goal, which junior goalkeeper JT Harms pushed away after diving to his left.
• 75' – IU's keeper made another impressive stop late into the match as a header forced an acrobatic diving save to his left.

NOTABLES
• Indiana will play in the national title match for a 17th time, extending the NCAA record.
• The Hoosiers will make their second NCAA championship appearance in the past three seasons and their third in the last six seasons.
• IU is the first NCAA Division-I men's soccer program to reach 100 victories in NCAA Tournament play.
• The Hoosiers have not allowed a goal through four matches, 360 minutes, in the NCAA Tournament.
• Indiana is the first team since Maryland (2018) to make a championship game without conceding a goal throughout the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers are the seventh team all-time to achieve that feat.
• This was Indiana's eighth win over a ranked opponent this season. Pittsburgh was not a national seed in the NCAA Tournament but ranked No. 10 in the most recent Top Drawer Soccer poll.
• IU owns a 3-0 record over the Panthers in a series that goes back to 2019. The Hoosiers are 2-0 in NCAA Tournament Semifinals against Pitt, as their last two matches have come in the opening game of the NCAA College Cup.
• Wittenbrink's goal was the tenth of the season for him and the 18th of his career. The redshirt senior earned his eighth goal contribution in his last nine matches.
• The opening score was also Wittnebrink's sixth game-winning goal this season. He is one of five players nationally to have scored six game-winners.
• The 45th-minute score from Mihalic was his seventh of the season and the 12^th of his career.
• Assisting Mihalic's score, Endeley has totaled two goals and an assist in IU's three matches against Pitt.

UP NEXT
The Hoosiers need one more win to earn their ninth star. Indiana will face No. 3-seeded Syracuse in the NCAA College Cup final on Monday at WakeMed Soccer Park. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET.

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