Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's soccer team returned to Rathburn Family Field on Tuesday, hosting Penn College. The teams spent the majority of the game battling in the midfield, but the visitors were able to take advantage of a corner kick, and the Panthers fell 1-0.
The contest began as a stalemate, with the teams exchanging possession and keeping the ball in play for the first 15 minutes of action. The visitors took the first shot of the game, missing the target wide in the 16th minute. After Chris House made his first save of the game on a deflected shot, the Panthers built some momentum and put two efforts toward the goal in the 28th. Holden Kelly rolled a left-footed shot just outside the far post following a one-touch passing move through the midfield. Seconds later, Bailee Verdill found space down the right flank, but saw his effort miss over the top.
With 10 minutes to go, Pitt-Bradford had its best chance of the half. Yihao Xu dribbled by two defenders in the box, but the Wildcat keeper cut down the angle and made a save on Xu's shot to the corner. The Panthers had a chance on the rebound, but popped the shot over the target, ending the threat. The visitors had a scoring opportunity to close the half, but a headed shot off a corner went just over the target for a goal kick.
After the break, the visitors came out firing. Just two minutes into the half, a Penn College attacker beat an onrushing House to a loose ball and dribbled around. He tried to slide a shot into the net, but Alex Stockton was able to clear it off the line to keep the game scoreless. Seven minutes later, House made a double save from close range, and the Panthers scrambled the ball away to remain tied. In the 59th, the Pitt-Bradford resistance finally broke when the visitors were able to fire a one-time shot off a corner to score at the near post.
The Panthers responded in the following minutes, but could not put a shot on target. Conner Rudsell found Kelly in between defenders, but the freshman midfielder's shot went wide. Minutes later, Verdill intercepted a pass from the Wildcat keeper, but after beating a defender down the flank, could not put his effort on goal. Pitt-Bradford had two final chances to tie the game in the last 10 minutes. Brady Hathaway collected a pass, and after cutting behind a defender, released a left-footed shot from 30 yards that was caught in the Penn goal. Minutes later, Hathaway found Xu on the left wing, who was able to beat his defender and find space in the box. Xu hit a left-footed shot, but the goalkeeper was able to get down quickly, stop the ball, and collect it to maintain possession.
Christopher House made 4 saves in the Pitt-Bradford goal, while Alex Stockton also cleared a shot off the line. Yihao Xu had the Panthers' best two chances to score, but saw his shots on goal stopped. Bailee Verdill had three shots, while Brady Hathaway and Holden Kelly each took two.
The loss drops Pitt-Bradford to 3-3-1 on the season. They will be back in action over the weekend, when they head to Ohio to take on Hiram. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. and will be followed by a JV game with the Terriers.
