After netting ten unanswered goals in its previous two games, Maryland men’s soccer nearly let Wisconsin come away with a win last Friday night. With the help of sophomore Stephane Njike and freshman Rocket Ritarita, the Terps pulled away in the game’s final minutes, securing a 3-1 win in their first conference game this year. 

The Terps are one of the hottest teams in the nation; they have yet to allow a goal in open play and generate the most shots of any team in the Big Ten. While their offense has exploded for 13 goals in their last three games, the defense is the focal point of the team. Their goalkeeper, Laurin Mack, has conceded just 0.50 goals per game. 

The Terps (4-0-1) look to stay undefeated and take down defending ACC champion Pittsburgh this Saturday at Ludwig Field. 

Led by head coach Jay Vidovich, Pitt men’s soccer has been a dominant NCAA force in recent years. The program is coming off one of its best years, winning the ACC Regular Season Championship for the first time. Over the past five seasons, they have reached the quarterfinals four times and made the College Cup in 2020 and 2022. 

The program turned around when coach Jay Vidovich was hired in 2015. Before his arrival, the program had flashes of success, but it wasn’t a serious threat to win the national championship. 

Although the Panthers are coming off one of their best seasons in program history, this year has not been ideal for them. They were ranked third in the country at one point but face one of the toughest schedules this year. Specifically, conference play has been difficult, with two early losses to then-No. 3 Clemson and Notre Dame, leaving the margin for error small. 

On the other hand, non-conference play has gone well. They have put together three wins while protecting home field. But two of those wins have not been comfortable by any means, narrowly defeating Michigan State and Quinnipiac by one goal. They also drew Incornate Word.

Graduate student midfielder Arnau Vilamitjana leads in points so far, with three goals and three assists. Vilamitjana has a good physical presence, and when games are tight, he is Pitt’s go-to man.

Sophomore forward Lasse Dahl provides Pitt with a mix of goal scoring and playmaking. He has good off-ball movement and decent physical size for a forward, standing at 6’1”.

Redshirt junior midfielder Marco Silva is in his first season with Pitt after transferring from Marshall. Silva is dangerous in the attacking third, contributing four goals and two assists already this season. Silva is very versatile and has proven experience at the highest level of college soccer, allowing the team to lean on him in pressure moments. 

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Ludwig Field and you can listen live here at WMUC Sports.