Pitt's win over Notre Dame makes it their third win over ranked opponents in 2017.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Pittsburgh men's soccer team defeated its third ranked opponent this season after capturing a 1-0 victory over No. 7 Notre Dame Friday night at Alumni Field.
Freshman Alexander Dexter netted his fifth goal of the season in the 52nd minute that would be enough for Pitt to hold on for the win.
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The Panthers' victory marks the first over a top-10 opponent since the 2000 season when they upset then-ranked No. 2 St. John's.
DOWN GOES #7 NOTRE DAME!!!!!!
— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) October 14, 2017
Pitt outlasts the Irish 1-0 on the road!#H2P pic.twitter.com/XewAzA9ziF
"I'm very excited for the guys and proud of their efforts," said head coach Jay Vidovich. "We started the game great, held on and stayed resilient at the end of the first half. I thought we came out fantastic in the second half, we got our goal and we were able to defend our lead. The guys are learning how to win games and I'm just happy for them."
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With the win, Pitt improves to 8-6-0 overall and picks up its second ACC win of the season and in program history. Notre Dame drops to 9-4-1 overall and is now 3-3-1 against conference foes. The Panthers handed the Irish their first home loss of the season, moving them to 6-1-1.
Pitt reaches the eight-win mark on the season for the first time since 2002 when the Panthers finished 8-9-1 overall.
All smiles from Alumni Stadium#H2P pic.twitter.com/0Q1BKwpCCI
— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) October 14, 2017
The win is the first over a conference opponent on the road since 2008 when Pitt defeated Seton Hall as members of the Big East.
The Panthers defeat Notre Dame for the first time since 2002 when the Irish were ranked 16th. The win is Pitt's fourth over the long-time opponent.
At the conclusion of a scoreless first half, the Irish held an advantage in shots (11-4) and corners (6-3).
The Panthers came out of the gates strong in the second half, attempting two shots and drawing a corner within the first four minutes. In the 52nd minute, Dexter found the back of the net that would prove to be the difference.
