Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's soccer team scored 6 goals in the second half to beat Hilbert 8-0 and earn their 5th win of the season.
The Panthers opened the scoring after 7 minutes. After a Panther cross was not properly cleared by the Hawks, Scott Compson was able to collect the loose ball on the left-wing. Compson chipped a pass to the front post where Chase Rider was able to flick a header into the far corner to put the Panthers up one. Pitt-Bradford dominated possession for the remainder of the half, taking 22 shots in the period, but were unable to add to the lead until the final minute of the half. Taking advantage of another failed clearance attempt, Rider attempted a volley that was slightly mishit but was able to fool the Hilbert keeper and find its way into the net for his second of the game.
After the break, the Panthers seemed refreshed, continuing their attacking dominance, but mixing it with ruthless finishing. In the 52nd minute, Rider finished off a hattrick that started a run of 4 panther goals in an eight-minute span. Joe Magro played an early cross from the right-wing that bounced dangerously in the penalty area. Rider was able to beat a Hilbert defender, and the goalkeeper to the ball, sliding a one-touch finish into the corner for his 3rd of the game and AMCC leading 16th of the season. Three minutes later, Rider would swap roles and turn provider. Austin Hogan made a darting run down the right-wing and was able to get to the endline. Hogan sent a ball across the goalmouth where Rider used one touch to play the ball back to Compson who calmly blasted a shot into the net from close range.
Compson scored his second of the match just under two minutes later. Rider played a pass over the defense from just over the halfway line to Compson who streaked behind the Hilbert defense. Compson took one touch to chip a shot over an onrushing goalkeeper to put the Panthers up 5-0. In the 58th minute, Rider picked up his third assist of the game. After chasing down a pass to the corner from Joe Magro, Rider beat two Hilbert defenders on the dribble and played a pass back towards the penalty spot. Allee Williams collected the pass and fired a shot through traffic to score his first career goal.
The Panthers continued to attack throughout the game and were able to add two more goals in the final five minutes. The first came in the 86th minute. Jan Winnewisser received a pass at the half and slid a pass to Spencer Sklar who sprinted behind the defense. Sklar took a controlled touch and slid a left-footed shot into the far corner to score his third of the season. Winnewisser added the 8th goal of the game just 16 seconds after the 7th. Following the restart, Devin Stowe intercepted a pass in the offensive third and passed to Winnewisser, who dribbled through three Hilbert defenders before placing a shot into the corner for his fourth goal of the season.
Chase Rider now has 16 goals and 8 assists on the season. He leads the AMCC in both categories, as well as ties Pitt-Bradford single-season records for each category. He also has 40 points, which leads all of NCAA Division III. Compson's strikes put him at 6 goals on the season, while Winnewisserhas 4, Sklar has 3 and Williams has 1. Evan Schmidt made his first career start for the Panthers, and made 2 saves in the shutout victory.
The Panthers are 5-6-1 on the season with a 3-2 record in AMCC play. They currently sit in 3rd place in the AMCC standings. They will be back in action on Saturday in an important match-up with Penn State-Altoona in a game that will likely determine postseason seeding. The Panthers will also celebrate Senior Day prior to the game. They will recognize four seniors, Sihle Sizani, TJ Magro, Brent Kennedy, and Chase Rider.
