The Pitt-Greensburg men's soccer team put together a dominant offensive performance Saturday afternoon, cruising to an 8-0 victory over Carlow at FNB Stadium. Matt Armenio led the way with four goals, while Seth Kullen added two as the Bobcats improved to 7-2-3 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
Pitt-Greensburg wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, as Armenio opened the scoring in the ninth minute off an assist from Ethan Rose. Kullen doubled the advantage in the 19th minute, firing a shot past the Carlow goalkeeper to give the Bobcats an early 2-0 lead.
The offensive pressure continued in the 26th minute when Garrett Chandler found the back of the net following a corner kick from Caden Loveland. Armenio then took over, scoring twice in a span of less than 10 minutes. His second goal came in the 29th minute following a scramble inside the box, and he completed his hat trick in the 38th minute with a shot from just outside the penalty area into the lower-right corner.
The Bobcats carried a commanding 5-0 lead into halftime after outshooting Carlow 10-0 in the opening 45 minutes.
Head coach Marc Bucci credited his team's decision-making in the attacking third and Armenio's ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
"We did well as a team attacking at the right moments and Armenio is a focal point in those moments," Bucci said. "I'm happy he had success on the scoresheet to go along with an overall solid game."
Pitt-Greensburg picked up right where it left off in the second half. Cooper Robson extended the lead to 6-0 in the 55th minute, finishing a pass from Cam Loveland after getting past the Carlow goalkeeper.
Armenio added his fourth goal of the afternoon in the 63rd minute, scoring off a free kick to push the advantage to seven. Kullen capped the scoring in the 78th minute, placing a shot into the lower-left corner for his second goal of the contest.
The Bobcats controlled the match from start to finish, holding a 17-4 advantage in shots and putting 11 attempts on goal. Armenio was particularly efficient, scoring on all four of his shots, while Kullen converted both of his attempts.
Defensively, Pitt-Greensburg limited Carlow to just four shots, none of which were on target. Goalkeepers Nick Braun and Justin Brown combined for the shutout, with Braun playing the first 78 minutes before Brown finished the contest.
Bucci pointed to the team's early offensive success and disciplined defensive execution as keys to keeping Carlow off the scoreboard.
"The early goals helped settle things down for us which helped us maintain possession," Bucci said. "We had an idea of their threats and the team did well executing the plan."
With the victory, Pitt-Greensburg remains unbeaten in conference play, but the Bobcats will have little time to celebrate as they prepare for a challenging road matchup against Mount Aloysius on Tuesday.
"There's no real time to enjoy this with the Tuesday kickoff so it's important to rest and recover in order to be ready for a game at their venue in which we typically struggle," Bucci said.
Up Next: Pitt-Greensburg will travel to Mount Aloysius on Tuesday, October 13, for a 7 p.m. kickoff as the Bobcats look to continue their winning ways in conference play.
