Seth Kullen scored twice and the Pitt-Greensburg defense posted a clean sheet as the Bobcats closed out the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 2-0 victory over Chatham Tuesday at Ridilla Field.
The victory improved Pitt-Greensburg to 6-2-3 overall and gave the Bobcats a 5-2-3 record in non-conference play. Chatham dropped to 2-7-2.
Pitt-Greensburg wasted little time getting on the board, striking just 73 seconds into the match. Cam Loveland connected with Kullen, who finished the opportunity at the 1:13 mark to give the Bobcats an early 1-0 advantage.
The early breakthrough helped Pitt-Greensburg navigate a potentially difficult spot on its schedule, with the non-conference contest coming between conference matches.
"This was an interesting game all around," head coach Marc Bucci said. "Wedged between conference games, knowing this doesn't dictate our playoff hopes, and after a win from the weekend, there were many reasons we could've came out flat. Thankfully the changed lineup stepped up in a big way to bring some momentum into Saturday's game."
Chatham responded by creating several chances in the opening half, but goalkeeper Brett Barnes and the Bobcat defense kept the Cougars off the scoreboard. Barnes made two saves during his 45 minutes in net, including stops in the 17th and 22nd minutes, as Pitt-Greensburg carried its 1-0 lead into halftime.
Bucci used the non-conference matchup as an opportunity to turn to his bench, with 22 Bobcats seeing action. The increased rotation allowed several players to make their case for more opportunities as Pitt-Greensburg enters the heart of its conference schedule.
"We've been lucky to avoid major injuries, which has been a credit to work done in the offseason," Bucci said. "I haven't rotated as much as I would've liked in past games, and I'm glad the guys who played minutes today gave me something to think about going into the rest of the season as far as who deserves important minutes."
Pitt-Greensburg doubled its advantage in the 60th minute. Jake McClintock set up Kullen at the 59:30 mark, and Kullen converted for his second goal of the match to make it 2-0. The forward made the most of his opportunities, scoring on both of his shots, while Loveland and McClintock each finished with an assist.
Dan Heil replaced Barnes in goal to begin the second half and helped finish off the shutout. Chatham put two shots on target shortly after Kullen's second goal, but Heil stopped both attempts. Barnes and Heil combined for four saves across 90 scoreless minutes.
Chatham finished with an 8-3 advantage in shots, but Pitt-Greensburg was clinical with its opportunities and held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks. The Bobcats committed just five fouls compared to eight for the Cougars, and neither side received a caution.
With its non-conference slate complete, Pitt-Greensburg now turns its full attention toward conference play. The Bobcats return to action Saturday when they travel to Carlow, beginning a stretch in which every result will carry added importance in the conference race.
"Each game is a final," Bucci said. "We can't look ahead to the next opponent and need our sole focus to be on our next game."
