Like two sides of a coin, William and Mary and Pittsburgh’s seasons look nothing alike. While the Tribe (6-3-1, 1-1 CAA) has won 4 of its past 5 games, the Panthers (0-7-4) have sunk to a win-less record. Unlike a coin flip, the outcome was predictable. The Tribe defeated the Panthers 2-0 Tuesday night at the Peterson Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Redshirt freshman keeper Mac Phillips delivered his sixth shutout of the season, the highest number of shutouts in the Colonial Athletic Association. Phillips, who has recorded a shutout in back-to-back matches, has not allowed a goal in 240 minutes of game play.
The Panthers began the match on the offensive. On an early corner kick, Panthers midfielder Chris Davis got a shot off on goal, but a Tribe defender knocked it away from danger. Pittsburgh took advantage of a tame start for the Tribe, recording two early corners.
The Tribe eventually responded in the 24th minute. Junior midfielder Chris Albiston received a long pass from senior defender Will Smith and proceeded to move to the left side of the box. Albiston then fired a shot back across the face of the goal, up into the far right corner of the net to make the score 1-0 in favor of the Tribe. The goal was Albiston’s third of the season.
The rest of the first half was relatively quiet, as the Tribe maintained its commanding 1-0 lead. The Tribe held a 4-2 advantage in shots in the half, including a 2-1 advantage in shots on goal.
When the second half began, the Tribe continued where it left off. In the 51st minute, senior defender Roshan Patel threaded a pass to Albiston, who passed the ball quickly to sophomore forward Jackson Eskay. On his first touch, Eskay placed the ball perfectly into the top-right corner to score the Tribe’s second goal of the match, good for the team-lead in goals.
After scoring the decisive second goal, the Tribe continued to build chances. Junior forward Josh West and freshman forward Reilly Maw each had attempts on frame, but the Panthers goalkeeper was there to hold them off on each try.
The Tribe dominated statistically, out-shooting the Panthers 12-7 over the course of the match, controlling the pace of play throughout. The Tribe faces defending CAA Champion Northeastern Saturday, Oct. 20 at Martin Family Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.