The No. 3 Pitt men’s soccer team faced Monmouth in its first match of the 2021 NCAA tournament at MacPherson Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sunday night, and despite a solid start from the Hawks, the Panthers routed the MAAC team 6-1.
Monmouth, which was coming off a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Bowling Green in the opening round of the tournament, was able to stifle Pitt early in the game. However, in the 25th minute, Raphael Crivello lofted a pass from midfield that found Valentin Noel in the box. Noel then popped a shot over Monmouth goalkeeper Sean Murray and into the back right corner of the net to give Pitt a 1-0 lead.