PITTSBURGH – A late second half goal by Freddy Jonsson paired with a stellar defensive effort propelled the No. 25 Colgate Raiders to a 1-0 victory over Pitt in season opening action Friday night at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

After a scoreless first half, Pitt issued the first four shots on goal in the second frame but it was Colgate to find the back of the net in the 74^th minute. Jonsson won a battle for a loose ball near the 18-yard box and raced left before cutting a low shot the opposite direction inside the right post to give the Raiders the only lead they needed.
 
Jacob Harris and the Raiders defense stood tall to thwart the Panthers offensive opportunities. Prior to Jonsson's goal, Edward Kizza came away with arguably the best chance of the night after connecting on a long through ball that lofted over the Raiders back line. With Kizza in open space, Harris raced out of the net to force an early shot and Colgate was able to clear as the rebound sailed high over the net.

Harris stopped all four shots he faced in the second half to preserve the shutout victory for the Raiders. 

Neither side was able to gain an advantage after the first 45 minutes of action. Colgate held a 3-2 advantage in shots at the break. Aram Ouligian and Jonsson misfired on a pair of early opportunities and Harris stopped the only shot he faced in the opening stanza. 

The best chance for the Raiders came on a corner by Uyi Omorogbe in the 44th minute. Omorogbe delivered a cross into the box and Ryan Krueger sent a header on net but Pitt keeper John Penaranda snared it to send the game to halftime with the score still deadlocked at 0-0.
 
The Raiders defense continued to stand tall early in the second half to keep Pitt at bay long enough for Colgate to net the go-ahead goal down the stretch.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 1, Pitt 0
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improved to 1-0-0
• Pitt fell to 0-1-0

Facts & Figures
• Pitt held a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal for the contest.
• The Panthers led corner kicks, 6-3.   
• Aram Ouligian led the Raiders with three shots in the match.
• Harris tallied six saves to earn his sixth shutout in 11 career starts.
• Jonsson's goal, his seventh career goal, was the first and only shot of the second half for the Raiders.  
 
From the Source
• Colgate head coach Erik Ronning: "We are very happy to start off the season with a win against a very strong Pitt team. It felt like a game that would be decided by one play, and credit Freddy Jonsson for a great finish. Tim Oberg came up with some key defensive stops and he broke up numerous plays. We have a short turnaround and will now focus on recovering as we prepare for Albany on Monday."

 Up Next
• Colgate is set to host Albany in its home opener on Monday at 5:30 p.m.