
Pitt’s Valentin Noel eager to better his last season prospects
PITTSBURGH (BVM) — The 2021 men’s college soccer season officially began last week, and as expected, many fans will be hoping for an even more exciting experience. Many ranked teams grabbed the off-season period to hone their skills in the exhibition games.
At the Ambrose Urbanic Field, Pitt men’s soccer came up against Duquesne in the opening game. With the stands packed to almost full capacity, the No. 3 college team showed a glimpse of what they can do this term, tearing apart the Dukes 7-0 in the opening game.
Pitts men’s soccer team boasted of a rather offensive yet inconsistent attack in the previous season and struggled in some games they should have easily won. It was a team many people thought could upset the formbooks but still ended up with lackluster performance.
Nonetheless, amidst all the inconsistencies, a star emerged after the exit of Edward Kizza. In Kizza’s absence, Valentin Noel stood up to be counted, eventually winning the ACC Offensive Player Of the Year.
He grabbed the chance and literally walked away with it. In just under a season, the French-born forward had become one of the biggest offensive threats in the nation. He emerged as Pitt’s deadliest attacking forward and ultimately finished second in the country for the total number of goals scored last season.
“The best characteristic of our team is that we are playing well defensively,” Valentin said. “It feels great to see the collectiveness of the team. We’ve improved in many areas, and honestly, it feels good to punish opponents during the games.”
Asked how it feels to be back and whether they’ve missed the fans, the ACC offensive player of the year admitted it feels great to welcome back fans to the stands.
“For sure, we would have loved to play at home with fans,” Valentin said. “Playing in closed doors feels weird and takes away the excitement from the game. But overall, it still feels good to be back, and we just want to perform better than we did last season.”
As the new season gathers momentum and fans return to the stadium, the focus will turn to Pitt men’s soccer team and Noel. With a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist tag under his belt, Noel will be under immense yet deserved pressure to lead the Panthers to another success this season.
The Frenchman earned a place of honor on the 2020 All-American tournament team and will be looking to add many accolades to his illustrious sophomore season. A stronger showing in the ACC final and the NCAA tournament this spring will cement his place as one of the best forwards to have featured for the Panther’s side.
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