Former WPIAL standouts finding their way at Pitt
It only takes one glance at the Pitt men’s soccer roster to notice its wide range of diversity. There’s representation from all across the world — spanning from the sport’s global hotbeds such as France, Spain, Brazil, Switzerland and Germany on down to countries with less prominentsoccer origins like Serbia, Mexico and Japan. The international melting pot of players is one of the more fascinating aspects of the No. 2-seeded Panthers, fresh off a convincing 6-1 win against Monmouth in the second round of the NCAA tournament as they chase the school’s first national championship.
But for all of the team’s international influence, Pitt also has some local roots as well. Not all too long ago, freshmen forwards Luke Mort (Greensburg Central Catholic) and Luke Peperak (Connellsville) were standouts on the WPIAL soccer scene. Now, the Lukes serve as critical reserves for their hometown’s trailblazing college program.
“I know it means a lot to us,” said Peperak. “To come here [to Pitt] and for us to be doing this well, it just shows where Pittsburgh soccer is heading.”
Mort and Peperak are two of four WPIAL alums on the roster. The other two Panthers from the WPIAL are Dominic Reiter (Quaker Valley) and Anthony Harding (Norwin).
Mort and Peperak were members of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Development Academy prior to joining the Panthers and have hit the ground running in their first seasons. Mort, a redshirt freshman, appeared in five games in fall 2020 where he finished with one goal on four shots in 175 total minutes — including 36 in the ACC championship against Clemson on Nov. 22. Peperak, a freshman and the younger brother of former Pitt men’s soccer player Alex Peperak (2016-2019), also appeared in five games in the fall. His point-scoring debut came in the spring with a first-career assist on March 27 against Virginia Tech, followed by his first-career goal 10 days later in a win against Virginia.
The pair combined for 51 minutes played in the NCAA tournament opener against Monmouth. And while it may sound cliche, the reasoning behind their early and ample playing time is simple.
“Everyone works hard, but me and Mort are really putting in work day in and day out,” said Peperak. “We’re consistent. Consistently getting better every day and making everyone around you better is how to find your way on the field. We’ve shown that.”
As both are learning, WPIAL supremacy is great and all, but it doesn’t mean much once arriving to an elite college program. After a 33- goal senior season, Peperak ended his high school career as Connellsville’s all-time scoring leader with 87 goals. Mort totaled 130 goals in four seasons as a dynamic midfielder for Greensburg Central Catholic.
But now, everything (and everyone) is faster, game plans are more precise and — for reserves — scoring opportunities are few and far between. Their margin for error nowadays is extremely tight.
“When you get a chance to get on the field and prove something, you’ve got to go out there and do it,” said Mort. “I think me and Pep have both done that. ...The speed of play is the biggest difference. Once you get to this level, everyone is relatively just as fast as you, just as strong as you and everything is physical. It’s about how quick you can work it out with your brain.”
Just like the roster around them, this season has featured its fair share of foreign experiences for Mort and Peperak. They’ve been forced to adjust on the fly while holding up their ends of the bargain for a team with major implications on the line every time it takes the field. And while they’ve settled into their respective roles, the intensity of being a favorite in the NCAA tournament has been another wave of newness — another foreign experience to take in.
“It’s pretty real for us,” said Peperak. “We’re seeing teams in the hotel and most of them are in our quadrant for the bracket. Tomorrow, some of us are not going to be here anymore. You have to survive and not die, so it’s pretty real.”
Next up for Pitt is a thirdround bout Thursday with Central Florida. After falling, 5-0, to Georgetown in the second round of the 2019 NCAA tournament, the Sweet 16 is uncharted territory for the program. That setback has surely been on their minds during their time in Greensboro thus far, as has the ACC championship loss to Clemson last fall. A win Thursday would advance them to the quarterfinals against either Missouri State or Washington — one step closer to wrapping a bow around the program’s transformational rebuild that started to take shape in 2017.
“The culture from 2017 on has completely changed,” said Mort. “We have more talent, but I think the building block has definitely been the culture. Even down here [in Greensboro] the last three days, we didn’t just blow them off. We’ve been out here competing — first team against second team and stuff like that — so we’re ready to go.”