Pitt Prepares for No. 4 Duke

Sunday, September 24

Durham, N.C.

2:00 PM

Pitt

Duke

9/23/2017 2:32:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Panthers In Search of First ACC Win

PITTSBURGH – Fresh off a defensive battle in a 1-1 draw versus Virginia Tech, the University of Pittsburgh women's soccer team hits the road to face off with No. 4 Duke Saturday afternoon.

Action is set to get underway at 2 p.m. from Durham, N.C., as the Panthers meet the ACC's top ranked team.

HOW TO FOLLOW

The game can be seen live on the ACC Network Extra via Watch ESPN or the WatchESPN app
Live stats will also be available here

THE MATCH
Pitt (3-4-3, 0-1-1 ACC) hits the road, traveling to Durham, N.C., for a Sunday afternoon matchup with No. 4 Duke. The Panthers enter the game after a 1-1 double-overtime draw against Virginia Tech on Thursday night at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Mikayla Schmidt was the goal scorer for the Panther, as the junior netted her second of the season in the 73rd minute off a pass from Bel Van Noorden. Keeper Katelyn McEachern and the Panther defense was stellar in that outing, recording 16 saves, 12 by McEachern, to stifle the Hokie offense.

On the season, Taylor Pryce paces the Panther offense, tallying three goals and a pair of assists. Schmidt (2 G), Vildan Kardesler (1 G, 2 A), Seyla Perez (1 G, 1 A) Van Noorden (2 A), Juelle Love (1 G) and Christiana Davey (1 G) all contribute significantly to the Panther offense.

McEachern has earned the start in all but one game this season, tallying 53 saves, allowing just nine goals in her 815:42 minutes. Fellow redshirt freshman Amaia Pena has also seen significant play, earning one start and appearing in two contents for 155:00 minutes. She has allowed three goals, tallying 11 saves.

SCOUTING DUKE
Duke (9-1-0, 2-0-0 ACC) comes in winners of nine straight, including back-to-back ACC victories over Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. the Duke offense is outscoring opponents by a margin of 24-5, surrendering just one goal in its last six games. Since opening the season with a 2-1 loss to North Carolina, the Blue Devils have captured wins over No. 3 West Virginia and No. 21 Utah.

Offensively, Imani Dorsey leads the way with 18 points (8 G, 2 A) while Kayla McCoy (5 G, 2 A) is also in double-digits and Chelsea Burns (4 G) has tallied multiple goals. Nine different Blue Devils have scored at least one goal on the season.

In the net, EJ Proctor has seen the most work, playing in eight games, tallying 678:12 minutes, allowing just three goals and recording 19 saves. Brooke Heinsohn has seen action in three games, tallying 225:00 minutes, surrendering one goal and recording three saves.

TOUGH STRETCH
Pitt is amidst a tough stretch, facing off against four nationally-ranked opponents in a five-game span. After battling No. 22 Nebraska and No. 23 Wake Forest, the Panthers return home to face a Virginia Tech before traveling to No. 4 Duke and hosting No. 11 Virginia.

The ACC boasts seven schools in the top 25, with an additional program receiving votes. Duke (4), North Carolina (8) and Virginia (11) all rank in the top 15 with Clemson (19), Wake Forest (18) Florida State (23) and North Carolina State (24) rounding out the nationally ranked schools. Notre Dame is the first team out, receiving 61 votes.

THE SERIES
This will be the fifth meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 2013 season when the Panthers joined the ACC. Duke holds a 4-0-0 all-time advantage, including a pair of wins in Durham, N.C.

The Blue Devils have outscored Pitt 14-4 in the four matchups, including a 2-0 win over Pitt as the nation's fourth-ranked team last season.

MCEACHERN EARNS ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK TITLE
Redshirt freshman keeper Katelyn McEachern was named the ACC's Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 22 after tallying a pair of back-to-back shutouts in her collegiate debut. The rookie recorded eight saves in wins over Hofstra and Duquesne and has yet to allow a goal on the season. McEachern played the entirety of both games, tallying 190:42 minutes.

The league honor is the first for a Panther since Taylor Pryce was named the ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29, 2015 after scoring game winning goals against Wake Forest and Louisville.

RETURNING TALENT
Pitt's 2017 squad gets a boost, as both Ashley Moreira and Taylor Pryce will return to the starting lineups, after missing the 2016 season. Both members of the U-20 Canadian National Team, the duo will look to bolster a squad that struggled to find the back of the next last year. Pryce tallied six goals, two of which were game winners, in 2015, adding four in 2014. Moreira, a midfielder, scored once, adding two assists in 2015; additionally, she recorded three helpers in her freshman campaign in 2014.

Two of the team's top-three leaders in minutes played will return from the 2016 season, with Alli Higgs (1581) and Sarah Krause (1479) set to lace up with the starting squad.

FRESH FACES
The 2017 team will debut some fresh faces, led by redshirt freshman goalkeeper Katelyn McEachern, the first new keeper since the 2014 season, as 2016 alum Taylor Francis had held down the position for 50 consecutive matches. As a whole, the Panthers welcome nine new faces with freshmen Alexis Bengel, Kendall Higgs, Juelle Love, Vildan Kardesler, Jess McCoppin, Shana Hardin, Aideen O'Donoghue and Kylie Olexa; and transfer Megan Herr.

MEET YOUR CAPTAINS
A trio of Canadians will lead the way for the 2017 Pitt women's soccer season, as redshirt junior Taylor Pryce and seniors Ashley Moreira and Emma Pozzulo will captain the squad. Both Pryce and Moreira will serve as first-year captains, while Pozzulo gets her third season as a captain underway.

THE SCHEDULE
The regular season will get underway at the Petersen Sports Complex on Aug. 18 as the Panthers welcome Hofstra, before taking to the road for three-straight away battles with Duquesne (Aug. 20), Cincinnati (Aug. 24) and Xavier (Aug. 27). The Panthers will close out the month on Aug. 30, welcoming Detroit.

Illinois State visits Sept. 3, as Pitt will travel to Kent State (Sept. 7) and Nebraska (Sept. 10) before ACC play gets underway. A Sept. 15 visit to Wake Forest gets league play going, as Pitt will host Virginia Tech (Sept. 21) and travel to Duke (Sept. 24) to wrap up September action.

Three consecutive home games follow as the Panthers host perennial powerhouse Virginia (Oct. 1), followed by Syracuse (Oct. 5) and NC State (Oct. 8). A trip to Louisville (Oct. 13) will follow, with visits to Miami (Oct. 19) and Florida State (Oct. 22) wrapping up regular season road play. The 2017 regular season will come to a close on Oct. 26 when the Panthers host Boston College.

UP NEXT
Pitt will return home for three straight to open the month of October, hosting No. 11 Virginia on Oct. 1, Syracuse on Oct. 5 and No. 24 NC State on Oct. 8.

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