Thursday, August 30
Forth Worth, Texas
8 PM
Pitt
at
TCU
Panthers Face First Road Test at TCU, North Texas
8/29/2018 1:22:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Pitt Hits the Road for the First Time in 2018 Campaign
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh women's soccer team will hit the road for the first time in 2018, traveling to Texas for meetings with TCU and North Texas.
The Panthers will get things going Thursday, taking on a TCU team that is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Association poll, with the game set for an 8 p.m. kickoff. Pitt will wrap up its road test on Sunday, traveling to North Texas for a 1 p.m. contest against the Mean Green.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Pitt (3-0-1) hits the road for the first time in the 2018 campaign for a pair of non-conference matches at TCU (3-0-1) and North Texas (2-1-1). The panthers will look to continue their unbeaten streak, coming off of a 1-1 draw with Kent State and 2-1 victory over Jacksonville at Ambrose Urbanic Field over the weekend.
Anna Rico continued her scoring streak against Kent State, tallying her 3rd straight goal before being held off the scoresheet against Jacksonville. Aideen O'Donoghue and Dixon Veltri both registered their first career goals against the Dolphins. On the season, Rico leads the squad with three goals, as O'Donoghue, Veltri and Ashley Moreira have tallied one with Veltri contributing a pair of assists.
Redshirt sophomore Amaia Pena was solid in net for the Panthers over the weekend, starting both games, tallying nine saves on 16 shots. On the season, she has recorded 19 saves on 37 shots faced, owning a .864 save percentage and an 0.69 goals against average.
SCOUTING TCU
The Horned Frogs (3-0-1) are coming off of a 2-2 draw with Southern Methodist after easily defeating Stephen F. Austin 4-0 at home.
The freshmen are making a statement as three Horned Frog rookies tallied their first career goals against Stephen F. Austin. The Horned Frogs have recorded an impressive 91 shots, averaging 22.8 shots per game, while eight different players have scored at least one goal this season.
The defense has been just as sharp, allowing just 23 shots (5.8 per game) all season. Junior goalkeeper Katie Lund faced a season high nine shots vs. SMU, recording three saves. Sophomore goalkeeper Maddy Warren played the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 win over Stephen F. Austin.
THE SERIES WITH TCU
This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
SCOUTING NORTH TEXAS
The Mean Green (2-1-1) are fresh off a tight 1-0 loss to No. 12 Santa Clara Monday, as the Broncos prevailed on a penalty kick. In the midst of a West Coast roadtrip, North Texas will take on Weber State Thursday in Odgen, Utah.
North Texas has tallied eight goals in four games on the young season, led by senior Aaliyah Nolan (3), senior Taylor Torres (2) and sophomore Elle Marie DeFrain (2). The Mean Green have out-shout opponents 75-54 this year.
Redshirt freshman keeper Kelsey Brann has earned the start in all four games, tallying 335:00 minutes of action. She's recorded 14 saves on 52 shots, letting up just two goals for a .875 save percentage and a 0.54 goals against average.
THE SEIRES WITH NORTH TEXAS
This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
MILESTONE 400
Head coach Randy Waldrum reached a career milestone in the team's season opener against Ohio, as he secured his 400th career victory. The win was the first for Waldrum as the Panther head coach as he is now the ninth winningest head coach in NCAA Division I women's soccer history.
THE WALDRUM ERA
The season marks the beginning of the Randy Waldrum era as the first-year head coach and his staff begin their inaugural year with the Panthers. Waldrum is the fourth head coach in program history, bringing national experience to the Panthers' program.
Waldrum saw unprecedented success in his tenure at the helm of the perennial powerhouse Notre Dame women's program. In his 14 seasons, he led the Fighting Irish to two national championships, capturing the College Cup title in 2004 and 2010. His teams won eight Big East Tournament titles and appeared in eight NCAA Final Four games in that span.
A two-time national coach of the year (2009 by Soccer America; 2010 by NSCAA), Waldrum was the first coach in NCAA history to lead a team to a national title in his/her first season with a program. He wrapped up his tenure at Notre Dame with a mark of 292-58-17 (.819) and holds an overall record of 402-108-30 (.772) as a head coach on the women's side. His record ranks fourth in all-time wins as an NCAA women's head coach and third in win percentage.
NEWBIES
The Panthers feature 14 newcomers on the roster, as 50 percent of the 2018 squad is new to the program. Pitt will debut 11 freshmen and three transfers. Of the 2017 roster with nine or more games of experience, only six return – Taylor Pryce, Vildan Kardesler, Alli Higgs, Ashley Moreira, Cheyenne Hudson and Aideen O'Donoghue.
REDSHIRT RETURNERS
Two redshirt seniors, forward Taylor Pryce and midfielder Ashley Moreira, both of whom have attended the U-20 Canadian National Team Camp, will lead the Panthers this season. Pryce started 17 of the 18 games in 2014 and 2015, scoring game-winning goals versus Louisville and Wake Forest. In 2016, she competed in two games, with one shot on goal, before missing the rest of season due to injury. Last season Pryce finished as the team's top point scorer, recording 11 points and starting in all 18 games.
Moreira also started 17 of the 18 games in 2014 and recorded 1,330 minutes of playing time, which was the fourth highest on the team. In 2015, she started all 18 games and recorded seven shots on goal, scoring her first career goal in an overtime game-winner at Colorado College. She missed the 2016 season due to the U-20 Canadian National Team Camp, but bounced back last season logging 1,541 total minutes and starting all 18 games.
GOALKEEPERS
Redshirt sophomore Amaia Pena will lead this young goalkeeper squad with a 2.55 goals against average. Last season she logged just over 529 minutes of field time and made a career-high 10 saves in a 3-2 loss vs. Boston College.
Freshmen Katherine Robinson and Claire Hinkle will also compete for time this season.
MEET THE STAFF
Randy Waldrum is joined by three fresh faces on the 2018 coaching staff in Dustin Stein, Ben Waldrum and Riley Butler.
Stein joined the Panthers after nearly five years as the head coach at Eastfield College, where he was the winningest coach in program history. While at Eastfield, his teams tallied 14 or more wins in each of his last three seasons, and boasted a record of 42-12-3 in that stretch. Eastfield was amongst the top 10 NJCAA programs in each of the last three seasons as Stein was named the 2015 NJCAA Region 5 Division 3 Coach of the Year and the Metro Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
The younger Waldrum had served as a member of the FC Dallas staff since October of 2012, in the youth development program. In April 2015 he was promoted to head coach of the FCD Women. The team competed to a record of 34-3-3 under Waldrum's tutelage, appearing in the WPSL Playoffs in 2016 and 2017 and capturing the 2016 WPSL Southwest Conference championships.
This will be the younger Waldrum's second stint in the college ranks, as he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under his father at Notre Dame from 2003-08. With both Waldrums on staff, the Fighting Irish competed to a record of 111-13-5 and won the 2004 NCAA national title. He was a member of three NCAA College Cup appearances, won five Big East regular season titles and coached five All-Americans.
Butler came to the program after a four-year stint as the assistant men's coach at Radford University.
Butler helped lead the Highlanders to an overall record of 50-17-11, leading squads that were ranked in the top 25 in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Big South Tournament champions in 2016 and regular season champions in 2014, 2015 and 2016 earned NCAA berths in both 2015 and 2016 under Butler's tutelage.
THE SCHEDULE
The Panthers will take part in 18 regular season games in 2018, including 11 home matches, in addition to a pair of exhibition contests. The regular season will see five meetings with teams ranked in the top 25 at the conclusion of the 2017 season, including three in the top 15 and two in the top 10. The Panthers are set to face off against 12 teams in the top 75 of last season's final RPI rankings.
SOCCER CREST UNVEILED
The crest features elements from the City of Pittsburgh, the city's iconic bridges and the three rivers surrounding the Steel City. The crest pays homage to the Cathedral of Learning arch-shape – a shield depicts a strong foundation, honing in on the arch shape only strengthens this idea.
The castle-like design at the top of the crest was inspired by the City of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh seals, as both feature a similar castle. The iconic bridge is based on the Sister Bridges (Clemente, Warhol, Rachel Carson) as there are over 446 bridges throughout the Pittsburgh region, more than any other city in the world. The idea of bridges also ties in with Pitt Athletics Department strategy of the Gold Standard. The bottom portion of the crest features the three rivers (Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio) that surround the Pittsburgh area.
UP NEXT
Pitt will return home for three games, concluding the non-conference season and opening up ACC play. The Panthers will host city rival Duquesne Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. before wrapping up non-conference action Sept. 9 in a 1 p.m. meeting with Kansas.
The Panthers get ACC play going the following Saturday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m., hosting Louisville.
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The Panthers will get things going Thursday, taking on a TCU team that is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Association poll, with the game set for an 8 p.m. kickoff. Pitt will wrap up its road test on Sunday, traveling to North Texas for a 1 p.m. contest against the Mean Green.
HOW TO FOLLOW
- Thursday at TCU
- The game can be seen live on Fox Sports Southwest + and streaming on the Fox Sports Go app with an applicable cable provider.
- Live stats will be available here.
- Sunday at North Texas
- The game will be streamed live on ConferenceUSA.com.
- Live stats will be available here.
- Fans fan follow along with live updates on Twitter @Pitt_WSOC.
Pitt (3-0-1) hits the road for the first time in the 2018 campaign for a pair of non-conference matches at TCU (3-0-1) and North Texas (2-1-1). The panthers will look to continue their unbeaten streak, coming off of a 1-1 draw with Kent State and 2-1 victory over Jacksonville at Ambrose Urbanic Field over the weekend.
Anna Rico continued her scoring streak against Kent State, tallying her 3rd straight goal before being held off the scoresheet against Jacksonville. Aideen O'Donoghue and Dixon Veltri both registered their first career goals against the Dolphins. On the season, Rico leads the squad with three goals, as O'Donoghue, Veltri and Ashley Moreira have tallied one with Veltri contributing a pair of assists.
Redshirt sophomore Amaia Pena was solid in net for the Panthers over the weekend, starting both games, tallying nine saves on 16 shots. On the season, she has recorded 19 saves on 37 shots faced, owning a .864 save percentage and an 0.69 goals against average.
SCOUTING TCU
The Horned Frogs (3-0-1) are coming off of a 2-2 draw with Southern Methodist after easily defeating Stephen F. Austin 4-0 at home.
The freshmen are making a statement as three Horned Frog rookies tallied their first career goals against Stephen F. Austin. The Horned Frogs have recorded an impressive 91 shots, averaging 22.8 shots per game, while eight different players have scored at least one goal this season.
The defense has been just as sharp, allowing just 23 shots (5.8 per game) all season. Junior goalkeeper Katie Lund faced a season high nine shots vs. SMU, recording three saves. Sophomore goalkeeper Maddy Warren played the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 win over Stephen F. Austin.
THE SERIES WITH TCU
This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
SCOUTING NORTH TEXAS
The Mean Green (2-1-1) are fresh off a tight 1-0 loss to No. 12 Santa Clara Monday, as the Broncos prevailed on a penalty kick. In the midst of a West Coast roadtrip, North Texas will take on Weber State Thursday in Odgen, Utah.
North Texas has tallied eight goals in four games on the young season, led by senior Aaliyah Nolan (3), senior Taylor Torres (2) and sophomore Elle Marie DeFrain (2). The Mean Green have out-shout opponents 75-54 this year.
Redshirt freshman keeper Kelsey Brann has earned the start in all four games, tallying 335:00 minutes of action. She's recorded 14 saves on 52 shots, letting up just two goals for a .875 save percentage and a 0.54 goals against average.
THE SEIRES WITH NORTH TEXAS
This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
MILESTONE 400
Head coach Randy Waldrum reached a career milestone in the team's season opener against Ohio, as he secured his 400th career victory. The win was the first for Waldrum as the Panther head coach as he is now the ninth winningest head coach in NCAA Division I women's soccer history.
THE WALDRUM ERA
The season marks the beginning of the Randy Waldrum era as the first-year head coach and his staff begin their inaugural year with the Panthers. Waldrum is the fourth head coach in program history, bringing national experience to the Panthers' program.
Waldrum saw unprecedented success in his tenure at the helm of the perennial powerhouse Notre Dame women's program. In his 14 seasons, he led the Fighting Irish to two national championships, capturing the College Cup title in 2004 and 2010. His teams won eight Big East Tournament titles and appeared in eight NCAA Final Four games in that span.
A two-time national coach of the year (2009 by Soccer America; 2010 by NSCAA), Waldrum was the first coach in NCAA history to lead a team to a national title in his/her first season with a program. He wrapped up his tenure at Notre Dame with a mark of 292-58-17 (.819) and holds an overall record of 402-108-30 (.772) as a head coach on the women's side. His record ranks fourth in all-time wins as an NCAA women's head coach and third in win percentage.
NEWBIES
The Panthers feature 14 newcomers on the roster, as 50 percent of the 2018 squad is new to the program. Pitt will debut 11 freshmen and three transfers. Of the 2017 roster with nine or more games of experience, only six return – Taylor Pryce, Vildan Kardesler, Alli Higgs, Ashley Moreira, Cheyenne Hudson and Aideen O'Donoghue.
REDSHIRT RETURNERS
Two redshirt seniors, forward Taylor Pryce and midfielder Ashley Moreira, both of whom have attended the U-20 Canadian National Team Camp, will lead the Panthers this season. Pryce started 17 of the 18 games in 2014 and 2015, scoring game-winning goals versus Louisville and Wake Forest. In 2016, she competed in two games, with one shot on goal, before missing the rest of season due to injury. Last season Pryce finished as the team's top point scorer, recording 11 points and starting in all 18 games.
Moreira also started 17 of the 18 games in 2014 and recorded 1,330 minutes of playing time, which was the fourth highest on the team. In 2015, she started all 18 games and recorded seven shots on goal, scoring her first career goal in an overtime game-winner at Colorado College. She missed the 2016 season due to the U-20 Canadian National Team Camp, but bounced back last season logging 1,541 total minutes and starting all 18 games.
GOALKEEPERS
Redshirt sophomore Amaia Pena will lead this young goalkeeper squad with a 2.55 goals against average. Last season she logged just over 529 minutes of field time and made a career-high 10 saves in a 3-2 loss vs. Boston College.
Freshmen Katherine Robinson and Claire Hinkle will also compete for time this season.
MEET THE STAFF
Randy Waldrum is joined by three fresh faces on the 2018 coaching staff in Dustin Stein, Ben Waldrum and Riley Butler.
Stein joined the Panthers after nearly five years as the head coach at Eastfield College, where he was the winningest coach in program history. While at Eastfield, his teams tallied 14 or more wins in each of his last three seasons, and boasted a record of 42-12-3 in that stretch. Eastfield was amongst the top 10 NJCAA programs in each of the last three seasons as Stein was named the 2015 NJCAA Region 5 Division 3 Coach of the Year and the Metro Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
The younger Waldrum had served as a member of the FC Dallas staff since October of 2012, in the youth development program. In April 2015 he was promoted to head coach of the FCD Women. The team competed to a record of 34-3-3 under Waldrum's tutelage, appearing in the WPSL Playoffs in 2016 and 2017 and capturing the 2016 WPSL Southwest Conference championships.
This will be the younger Waldrum's second stint in the college ranks, as he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under his father at Notre Dame from 2003-08. With both Waldrums on staff, the Fighting Irish competed to a record of 111-13-5 and won the 2004 NCAA national title. He was a member of three NCAA College Cup appearances, won five Big East regular season titles and coached five All-Americans.
Butler came to the program after a four-year stint as the assistant men's coach at Radford University.
Butler helped lead the Highlanders to an overall record of 50-17-11, leading squads that were ranked in the top 25 in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Big South Tournament champions in 2016 and regular season champions in 2014, 2015 and 2016 earned NCAA berths in both 2015 and 2016 under Butler's tutelage.
THE SCHEDULE
The Panthers will take part in 18 regular season games in 2018, including 11 home matches, in addition to a pair of exhibition contests. The regular season will see five meetings with teams ranked in the top 25 at the conclusion of the 2017 season, including three in the top 15 and two in the top 10. The Panthers are set to face off against 12 teams in the top 75 of last season's final RPI rankings.
SOCCER CREST UNVEILED
The crest features elements from the City of Pittsburgh, the city's iconic bridges and the three rivers surrounding the Steel City. The crest pays homage to the Cathedral of Learning arch-shape – a shield depicts a strong foundation, honing in on the arch shape only strengthens this idea.
The castle-like design at the top of the crest was inspired by the City of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh seals, as both feature a similar castle. The iconic bridge is based on the Sister Bridges (Clemente, Warhol, Rachel Carson) as there are over 446 bridges throughout the Pittsburgh region, more than any other city in the world. The idea of bridges also ties in with Pitt Athletics Department strategy of the Gold Standard. The bottom portion of the crest features the three rivers (Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio) that surround the Pittsburgh area.
UP NEXT
Pitt will return home for three games, concluding the non-conference season and opening up ACC play. The Panthers will host city rival Duquesne Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. before wrapping up non-conference action Sept. 9 in a 1 p.m. meeting with Kansas.
The Panthers get ACC play going the following Saturday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m., hosting Louisville.
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