Thursday, September 20
Cary, N.C.
6 PM
Pitt
vs
North Carolina
Photo by: Jeffrey Gamza/Pitt Athletics
Panthers to Face Tough Test at No. 5 North Carolina
9/19/2018 1:58:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Pitt Looks to Upset ACC Powerhouse Tar Heels
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh women's soccer team will kick off a three-game road trip Thursday evening, heading to WakeMed Park in Cary, N.C. for a conference battle with No. 5 North Carolina.
The Panthers and Tar Heels saw the game moved to WakeMed Park due to unplayable field conditions in Chapel Hill, N.C. Action is set to get underway at 6 p.m. as the Panthers head to North Carolina for back-to-back games against nationally-ranked ACC opponents.
HOW TO FOLLOW
THE MATCHUP
Pitt (4-3-1, 0-1-0 ACC) continues ACC play against No. 5 North Carolina on Thursday, kicking off three straight road league games. The Panthers are coming off a tough 2-0 loss Saturday night against (RV) Louisville.
Offensively, the Panthers struggled against a good Cardinals defense, tallying just four shots in the game, all of which came in the opening period. On the season, freshman forward Anna Rico leads the team with three goals, while Madeline Gravante has a pair. Six different Panthers have found the back of the net at least once this season.
In net, redshirt sophomore Amaia Pena was forced to make eight saves against Louisville. She has started all but one game this season, owning a .818 save percentage and a 1.09 goals against average.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels (6-2-1, 1-0-0 ACC) are coming off a big road upset of then second-ranked Florida State as North Carolina downed the Seminoles 1-0 in Tallahassee, Fla., to open league play. North Carolina has faced off against three top-15 programs in its last three outings, falling to No. 12 Santa Clara 1-0 and dropping a 2-1 decision to top-ranked Stanford before the victory over Florida State.
Freshman midfielder Rachel Jones made her first career start and tallied her first career goal, which would be the game winner, pushing the Tar Heels passed Florida State. On the season, the Tar Heels have outscored opponents 14-5 as nine different players have tallied at least one goal. Taylor Otto and Julia Ashley lead the team with six points apiece.
In net, the Tar Heels have split time between Samantha Leshnak and Claudia Dickey. Leshnak earned the start and the win against the Seminoles and has recorded a .875 save percentage and 0.40 goals against average on the season.
THE SERIES WITH NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels have dominated the series, owning a 3-0-0 advantage in a matchup that dates back to the 2013 season when the Panthers joined the ACC. North Carolina has won both meetings as Pittsburgh as well as the lone game in Chapel Hill.
In three contests the Tar Heels have outscored the Panthers 6-1. This will be the fourth straight time the Panthers face the Tar Heels with North Carolina in the top 20 of the national poll. It is the highest ranked North Carolina team that the Panthers have faced.
TOUGH BOUTS
The Panthers' schedule will continue to challenge as the team enters a tough stretch against nationally-dominant opponents. Thursday's match against the Tar Heels continues a streak of games in which the Panthers face three teams that are receiving votes nationally in Louisville (RV), North Carolina (5) and NC State (16)
Of the remaining nine games on Pitt's schedule, four will be against nationally-ranked teams, with one additional team receiving votes. Of those four teams ranked nationally, three check in in the top-10 and two in the top-five.
FRESHMEN FOOTING THE LOAD
First year players have made quite the impact for the Panthers in 2018, as the freshmen have tallied six of the team's nine goals this year. A pair of freshmen in Anna Rico (3) and Madeline Gravante (2) are the only pair of Panthers to have tallied multiple goals on the season.
RPI WATCH
The Panthers check in at No. 103 in the most recent RPI rankings. Of Pitt's remaining nine games, six teams rank in the top 35 – NC State (5), Florida State (7), North Carolina (10), Virginia (14), Virginia Tech (32) and Boston College (33).
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 403-111-30 (.768) 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.
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 continue its tour of North Carolina, heading to No. 16 NC State on Sunday for its second straight nationally-ranked opponent. The Panthers and Wolfpack will get things underway at 1 p.m. in Cary, N.C.
#H2P | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
The Panthers and Tar Heels saw the game moved to WakeMed Park due to unplayable field conditions in Chapel Hill, N.C. Action is set to get underway at 6 p.m. as the Panthers head to North Carolina for back-to-back games against nationally-ranked ACC opponents.
HOW TO FOLLOW
- The game can be seen live on the ACC Network Extra via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.
- Live stats will be available via StatBroadcast.
- Fans fan follow along with live updates on Twitter @Pitt_WSOC.
THE MATCHUP
Pitt (4-3-1, 0-1-0 ACC) continues ACC play against No. 5 North Carolina on Thursday, kicking off three straight road league games. The Panthers are coming off a tough 2-0 loss Saturday night against (RV) Louisville.
Offensively, the Panthers struggled against a good Cardinals defense, tallying just four shots in the game, all of which came in the opening period. On the season, freshman forward Anna Rico leads the team with three goals, while Madeline Gravante has a pair. Six different Panthers have found the back of the net at least once this season.
In net, redshirt sophomore Amaia Pena was forced to make eight saves against Louisville. She has started all but one game this season, owning a .818 save percentage and a 1.09 goals against average.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels (6-2-1, 1-0-0 ACC) are coming off a big road upset of then second-ranked Florida State as North Carolina downed the Seminoles 1-0 in Tallahassee, Fla., to open league play. North Carolina has faced off against three top-15 programs in its last three outings, falling to No. 12 Santa Clara 1-0 and dropping a 2-1 decision to top-ranked Stanford before the victory over Florida State.
Freshman midfielder Rachel Jones made her first career start and tallied her first career goal, which would be the game winner, pushing the Tar Heels passed Florida State. On the season, the Tar Heels have outscored opponents 14-5 as nine different players have tallied at least one goal. Taylor Otto and Julia Ashley lead the team with six points apiece.
In net, the Tar Heels have split time between Samantha Leshnak and Claudia Dickey. Leshnak earned the start and the win against the Seminoles and has recorded a .875 save percentage and 0.40 goals against average on the season.
THE SERIES WITH NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels have dominated the series, owning a 3-0-0 advantage in a matchup that dates back to the 2013 season when the Panthers joined the ACC. North Carolina has won both meetings as Pittsburgh as well as the lone game in Chapel Hill.
In three contests the Tar Heels have outscored the Panthers 6-1. This will be the fourth straight time the Panthers face the Tar Heels with North Carolina in the top 20 of the national poll. It is the highest ranked North Carolina team that the Panthers have faced.
TOUGH BOUTS
The Panthers' schedule will continue to challenge as the team enters a tough stretch against nationally-dominant opponents. Thursday's match against the Tar Heels continues a streak of games in which the Panthers face three teams that are receiving votes nationally in Louisville (RV), North Carolina (5) and NC State (16)
Of the remaining nine games on Pitt's schedule, four will be against nationally-ranked teams, with one additional team receiving votes. Of those four teams ranked nationally, three check in in the top-10 and two in the top-five.
FRESHMEN FOOTING THE LOAD
First year players have made quite the impact for the Panthers in 2018, as the freshmen have tallied six of the team's nine goals this year. A pair of freshmen in Anna Rico (3) and Madeline Gravante (2) are the only pair of Panthers to have tallied multiple goals on the season.
RPI WATCH
The Panthers check in at No. 103 in the most recent RPI rankings. Of Pitt's remaining nine games, six teams rank in the top 35 – NC State (5), Florida State (7), North Carolina (10), Virginia (14), Virginia Tech (32) and Boston College (33).
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 403-111-30 (.768) 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.
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 continue its tour of North Carolina, heading to No. 16 NC State on Sunday for its second straight nationally-ranked opponent. The Panthers and Wolfpack will get things underway at 1 p.m. in Cary, N.C.
#H2P | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Players Mentioned
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