FINAL: Pitt (women) 1, Rhode Island 1

Photo credit: Pitt Athletics

FINAL: Pitt 1, Rhode Island 1, 2OT

Ambrose Urbanic Field | 5 p.m.

MATCHDAY

Live Stream: ACC Network Extra.

Live Stats: HERE.

7:25 – FINAL – it ends in a 1-1 draw. Pitt now 2-2-1 for the season.

7:10 – 100′ | Neither team able to break through with the go-ahead goal and we will head to a 2nd overtime.

6:55 – they’re going to OT — tied 1-1

6:50 – 85′ | PITT GOALLLLLL!!! Sydney Marasco nets her first career goal to tie the game, 1-1.

6:20 – 52′ | Panthers applying some pressure but can’t break through with the tying goal.

6:01 – HALF | Panthers own the 4-2 edge in shots through 45 minutes but trails Rhode Island.

5:22 – 13′ | Rhode Island takes the 1-0 lead after a turnover by a Pitt defender.

5:09 p.m. – 1′ | We are underway here at Ambrose Urbanic Field!

Take a 👀 at our starting XI vs. Rhode Island 🔽

All three seniors will get the start for senior night.#H2P pic.twitter.com/gGUG5WsslF

— Pitt Women's Soccer (@Pitt_WSOC) September 6, 2019

The match will be the first of doubleheader at Ambrose Urbanic Field as the Pitt men open up its home schedule when they take on Liberty at around 7:30 pm.

THE MATCHUP

• The Panthers will return home on Friday evening as they welcome the Rhode Island Rams to Ambrose Urbanic Field at 5:00 pm. Friday’s match will also serve as the Panthers Senior Day as prior to the match, three Pitt student-athletes, Juliana Vazquez, Cheyenne Hudson and Amaia Pena, will be honored for their dedication to the program.

LAST TIME OUT

• Pitt allowed a pair of second half markers as the UMass Minutewomen escaped Sunday’s match in Amherst, MA with the 2-1 victory. UMass netted the game-winner in the 86th minute of the match.
• Freshman forward Amanda West continued her strong play for the Panthers as she netted the lone Pitt goal in the 80th minute on her penalty kick opportunity. West finished the match with a career-high six shots in the loss.
• Despite the result, the Panthers held the 16-9 edge in shots and the 4-1 lead in corner kicks.

SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND

• The Rams enter Friday night’s match against the Panthers with a 2-1-0 record so far this season after downing Wagner on Sunday afternoon, 1-0.
• Rhode Island is being led offensively by Natalia O’Leary and Brooke Cavino who have each netted a game-winning goal so far this season. Kelly Fitzgerald leads the team with two assists while Carrie Ellis leads the squad with six shots.
• In goal, Teresa Morrissey has started all three matches and owns a 2-1-0 record with a 0.33 GAA and two shutouts.

THE SERIES WITH RHODE ISLAND

• This marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams in program history.
• Pitt’s all-time series record against Atlantic 10 opponents is 14-14-0.
• Rhode Island is one of five teams the Panthers will play this year for the first time.

FINDING THE RIGHT LINEUP

• With a team of 21 newcomers, it will take some time to find the right lineup that will help the Panthers succeed this season.
• Through four matches, the Panthers have used four different starting XI combinations with just six Pitt players starting all four matches this season.
• The four different combinations have been successful in the early going for the Panthers as they have produced eight goals through four matches after the 2018 version of the Panthers posted just 11 goals all season.

SENIOR SALUTE

• Friday night’s match for the Panthers will also serve as their Senior Day as they will honor a three-player senior class prior to the match.
• Senior captain Juliana Vazquez has appeared in 57 career matches and made 48 starts over her career while netting three goals, four assists and 10 points.
• Senior defender Cheyenne Hudson has been a key component of the Panthers over her four-year career as she has appeared in 52 matches and made 37 starts over her career.
• Amaia Pena has earned the start in goal 17 times over her Pitt career and has posted five victories and two clean sheets while making 103 saves.

WEST CONTINUES STRONG START TO FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN

• Freshman forward Amanda West has started off her career on a tear for the Panthers as she has notched goals in each of her teams’ four matches on the year.
• West is the first player in Pitt women’s soccer history to score at least one goal in her first four career matches as she has six markers in four matches.
• Last time out, West was the lone Panther to end up on the scoresheet as she netted the penalty kick goal in the 80th minute against UMass to tie the match, 1-1. She went on to finish the match with a career-high six shots in the 2-1 road loss.
• She opened up her career with the best debut in program history as she netted a hat-trick and an assist including the game-winner in the 84th minute as Pitt handed Loyola Marymount the 5-4 defeat. Her seven points are the most in a game by a Pitt player since 2001 and most in Ambrose Urbanic Field history by a Panther.
• So far this season, the striker has netted six goals, one assist and 13 points to go along with two game-winning goals. Her 13 points are the most in a season for a Pitt player since 2015 when Taylor Pryce netted 16 points.
• Earlier this year, West became just the second Panther in program history to earn ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors and the first Pitt freshman to do so. The last Panther to earn the weekly recognition was Taylor Pryce in 2015 when she was Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

RICO MAKING THINGS HAPPEN FOR THE PITT OFFENSE

• Sophomore Anna Rico has taken her play to a new level to start the season for the Panthers as she has notched a career-high three assists through four matches.
• The crafty forward was dangerous all night long in the Panthers 5-4 opening night victory as she finished with a pair of helpers and two shots.
• In the Panthers 1-0 double overtime victory at Bucknell, Rico finished off another strong showing with a great assist on West’s game-winner while also posting a season-high six shots, four on frame, in the 1-0 win over Bucknell.
• She currently ranks second on the squad with nine shots and four on target through four matches.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

• Prior to the beginning of the 2019 campaign, the Pitt women’s soccer team voted on captains for the season and selected senior Juliana Vazquez and junior Kentucky transfer Hollie Olding to lead the team this year.
• Vazquez is a four-year starter up front for the Panthers as she has appeared in 57 games while notching 48 starts over her impressive career.
• Olding joined the Panthers for her junior campaign after spending her last two seasons of collegiate soccer at Kentucky. The England native has been named team captain in each of her three seasons in college as she earned the badge as a freshman and sophomore for the WIldcats. For her career, Olding has appeared in 32 matches while making 20 starts as she has netted four goals and eight points so far in her career.

UP NEXT

• Pitt will return to Ambrose Urbanic Field on Sunday afternoon as they welcome the Saint Joseph’s Hawks for a non-conference matchup at 1:00 pm.