Pitt women lose in 3-2, in 2OT at Wake Forest

FINAL:  Wake Forest 3, Pitt 2, 2OT

BOX SCORE

From University of Pittsburgh athletic department report 

Pitt’s women’s soccer team fell 3-2 in double overtime to Wake Forest Thursday night at Spry Stadium. Amanda West broke the Panthers’ single-season scoring record with 30, recording both goals to surpass Cande Ruiz (1998) at 28.

“I don’t think we played particularly well, but I don’t think we were awful either. We came in with a more defensive mindset, which is what we’ve done the last few weeks to get results,” Pitt’s Head Coach, Randy Waldrum, said after the match. “I thought we struggled a little bit with the organization with the shape that they played. Fortunately we were able to get into halftime to make some adjustments, and we came out and tried to attack a little bit more. It was great to get the first goal to go up, but then giving two quick was a dagger in the back. We were trying to get back in a defensive shell, but before we could even do it they got the two. Just disappointed because we worked really hard to get back into the game, tying it up, and then to concede in overtime was tough.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Amaia Pena made a diving save from just above the oval in the 36th minute.
• Pitt took the game’s first lead in the 52nd minute when West tapped in a shot from just a few yards out after Anna Bout’s shot hit off the crossbar.
• The Demon Deacons tied it up four minutes later from a shot just inside the right side of the box.
• Wake Forest took the lead a minute. Pena slid forward to what appeared to be a save off a shot from a few yards away, but the ball bounced off a Panthers’ defender and into the net.
• Pena made back-to-back difficult diving saves in the 66th minute.
• West tied the game up in the 74th minute, making a move to get past two defenders and getting a sliding shot off from just inside the left side of the box that deflected off another defender and in the left side of the net.
• Wake Forest’s Hayley Younginer dribbled the ball up through the midfield and launched a shot a few feet outside of the right side of the box that tucked just below the crossbar.  

PITT’S STARTING LINEUP

• Amaia Pena, Mackenzie Edwards, Juliana Vazquez, Amanda West, Cheyenne Hudson, Anna Bout, Athalie Palomo, Kate McKay, Vildan Kardesler, Krystyna Rytel, Anna Rico

 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• West tied Ruiz for the most goals in one year with 10, surpassing Roosa Arvas (2014) and Netta Agredano (2001) at nine.
• Pena made a career high-12 saves, the most by an ACC goalkeeper this season. She has recorded 23 in the last two games.
• The loss was the first in overtime for Pitt after winning twice and tying three times in five overtime games this season.
• The Demon Deacons outshot the Panthers 28-7, including 8-0 in overtime.
• Pitt had the slight edge in corner kicks, 4-3.

THE BASICS

• Score: Pitt 2, Wake Forest 3 (2OT)
• Records: Pittsburgh (5-8-3, 2-4-2 ACC), Wake Forest (6-6-4, 1-4-3)
• Pitt Goal Scorer: Amanda West (9, 52’ | 10, 74’)
• Wake Forest Goal Scorers: Estelle Laurier (2, 56’ | 3, 106’), Hayley Younginer (6, 57’)

More from coach Waldrum:

“The effort has been great. We didn’t play as many players tonight as we had been in the last few weeks. I’m proud of the players’ effort that put it all out there. It wasn’t because of the players’ lack of effort tonight by any means. Wake Forest has a good team, a record that’s deceiving and still with lots of quality wins. For us, the good thing is we still control our own destiny with two games remaining. We still have the opportunity to get to the ACC Tournament. Focus has to be on that, recover and get ready for Clemson.”

UP NEXT

• The Panthers stay on the road to take on No. 15 Clemson Sunday at 1 p.m.