Connect with us

College Soccer

Pitt wins opener vs Tulsa, 3-0; Amanda West becomes program’s all-time leader in goals scored

Photo courtesy Pitt Athletics
NCAA Women’s Soccer – BancFirst Cowgirl Soccer Classic

Final: Pitt 3, Tulsa 0

Box Score 

Summary

Amanda West became Pitt women’s soccer’s all-time leader in career goals with 24 as the Panthers opened their 2021 season with a 3-0 shutout victory over Tulsa in the BancFirst Cowgirl Soccer Invitational Thursday at Neal Patterson Stadium. West recorded the historic goal in the 20th minute.

“It was a good start to our season obviously with the win,” said Pitt head coach Randy Waldrum. “Tulsa made it difficult at times for us, but I also felt we could have been a little sharper in our ball possession and in our opportunities around goal. We were able to get some valuable game time for our young players, which is important to their growth. We were pretty solid defensively for the most part. Overall a good start.”

Ellie Coffield scored on her first shot of her first collegiate game in the 17th minute for the game’s first goal.

Leah Pais recorded a goal in a season-opener for the second-straight year, finishing a shot off Sarah Schupansky’s pass in the 85th minute. Schupansky recorded her first collegiate point.

“Congratulations to Amanda West on breaking the career goals record and of course congratulations to the young players for their first collegiate appearance,” said Waldrum. “Great to see Ellie Coffield scoring her first goal, and Sarah Schupansky created two goals for us as well!”

Pitt finishes the tournament with host No. 16 Oklahoma State Sunday at noon (ET).

NEWS AND NOTES

  • Ashton Gordon, Coffield and Schupansky started in their first game as a Panther with Coffield and Gordon making their collegiate debuts.
  • Also making their collegiate debuts were Mackenzie EversBri Hilsenteger and Ashley Moon.
  • A transfer from Rutgers, Emily Harrigan made her Panthers’ debut.
  • Pitt improved to 4-0 in season-openers under Randy Waldrum (2-1 over Ohio 2-1 in 2018, 5-4 against Loyola Marymount 5-4 in 2019 and 4-0 at App State last fall).
  • A newcomer has scored in Pitt’s season-opener the last six years:

o   Pais (twice) and Nyla Allen last year.

o   Amanda West (three) and Athalie Palomo in 2019.

o   Anna Rico in 2018.

o   Juelle Love in 1-0 win over Hofstra in 2017.

o   Alex Wright in 2-2 tie at Michigan in 2016.

  • Katherine Robinson made two saves, both in the first half, for her third career shutout.
  • Waldrum faced his the first school he coached at the Division I level, where he coached both the men and women from 1989-94.
  • Pitt had a sizable advantage in corner kicks (7-1), shots (19-6) and shots on goal (9-2).
  • Schupansky had a game-high five shots.
  • Pais produced four shots, and West had three.
  • Landy Mertz and Pais notched a game-high two shots on goal.

Gameday Updates

HALF – PITT 2, Tulsa 0

Team Totals
TEAM Shots SOG Saves Fouls Corners OffSides
3 2 5 10 0 1
12 7 2 5 6 3

20′ | Pitt 2, Tulsa 0 She’s done it folks. The program’s all-time leader in career goals with

2️⃣

4️⃣

is @amanda_westt

‼️

Here we go — Pitt’s first starting line-up of the season…

Look for starting lineups and highlights from today’s match to be posted here.

Here’s a good place to start today…

Previewing Pitt / PSN Coverage

Pitt women’s soccer begins its 2021 season with the BancFirst Cowgirl Soccer Invitational in Stillwater, Okla. Thursday at 5 p.m. (ET) against Tulsa and Sunday at noon versus host No. 16 Oklahoma State.

Get a more in-depth look at the Panthers as Pittsburgh Soccer Now‘s Mark Goodman filed his Pitt women’s soccer preview on Wed.

Pitt Women’s 2021-22 Season Preview

Pitt’s Game Notes

UNDEFEATED IN SEASON-OPENERS UNDER WALDRUM

  • Pitt has won all three season-openers under fourth-year coach Randy Waldrum.
  • The Panthers defeated Ohio 2-1 in Waldrum’s debut in 2018, topped Loyola Marymount 5-4 in 2019 and shut out App State 4-0 on the road last fall.
  • Pitt has an 11-5 goals aggregate in the season-openers, averaging 3.67 goals per game.

THE SERIES

  • This is the first matchup for Pitt against both Tulsa and Oklahoma State.
  • Pitt is just 1-6-0 against current Big 12 schools: Arizona 1-0-0, Arizona State 0-1-0, Baylor 0-2-0, Kansas 0-1-0, TCU 0-1-0, Texas 0-1-0
  • The Panthers are 5-7-6 against current American Athletic Conference members: UCF 1-1-0, Cincinnati 0-2-1, Navy 2-2-0, USF 1-2-5 and Temple 1-0-0.

THE PROGRAM’S GOAT, AMANDA WEST

  • In just two years, Amanda West has proven to be the best player in the program’s history.
  • This preseason West became the first Panther to be selected the All-ACC Preseason Team.
  • With only 34 career games played, she already ranks among the top all-time scorers in program history.
  • First in points (62), 11 ahead of Ashley Cuba (2009-12).
  • Tied in career goals (23) with Cuba.
  • Third in assists (16), two behind Katelyn Ruhe (2008-11).
  • Second in career game-winning goals (eight) with Roosa Arvas (2012-15).
  • First in career three-points plus games (nine), two ahead of Cande Ruiz (1998-01).
  • First in points per game (1.82) and goals per game (.68).
  • Other “program firsts” accomplished by West in her first two years:

o 2020-21: United Soccer Coaches’ All-Atlantic Region First-Team, All-ACC Second Team, multiple All-ACC Academic Team selections, multiple ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors (Aug. 27. 2019, Oct. 13, 2020), multiple TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week selections (Sept. 15 and Sept. 22), TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Month (September)

o 2019: United Soccer Coaches’ All-Atlantic Region Third-Team, All-ACC Third-Team, All-ACC Freshmen Team

  • Last year West ranked in the nation: third in points (33), fifth in goals (13), 10th in game-winning goals (four), 14th in goals per game, 17th in shots (4.12) and shots on goal per game (2.12) and 25th in assists (seven).
  • She broke the program record for points, which she set as a freshman with 29.
  • She hit the ground running in the fall of 2020, with a goal in the first seven games for the longest goal-scoring streak in program history.
  • Her 13 goals were most in a single-season, three ahead of her total last year and Cande Ruiz (1998).
  • She has recorded nine 3+ point games, the most in school history.
  • She tied Pitt’s single-season assists record (nine) as a freshman and recorded seven last year with two less games played due to COVID.

FACING HIS OLD TEAM

  • Head coach Randy Waldrum faces the first school he coaches at the Division I level, Tulsa.
  • Waldrum coached both the men’s and women’s teams while at Tulsa from 1989-1994, amassing a record of 61-36-9 with the women and 66-33-6 with the men.
  • He led the men’s squad to the 1991 MVC Championship and NCAA First Round with a 14-3-0 (4-0-0) record.
  • Waldrum coached the father of current Panther, Ashton Gordon, David, from 1989-92.
  • David was a Second-Team All-Midwest Region and All-MVC Second Team selections.
  • Ashton’s mom, Tara, also played for Tulsa from 1995-98 and was a Western Athletic Conference Second-Team selection.

MOVING ON UP THE ALL-TIME HEAD COACH WINS LIST

  • With 419 victories, Randy Waldrum ranks eighth in all-time career wins for head coaches at the Division I level.
  • Waldrum is seventh among active coaches.
  • He recording his 416th career win in 27 years at the Division I level against Navy on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020 that passed David Lombardo (Keene State and James Madison, 35 Years) and Chris Petrucelli (Notre Dame, Texas and SMU, 30 Years) for eighth all-time.
  • He remains ahead of SMU’s Petrucelli, who now has 416 wins.
  • Waldrum currently ranks sixth among active head coaches.

RETURNING EVERY STARTER

  • Pitt returns every starter from last season.
  • Forwards: Amanda West (16 starts), Leah Pais (14) and Landy Mertz (two-both spring games).

o Combined for 12 goals, nine assists, 100 shots and 52 shots on goal.

o West has started every game in her career while Pais and Mertz were both new to the team as transfers (Pais-Albany, Mertz-Dayton).

  • Midfielders: Anna Bout (16), Chloe Minas (16) and Emily Yaple (16)

o All three started every game last year

o Bout has started all but three games in her career, and Yaple and Minas started as true freshmen last season after enrolling in the previous spring semester.

o Yaple contributed offensively three goals and two assists while Bout had a goal and assist each.

  • Defenders: Hailey Davidson, Mackenzie Edwards (16), Kate McKay (16) and Athalie Palomo (16).

o All four started every game and were in the top-five for minutes played on the team

o Limited teams to a .410 shots on goal percentage

o McKay ranked third on the team in scoring with three goals and five assists while Palomo had a goal and assist.

  • Goalkeepers: Katherine Robinson (nine) and Caitlyn Lazzarini (seven)

o The two combined for six shutouts, .743 save percentage, 1.12 goals against average and six shutouts.

o Robinson was 7-2-0 with 21 saves, .724 save percentage and 0.95 goals against average.

o Lazzarini was 4-3-0 with 31 saves, .756 save percentage and 1.30 goals against average with all but three games started against ACC opponents.

LAST YEAR’S HISTORY

  • Despite playing less games than usual due to COVID, Pitt did many things the previous teams in program didn’t accomplish.
  • Going 9-5-0 overall in the fall and winning both spring games, it surpassed the 1995 team (10-7-1) for the most wins in a single season and was only the third to ever post a winning record (8-5-5 in 2009).
  • Five of the victories were on the road, the most in a single-season in program history.

o In 2019 on the road, Pitt was 1-7-1 and a combined 2-28-4 in the last four seasons.

  • Pitt notched its first ranking in the United Soccer Coaches’ Poll in program history, debuting at No. 12 in the first poll of the season and then No. 14.
  • Defeating The Citadel 2-1 (OT) and 1-0, Pitt won for the first time as a ranked team.

o Head coach Randy Waldrum has now led five schools to be nationally ranked: Tulsa men’s and women’s soccer, Baylor and Notre Dame in addition to Pitt.

  • Pitt started the season 6-0 for the first time in program history, which was the second-longest winning-streak in school history, as the 2015 team rattled off eight wins in a row.

o West scored three-straight game-winning goals, something no other Panther in program history has done before.

A NEWCOMER’S HOMETOWN ARRIVAL

  • Hometown native Landy Mertz has scored in every game as a Panther.
  • A transfer from Dayton joining Pitt for the spring season, Mertz made quite the impact in her Panthers’ debut with two goals in the team’s 3-0 shutout victory in the City Game.
  • Mertz was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week.
  • She then followed up with a goal in the 4-1 win over Kentucky in the season-finale.
  • In the two exhibition games this season, she produced a goal in the 2-0 win at Youngstown State and had assists on both goals in a 2-0 victory at RV Ohio State.

NEWCOMERS

  • Pitt welcomes 15 newcomers to the team.
  • 12 freshmen: Lacey Bernick, Ellie Coffield, Sara Darlington, Mackenzie Evers, Bri Hilsenteger, Elena Hinkson, Katelyn Kauffman, Maddie Keister, Ashley Moon, Hailey Schmidt, Sarah Schupansky and Madison Vukas.

o All but Darlington, Evers and Schmidt enrolled early in the spring of 2021.

o Evers graduated a year early at West Allegheny High School.

  • Three transfers: Ashton Gordon, Emily Harrigan and Kelly Moss.

o Gordon started two seasons at reigning SEC Champs Arkansas and joined the team last spring.

o Harrigan spent three seasons at Rutgers, and Moss comes from Notre Dame after two years.

SCOUTING TULSA

  • Competing in only the spring, the Golden Hurricanes went 2-6-0, 1-6-0.
  • Tulsa is guided by first-year interim head coach Jim Rhein, replacing the program’s all-time winningest coach, Kyle Cussen.
  • Picked to finish last in the American Athletic Conference in the coaches’ preseason poll, the Golden Hurricanes return 17 letterwinners, including eight starters.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE

  • Oklahoma State is slotted at No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Poll.
  • The Cowgirls went 13-3-2 last year, finished third in the Big 12 at 6-2-1 and advanced to the Sweet 16, where it fell in penalty kicks to seventh-seed Texas A&M.
  • Picked to finish third again in the coaches’ preseason poll, OSU returns 21 letterwinners from last season, including nine starters and five All-Big 12 performers.
  • Senior defender/midfielder Kim Rodriguez was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.Com Preseason Best XI First Team.

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

Subscribe to PGH Soccer Now

Enter your email address to subscribe to PGH Soccer Now and receive notifications of new posts by email.

More in College Soccer