FINAL: PItt 2, Miami 0
Pitt women’s soccer team picked up its first ACC win of the season with a pair of second half goals, beating Miami 2-0, at Coral Gables on Sunday afternoon.
Amanda West and Leah Pais each scored, while goalkeeper Katherine Robinson had six saves in the shutout victory.
With the win, Pitt now improves to 8-3 overall, and 1-2 in the ACC. The loss drops Miami to 0-3 in ACC.
“Great job of rebounding today from a poor outing Thursday,” said Pitt head coach Randy Waldrum.
“The players realized this game was a must win scenario as we continue our drive to an NCAA berth. I thought we controlled the game and created some good looks on goal. Little disappointed defensively in the transition game, but we didn’t break. Katherine Robinson came up big a couple of times. I thought Ellie Coffield and Chloe Minas did a good job of setting play. Nice to see West score again as she created numerous chances today. Leah Pais put herself in a great position for her rebound goal. All in all a good day for us.”
Coffield jumped on a Hurricanes’ pass & immediately fed a pass in a tight window in the left side of the box to West, who placed her shot on the far post for her sixth score of the season.
Pais added the insurance goal in the 74th minute, her third of the season. Minas looped a ball deep from midfield to West, who made a move past a defender to put a shot on goal from deep in the box. Pais followed the rebound and scored from a few yards deep from the left side.
Pitt plays its first ACC game at home next Saturday at 7 p.m. against Virginia Tech.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Katherine Robinson (5-3) posted her third shutout of the season with six saves.
- West moved ahead of Katelyn Ruhe (2008-11) for the second-most career assists (19) in program history.
- West posted her 12th career three-plus point game, extending her program record.
- With 30 goals on the season, Pitt has recorded the third-most in a single-year, moving ahead of the 29 by the 2006 team and 28 by the 2015 squad.
- The current team tied the 2015 Panthers for the second-most shutouts (seven).
- The eight wins are tied for the third-most in a single-season (2009, 2006 and 1998).
- Pitt has won the last two games against Miami by 2-0 scores (last year in Pittsburgh, Oct. 18) and secured its first win in Coral Gables since Oct. 12, 2001 (2-1 with Miami ranked No. 24).
- The Panthers have scored seven of the last eight goals against the Hurricanes game dating back to the Sept. 29, 2019 game at Miami.
- Pitt had the advantage in shots (22-11) and shots on goal (7-6) while Miami had all eight corner kicks of the game.
- West had game-highs of seven shots and three shots on goal.
- Sarah Schupansky, Hailey Davidson, Coffield and Pais also had a shot on goal.