Pitt honors seniors, triumphs, 3-2, over Liberty to close out non-conference slate

Photo courtesy Pitt Athletics

Pitt women’s soccer team (7-1-0) closed out the non-conference portion of its 2022 schedule with a 3-2 Senior Day triumph over Liberty (4-3-1) Sunday at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

“Today was a day to honor the seniors,” head coach Randy Waldrum said.

“You always want to leave your mark or your legacy when you go into a program. That particular group of seniors is the group that came in in 2019,  so they are the first group that has changed this program and are responsible for leaving that legacy of setting the standards higher, turning us from a 22-year losing program into a winning program. I shared with them that they’ll always be remembered as the group that kind of came in and changed history, so to speak, with where we are. We’re very appreciative to all of them for that.”

Leah Pais once again provided the Panthers with a spark off the bench. The senior from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, scored twice in a span of eight minutes in the first half to give Pitt a lead it never relinquished. She has now scored five goals in her last three games and tallied her second brace off the bench in three games.

 

“The major thing for me is that because I’m a senior, I’m passed that whole starting thing. To me, that’s just a statistic,” Pais said.

“If I get the chance to go into the game, I’m there to be the game changer. To me, that’s the best thing you can do, is to come off the bench and change the game.”

The Flames struck first as lvy Garner scored from bottom right of goal off an assist from Birdie Herman in the 11^th minute.

Pais answered for Pitt in the 30^th minute, scoring from bottom left of goal off a feed from Landy Mertz.

Love to see the senior-to-senior connection resulting in a goal on Senior Day! 💙 pic.twitter.com/Z8owKAlCHh

— Pitt Women's Soccer (@Pitt_WSOC) September 11, 2022

She then put the Panthers in front eight minutes later, this time scoring from top right of goal with Emily Yaple and Anna Bout providing the assists.

Goal No. 2️⃣ today for No. 8️⃣‼️#H2P pic.twitter.com/b5rubbur4v

— Pitt Women's Soccer (@Pitt_WSOC) September 11, 2022

Ellie Coffield registered Pitt’s third goal of the game when she scored in the 55^th minute on a free kick from top left of goal.

The best things in life are free. Ellie Coffield reminded us when she scored our third goal of the game today off a free kick!#H2P pic.twitter.com/KVlBeayh0m

— Pitt Women's Soccer (@Pitt_WSOC) September 11, 2022

Liberty cut into the Panthers’ advantage in the 65^th minute when Allison Hansford scored from top left of goal after a flurry of attempts by the Flames.

That’s as close Pitt let Liberty get, though, as the Flames did not get a shot off again in the final nine minutes.

Pitt outshot Liberty, 23-9, including a 9-5 advantage in shots on goal. Mertz tallied a game-high seven shots, including a game-high four on goal, while Sarah Schupansky (4), Keera Melenhorst (3), Pais (2), Coffield (2), Yaple (2) and Athalie Palomo (2) all recorded multiple shots. Caitlyn Lazzarini played all 90 minutes in goal for the Panthers, logging three saves.

“Transferring here was one of the greatest decisions I ever made,” Pais said. “Myself, along with the others, we’ve all grown into seniors that can lead on and off the field. I think the team identity has grown so much.”

Liberty was led by Hansford, who totaled a team-high three shots and two shots on goal. Ainsley Leja made a game-high six saves in 90 minutes of work but conceded all three goals for the Flames.

Pitt opens ACC play with a visit to Blacksburg, Va., on Friday to take on Virginia Tech. The matchup is set to get started at 5 p.m. ACC Network Extra will have live streaming coverage of the game.

PITT NOTES

• Pitt wrapped up non-conference play with a 7-1-0 record for the second year in a row.
• The Panthers improved to 3-1-0 all-time against the Flames.
• Pitt is now 38-35-1 under the leadership of fifth-year head Randy Waldrum. After going 9-22-4 in the first two years of a massive rebuild, Pitt has gone 29-15 over the last two-plus seasons.
• Leah Pais has racked up 40 points and 16 goals in her two-plus seasons as a Panther since transferring from Albany following her freshman year. Her five goals this season rank as the second-most on the team.
• Ellie Coffied has scored three goals in the last five games, upping her career total to six.
• Anna Bout has now compiled 14 career assists, which is good for the fifth-most in program history. She leads the Panthers with five on the season.
• Landy Mertz and Emily Yaple have each tallied three assists this year, tied for the second-most on the team. Mertz’s 10 career assists at Pitt rank as the eighth-most in program history.