Finding its footing with a lot of ‘new pieces’ Pitt opens season with 2-1 home victory over Youngstown St

NCAA Women’s Soccer

FINAL: Pitt 2, Youngstown State 1

Match Stats

The Pitt Panthers opened their 2026 campaign with a 2-1 victory over the Youngstown State Penguins on Wednesday night at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

“I’m glad we got the result, a little disappointed in the performance,” head coach Ben Waldrum said.

“Thought we started off really well in the second half…we gotta do a better job of controlling midfield and control the game a little bit.”

The match marked the first of eight non-conference contests for Pitt, kickstarting a schedule that features trips out west to face LMU and Santa Clara, but next up comes an even sterner test, a marquee home matchup against Texas.

Match Summary

Youngstown State entered the opener following an 8-10-2 campaign in 2025 (6-2-2 in Horizon League play) that saw them reach the conference tournament as the 3-seed under head coach Rich Wall. Returning six starters, the Penguins brought a physical, compact defensive setup to Oakland.

Pitt, looking to build momentum in head coach Ben Waldrum’s second year at the helm, controlled the opening tempo in their home white kits. The Panthers generated multiple early corner kicks and sustained possession in the YSU half, supported by backline composure from captain Olivia Lee.

The pressure paid off in the 16th minute. Off a corner kick scramble, true freshman Maci Tew redirected the ball into the net. Following a quick VAR review, the goal stood—marking Tew’s first collegiate goal in her debut.

Youngstown State answered back six minutes later. Capitalizing on a central transition drive, Sara Felder received a pass from Makayla Thinger, split two Pitt defenders, and forced goalkeeper Elli Johnson off her line before tucking a left-side shot into the far right corner to equalize in the 22nd minute.

The goal added a chapter to a long-standing Western Pennsylvania rivalry. Felder, a former Greensburg Central Catholic standout, and Pitt forward Lola Abraham (Riverview) traded goals on the night—reviving their storied WPIAL Section 1-A battles on the collegiate stage.

Pitt regained the lead before halftime. After sending a dangerous cross through the box in the 32nd minute, Abraham found her breakthrough in the 38th minute. Connecting on a cross from Adi Bianchin, Abraham flew in from the left wing and slotted the finish past the YSU keeper to send Pitt into the break ahead 2-1.

“On the goal, Adi [Bianchin] played a great ball into space, and I just tried to attack the back post aggressively,” Abraham said.

“We have a lot of talent in this group, and as the chemistry keeps building, the goals will keep coming.”

The second half became a physical battle of adjustments. Pitt generated early opportunities, including a 50th-minute line-breaking run into the box and a 78th-minute corner-kick header that rattled off the crossbar. Youngstown State responded with high-pressing triggers that forced Pitt into a lower defensive block, earning set-piece opportunities as midfield space compressed.

Despite late pressure and frequent substitutions from both sides, the Panthers held firm through four minutes of stoppage time to secure the season-opening win.

They Said It: Additional Post-Match Quotes

Head Coach Ben Waldrum

“First games are always about finding your footing. We put a lot of new pieces on the pitch tonight, including fresh faces in the attack and in goal. Getting three points while learning where we need to sharpen up is a position we’ll take.”

Forward Lola Abraham

“It feels great to start the season with a win at home, especially in front of our fans at Ambrose. We knew Youngstown was going to come out physical and make things difficult in the central space.”

Match Notes & Local Connections

• WPIAL Reunion on the Pitch: Youngstown State featured eight former District 7 / WPIAL standouts on their roster for the opener: Leah Weiland, Keira Mehalko, Sara Felder (Greensburg Central Catholic), Nicole Brown, Ava Yurko, Quinn Miller, Mia Daramo, and Kendelyn Umbel.
• Freshman Milestone: Maci Tew became the first Panther freshman to score in a season opener since 2022.
• 30th Anniversary Kickoff: The match marked the official start of Pitt Women’s Soccer’s 30th anniversary varsity season.
• Kits: YSU wore their red kits with red socks. Pitt wore their white kits with blue lettering and white socks.
• The Penguins finished 8-10-2 last season, and were 6-2-2 in conference play. They made it to the Horizon League tournament as the 3rd seed, losing in a 1-0 upset against 6th-seeded Oakland. They enter their second season under head coach Rich Wall, and return six starters from last season.
• Pitt is looking to rebound from a middling year, having finished 6-10-2 with a 2-8 record in the ACC. They finished last season with a 1-0 victory over no. 1 ranked Notre Dame.

Substitutions

YSU:

• Kamryn Rosa in for Baylee Williams (16′)
• Keira Mehalko for Makayla Thinger (32′)
• Emma Berdiner for Sara Felder (38′)
• Kendalyn Umbel for Leah Weiland (40′)
• Jenna Tufo for Ghita Haouzi (42′)
• Leah Weiland for Keira Mehalko (45′)
• Makayla Thinger for Kendalyn Umbel (45′)
• Sara Felder for Emma Berdiner (45′)
• Danielle Wylie for Makayla Thinger (68′)
• Emma Berdiner for Kamryn Rosa (71′)
• Ghita Haouzi for Jenna Tufo (71′)
• Gabriella Fadel for Sara Felder (71′)
• Gwen Schulman for Emma Berdiner (79′)
• Sara Felder for Kate Makkas (79′)
• Kamryn Rosa for Ghita Haouzi (79′)
• Jenna Tufo for Gabriella Fadel (79′)

Pitt:

• Katie Ellermeyer for Maci Tew (20′)
• Sage Stelzer for Desiree Reed (22′)
• Adi Bianchin for Talyn Guthrie (30′)
• Laila Vloet for Celine Ottah (40′)
• Sophie Rourke for Olivia Lee (42′)
• Maci Tew for Sage Stelzer (45′)
• Desiree Reed for Laila Violet (45′)
• Ellie Rowlands for Mariami Dabo (60′)
• Talyn Guthrie for Adi Bianchin, Celine Ottah for Maci Tew (60′)
• Celine Ottah for Addi Bianchin (60′)
• Sage Stelzer for Desiree Reed (68′)
• Maci Tew for Ellie Rowlands (74′)
• Adi Bianchin for Talyn Guthrie (80′)
• Desiree Reed for Celine Ottah (80′)