Promising Close to Women's Soccer Program's Third Year
11/9/1998 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Promising Close to Women's Soccer Program's Third Year
11/9/1998
The women's soccer team concluded its season with an overall record of 8-11 after advancing to the playoffs in only its third year of existence. The sixth-seeded Panthers were defeated by third-seeded Syracuse, 2-0, in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament on Nov. 4. Redshirt freshman Cade Ruiz (Oxnard, Calif./Santa Clara) received postseason honors when she was unanimously chosen as a member of the All-Rookie Team for her outstanding play during the 1998 season.
Pittsburgh goalkeeper Nicole Bashor (Dayton, N.J./South Brunswick) recorded 11 saves in the face of 23 shots by the Orangewomen. Erin O'Grady and Molly Schmekle scored the goals for Syracuse. The Panthers were led by freshman forward Patricia Bradley (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) with two shots on goal.
A co-captain, Ruiz led Pittsburgh with a team-record 26 points on the season. She also set records for goals (10), shots (56) and game-winning goals (5). Ruiz set single-game records for assists (4), shots (10) and points (10), all in an 11-1 victory over Wagner earlier this season.
Nationally, Ruiz finished tied for first in the NCAA for points in a game (10) and second for assists in a game (4) this season.
Sophomore Charity McClure (Asheville, N.C./Asheville) finished second behind Ruiz with 23 points on the season. She recorded 43 shots while scoring seven goals and nine assists. McClure also scored the game-winning goal in the Panthers' 4-3 win over St. John's.
Bashor finished the season with a record of 8-9 with two shutouts. She recorded 122 saves on the year and had a 2.29 goals-against average.
The 1999 season should prove to be a challenging yet exciting one for Pittsburgh as the Panthers prepare for an 11-game home schedule. Throughout the course of the season, Pittsburgh will take on five nationally ranked teams and ten regionally ranked teams, including Baylor, Penn State, and Hartford. In addition to their Big East opponents, the Panthers will also play host to Louisville, Central Florida and Miami, all for the first time.