University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Panthers to Take on No. 7 Hokies on the Road
10/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh women's soccer team (10-5-1, 4-4-0 ACC) will play its final road contest of the 2015 season this Sunday, Oct. 25, when it travels to face No. 7 Virginia Tech (13-2-2, 5-2-1 ACC) at 1 p.m. at Thompson Field.
The game will be shown live on the HokiesXtra Network. The link is provided above.
The Hokies have been steadily successful all season long, never ranked lower than No. 13 in the NSCAA's weekly poll. Their current ranking of No. 7 is the highest of the year so far, and they currently sit 15th in RPI heading into this week.
The Panthers are 0-2-0 all-time against the Hokies, with their last meeting resulting in a 4-0 defeat at home on Oct. 20, 2013.
Pitt concludes its 2015 regular season on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m., playing host to No. 2 Virginia.
NOTES & INFORMATION
LAST TIME OUT...
The Panthers dropped Thursday's contest to No. 22 Duke, 3-1. Freshman Sarah Krause collected her third goal of the year in the 24th minute to hand Pitt the lead, but the Blue Devils rattled off a pair of quick goals only six minutes later to take the lead for good. Taylor Francis matched her season high with 10 saves and made her 40th consecutive start in goal.
THE BIG PICTURE
The Pitt women's soccer team is enjoying its winningest season in the program's 20 year history and its first winning campaign since 2009 (8-5-5). Under head coach Greg Miller, the Panthers have improved every year since joining the ACC in 2013 (0-13, 2-8, 4-4).
FRESH CONTRIBUTIONS
Despite the Panthers' seeming youth, so far it's been the first-year players making some of the biggest offensive contributions. Of Pitt's 79 total points to date, 39 of those have come from true freshmen (49%). Four freshmen have found the back of net. Kaylee Rabatin's four assists lead all freshmen and are tied for second-most on the team.
FORT FRANCIS
Rock-solid junior goalkeeper Taylor Francis has recorded 1487:31 in net in 2015 - the only keeper to record minutes this season for the Panthers - and has started 40 consecutive matches in goal dating back to 2013. Her seven shutouts on the year tie for first in the ACC, while her 63 saves check in even with Louisville's Taylor Bucklin at third. Francis is currently on pace to post the second best single season goals against average in Pitt history (1.09). With two regular season matches to play in 2015 and her senior season ahead of her, Francis has climbed into Pitt's top five in nearly all goalkeeping statistical categories. Here is where she ranks:
- 4th - Career saves (221)
- 5th - Career save percentage (.773)
- 5th - Career saves per game (5.14)
- 3rd - Career goals against average (1.59)
- 3rd - Career shutouts (10)
- 3rd - Career wins (16)
- 3rd - Career goalie minutes played (3,681)
- 4th - Career starts (40)
OFFENSIVE HARMONY
Freshman Jarena Harmon is putting together a tremendous rookie campaign. Apart from leading the team in goals (7) and points (15), she ranks among the nation's top freshmen offensively. As of Oct. 21, Harmon's seven goals tied for 13th in the country among Division I freshmen and made her the ACC's leading freshman scorer. Her goals have also been significant, tallying three game-winning scores.
ALL-TIME ARVAS
Senior forward Roosa Arvas' offensive impact over her four years has been historic. After she eclipsed the program record for career points versus NC State, here is a snapshot of where she sits in several of the Pitt women's soccer record book's offensive categories:
- 1st - Career points (54)
- 1st - Career assists (20)
- T-2nd - Game-winning goals (8), leader is Ashley Habbel (9)
- 4th - Career goals (17), leader is Ashley Cuba (23)
WEEKLY AWARDS
Sophomore forward Taylor Pryce netted two game-winning goals to procure ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 29. The Thornhill, Ontario, native was also named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's Team of the Week and was selected as First National Bank's Female Athlete of the Week. Junior goalkeeper Taylor Francis received the ECAC's DI Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 30. The awards were the first weekly conference nods for the Panthers since 2012.
POLL POSITIONS
Pitt's record eight game win streak garnered national attention, including by the NSCAA Coaches Poll, in which the Panthers received a vote to join the national top 25 rankings this season. The team also moved to 10th into the NSCAA's Southeast Region rankings on Sept. 29 - a group that includes the top three teams in the nation and two of the last three national champions.
TECH TALK
The Hokies have gone 1-1-1 in their last three outings, falling to No. 7 Clemson on the road before defeating Miami and taking No. 1 Florida State to the limit in a scoreless draw on Thursday. Virginia Tech's offense is potent, having netted 39 goals to Pitt's 26 and earning a league-best 127 corners. Murielle Tiernan is second in the ACC with 15 goals, while five total Hokies own double-digit point totals.
SEASON IN REVIEW
The Pitt women's soccer team enjoyed its 20th season of competition this year. Pitt faced an 18-game schedule, including eight home games. The slate featured a number of high-caliber opponents, including six 2014 NCAA Tournament teams and five among the NSCAA's preseason top 25 rankings.
UP NEXT...
Pitt will conclude the 2015 regular season on Saturday, Oct. 31, in a 7 p.m. game against No. 2 Virginia. The match will also be the Panthers' Senior Night, recognizing the career of Roosa Arvas.
