University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Women's Soccer to Host Wake Forest on Thursday
9/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh women’s soccer team (7-1-1, 1-0-0 ACC) will face its second conference foe of the season when it hosts Wake Forest (4-3-2, 1-0-0 ACC) for a 7 p.m. contest shown on ESPN3 this Thursday, Sept. 24, at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
The Panthers fell to the Deacs on the road, 3-1, in their only previous meeting on Oct. 24, 2013. This time, Pitt will put its perfect 4-0-0 home record on the line, while Wake Forest is still searching for its first road victory of 2015.
Thursday’s game will also feature a Student Organization Contest, wherein members of Pitt student organizations are invited to participate in an attendance challenge. With a minimum of 15 members present to qualify, the group with the most in attendance will receive a $200 first place prize. Runner-up will receive $100.
The first 200 fans in attendance will receive a free Pitt soccer cup.
NOTES & INFORMATION
LAST TIME OUT...
Pitt shut out NC State, 2-0, to claim its first ACC home win. The Panthers surrendered just seven shots with only one on goal. Pitt’s second goal came on a beautiful corner kick from senior Roosa Arvas to redshirt freshman Seyla Perez – giving Arvas possession of the program’s career points lead with 52.
GOING STREAKING
With a 7-1-1 record to open the season, the Panthers are off to their best start in school history. The team enters Thursday’s contest on a six-game win streak sparked by an overtime victory against Colorado College on the road – the longest win streak in program history.
PULLING RANK
Pitt’s hot start has come with some top-notch statistical rankings in several categories. As of Sept. 21, here is where Pitt checked in at a glance:
- Save Percentage (.913) – 5th nationally, 1st ACC
- Assists per Game (2.67) – 9th nationally, 3rd ACC
- Goals-against Average (.430) – 12th nationally, 2nd ACC
- Total Points (64) – 21st nationally, 4th ACC
OFFENSIVE HARMONY
Freshman Jarena Harmon is putting together a tremendous rookie campaign. Apart from leading the team in goals (5) and points (11), she ranks among the nation’s top freshmen offensively. Harmon’s five goals tie for sixth in the country among Division I freshmen, while her .556 goals per game rank 14th. Her scores have been significant, leading to three game-winning goals – 12th most in the nation and tops in the ACC. Only one freshman has recorded more, Ole Miss’ Cece Kizer (5).
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 last Sunday 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 (52)
- T-1st - Career assists (18), tied with Katelyn Ruhe (18)
- T-2nd - Game-winning goals (8), leader is Ashley Habbel (9)
- 4th - Career goals (17), leader is Ashley Cuba (23)
FRESH CONTRIBUTIONS
Despite the Panthers’ seeming youth, so far it’s been the first-year players making the biggest offensive contributions. Of Pitt’s 64 total points to date, 32 of those have come from true freshmen (50%). Four freshmen have already found the back of net. Kaylee Rabatin’s four assists lead all freshmen and are tied for the team lead.
FORT FRANCIS
Rock-solid junior goalkeeper Taylor Francis has recorded 837:40 in net this season and allowed just four goals in 46 attempts. Her 40 saves and five shutouts on the year both rank first in the ACC. Francis’ efforts have led the Panthers to a .913 team save percentage, which also leads the ACC and checked in at fifth in the country as of Sept. 21. She currently sits second in program history with a .795 career save percentage while her eight lifetime shutouts are tied for Pitt’s third all-time spot.
WORKING OVERTIME
After heading into overtime to defeat Colorado College on August 30, Pitt has totaled three overtime games so far this season. The team has already matched the total number of overtime games played in the past two seasons combined (3) and the most in a single season since 2012 (4) with 10 games still remaining on the docket.
WATCHING WAKE FOREST
Last time out, the Demon Deacons fell, 2-1, to UNC-Wilmington at home on Sunday. They notched a loud, 3-0, victory at home over Miami on Sept. 18 to claim a win in their only ACC matchup to date, but haven’t been able to record a win on the road in 2015. The Deacs are paced by Sarah Medina’s four goals, while six players have tallied multiple assists on the year. Goalkeepers Nonie Frishette and Lindsay Preston have each appeared in seven games to post a combined 1.36 goals against average.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The Pitt women’s soccer team enters its 20th season of competition this year. Pitt faces an 18-game schedule, including eight home games. The slate features a number of high-caliber opponents, including six 2014 NCAA Tournament teams and five among the NSCAA’s preseason top-25 rankings. Three games will be broadcast on ESPN3: 9/24 vs. Wake Forest, 10/8 vs. Boston College, and 10/22 at Duke.
UP NEXT...
Pitt will travel to take on Louisville for its first conference road test of the year. The game is set for this Sunday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m.
