Pitt Hits the Road, Prepares for Cincinnati

Thursday, August 24

Cincinnati, Ohio

7:00 PM

Pitt

Cincinnati

Pitt Hits the Road, Prepares for Cincinnati

8/23/2017 12:43:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Panthers Kick Off Two-Game Road Trip

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh women's soccer team will depart Pittsburgh for the first time this season, traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for a meeting with Cincinnati Thursday evening.

Action is set to get underway at 7 p.m. from Gettler Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, as the Panthers look to continue their hot streak.

HOW TO FOLLOW

A live stream will be available here via GoBearcats.com
Live stats will also be available here

THE MATCH
The Pitt women's soccer team will venture outside of the Pittsburgh area for the first time this season, traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for a 7 p.m. meeting with the Bearcats on Thursday. The Panthers are out to their best start since 2009, having won both games to open the season. In the opener against Hofstra, the Panthers claimed a 1-0 win in regulation after a goal in the 87th minute by freshman Juelle Love. In a two-overtime defensive battle at Duquesne, again a freshman registered the lone goal, as Vildan Kardesler netted her first in the 101st minute to give Pitt the win.

SCOUTING CINCINNATI
The Bearcats have also opened the season unblemished, posting a mark of 2-0 after wins over Buffalo and Boston University. The game will be the third straight at home for Cincinnati, as the Bearcats open the year on a four-game homestand. Cincinnati has shutout both of its opponents to open the season, capturing a 1-0 win over the Bulls in the opener and a 2-0 win over the Terriers Sunday afternoon.

Sophie Gorman, Vanessa Gilles and Jaycie Brown have all tallied goals for the Bearcats, with assists by Cassie Wheldon and Taylor Pavlika accounting for the team's eight points. Keepers Madison Less and Jane Sensibaugh have split the net-minding duties, with Less earning the win against Buffalo and Sensibaugh against Boston University.

THE SERIES
The game will be the third meeting between the two teams in a series dating back to the 2007 season. The Bearcats hold a 2-0-0 all-time advantage, having captured wins in 2007 and 2010.

MCEACHERN EARNS ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK TITLE
Redshirt freshman keeper Katelyn McEachern was named the ACC's Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday after tallying a pair of back-to-back shutouts in her collegiate debut. The rookie recorded eight saves in wins over Hofstra and Duquesne and has yet to allow a goal on the season. McEachern played the entirety of both games, tallying 190:42 minutes.

The league honor is the first for a Panther since Taylor Pryce was named the ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29, 2015 after scoring game winning goals against Wake Forest and Louisville.

RETURNING TALENT
Pitt's 2017 squad gets a boost, as both Ashley Moreira and Taylor Pryce will return to the starting lineups, after missing the 2016 season. Both members of the U-20 Canadian National Team, the duo will look to bolster a squad that struggled to find the back of the next last year. Pryce tallied six goals, two of which were game winners, in 2015, adding four in 2014. Moreira, a midfielder, scored once, adding two assists in 2015; additionally, she recorded three helpers in her freshman campaign in 2014.

Two of the team's top-three leaders in minutes played will return from the 2016 season, with Alli Higgs (1581) and Sarah Krause (1479) set to lace up with the starting squad.

FRESH FACES
The 2017 team will debut some fresh faces, led by redshirt freshman goalkeeper Katelyn McEachern, the first new keeper since the 2014 season, as 2016 alum Taylor Francis had held down the position for 50 consecutive matches. As a whole, the Panthers welcome nine new faces with freshmen Alexis Bengel, Kendall Higgs, Juelle Love, Vildan Kardesler, Jess McCoppin, Shana Hardin, Aideen O'Donoghue and Kylie Olexa; and transfer Megan Herr.

MEET YOUR CAPTAINS
A trio of Canadians will lead the way for the 2017 Pitt women's soccer season, as redshirt junior Taylor Pryce and seniors Ashley Moreira and Emma Pozzulo will captain the squad. Both Pryce and Moreira will serve as first-year captains, while Pozzulo gets her third season as a captain underway.

THE SCHEDULE
T he regular season will get underway at the Petersen Sports Complex on Aug. 18 as the Panthers welcome Hofstra, before taking to the road for three-straight away battles with Duquesne (Aug. 20), Cincinnati (Aug. 24) and Xavier (Aug. 27). The Panthers will close out the month on Aug. 30, welcoming Detroit.

Illinois State visits Sept. 3, as Pitt will travel to Kent State (Sept. 7) and Nebraska (Sept. 10) before ACC play gets underway. A Sept. 15 visit to Wake Forest gets league play going, as Pitt will host Virginia Tech (Sept. 21) and travel to Duke (Sept. 24) to wrap up September action.

Three consecutive home games follow as the Panthers host perennial powerhouse Virginia (Oct. 1), followed by Syracuse (Oct. 5) and NC State (Oct. 8). A trip to Louisville (Oct. 13) will follow, with visits to Miami (Oct. 19) and Florida State (Oct. 22) wrapping up regular season road play. The 2017 regular season will come to a close on Oct. 26 when the Panthers host Boston College.

UP NEXT
The Panthers will wrap up their Cincinnati, Ohio roadtrip on Sunday, visiting Xavier at 1 p.m. Pitt will return to Ambrose Urbanic Field Aug. 30, kicking off a two-game homestand.

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