University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Sunday, September 3
Pittsburgh, Pa.
1:00 PM
Pitt
vs
Illinois State
Unbeaten Panthers Prepare for Illinois State
9/2/2017 6:08:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Pitt, Redbirds Face Off Sunday at Ambrose Urbanic Field
PITTSBURGH – Looking to remain unbeaten on the season, the University of Pittsburgh women's soccer team will close out a two-game homestand Sunday afternoon, hosting Illinois State.
The Panthers and Redbirds are set to square off at 1 p.m. from Ambrose Urbanic Field.
PROMOTIONS
The first 100 youth soccer players in attendance will receive a free Pitt soccer scarf.
HOW TO FOLLOW
THE MATCH
Pitt (3-0-2) looks to keep its unbeaten streak alive Sunday afternoon, hosting Illinois State at Ambrose Urbanic Field. The Panthers are closing out a two-game homestand, as they're fresh off a 3-1 victory over Detroit Mercy Wednesday evening. The Panthers will face an Illinois State team which made the NCAA Tournament last year, and is taking on Duquesne Friday evening before traveling down the road to Pitt.
Wednesday evening, Mikayla Schmidt, Taylor Pryce and Christiana Davey each found the back of the net as the Panthers downed Detroit Mercy 3-1, outshooting the Titans 20-7. The goal was the first of the season for both Schmidt and Davey, and the third of the year for Pryce, who leads the Pitt offense with eight points (3 G, 2 A). Freshman Vildan Kardesler has been consistent for the offense as well, tallying four points ( 1 G, 2 A), while redshirt junior Seyla Perez adds three points (1 G, 1 A).
Keeper Katelyn McEachern earned her fifth consecutive start Wednesday, improving to 3-0-1 on the season. The redshirt freshman played all 90:00 minutes against Detroit Mercy, tallying three saves and allowing just one goal, a penalty kick in the 74th minute.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE
The Redbirds (1-3-1) enter the game after a 1-0 loss at Duquesne Friday evening. Illinois State opened the season with a 1-1 tie with Eastern Michigan, before falling to then No. 23 Northwestern 3-0 and Saint Louis 1-0. The Redbirds earned their first win of the season in a 2-0 win over Illinois before falling to the Dukes on Friday.
Three Redbirds have tallied goals on the season in Kelli Zickert, Angel Krell and Sarah Lafayette. Illinois State has attempted 77 shots on the season, with 28 on goal.
Keeper Haley Smith has earned a majority of the minutes (425:00), allowing six goals and making 33 saves. Vanessa Niestrom has played in 45:00 minutes of action and has yet to record a save or allow a goal.
THE SERIES
The game will be the first meeting between the two teams in program history.
UNDEFEATED
Pitt is one of five ACC programs still unbeaten on the season. Wake Forest (5-0-0), Clemson (5-0-0) and NC State (3-0-0) have yet to lose or draw, while Virginia Tech (3-0-1) has come away with a win or tie in each outing.
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 Aug. 22 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
The 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 hit the road for the next three games, traveling to Kent State (Sept. 7), Nebraska (Sept. 10) and Wake Forest (Sept. 15).
#H2P | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
The Panthers and Redbirds are set to square off at 1 p.m. from Ambrose Urbanic Field.
PROMOTIONS
The first 100 youth soccer players in attendance will receive a free Pitt soccer scarf.
HOW TO FOLLOW
- The game will be available live on ACC Network Extra via WatchESPN or the WatchESPN app
- Live stats will also be available here
THE MATCH
Pitt (3-0-2) looks to keep its unbeaten streak alive Sunday afternoon, hosting Illinois State at Ambrose Urbanic Field. The Panthers are closing out a two-game homestand, as they're fresh off a 3-1 victory over Detroit Mercy Wednesday evening. The Panthers will face an Illinois State team which made the NCAA Tournament last year, and is taking on Duquesne Friday evening before traveling down the road to Pitt.
Wednesday evening, Mikayla Schmidt, Taylor Pryce and Christiana Davey each found the back of the net as the Panthers downed Detroit Mercy 3-1, outshooting the Titans 20-7. The goal was the first of the season for both Schmidt and Davey, and the third of the year for Pryce, who leads the Pitt offense with eight points (3 G, 2 A). Freshman Vildan Kardesler has been consistent for the offense as well, tallying four points ( 1 G, 2 A), while redshirt junior Seyla Perez adds three points (1 G, 1 A).
Keeper Katelyn McEachern earned her fifth consecutive start Wednesday, improving to 3-0-1 on the season. The redshirt freshman played all 90:00 minutes against Detroit Mercy, tallying three saves and allowing just one goal, a penalty kick in the 74th minute.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE
The Redbirds (1-3-1) enter the game after a 1-0 loss at Duquesne Friday evening. Illinois State opened the season with a 1-1 tie with Eastern Michigan, before falling to then No. 23 Northwestern 3-0 and Saint Louis 1-0. The Redbirds earned their first win of the season in a 2-0 win over Illinois before falling to the Dukes on Friday.
Three Redbirds have tallied goals on the season in Kelli Zickert, Angel Krell and Sarah Lafayette. Illinois State has attempted 77 shots on the season, with 28 on goal.
Keeper Haley Smith has earned a majority of the minutes (425:00), allowing six goals and making 33 saves. Vanessa Niestrom has played in 45:00 minutes of action and has yet to record a save or allow a goal.
THE SERIES
The game will be the first meeting between the two teams in program history.
UNDEFEATED
Pitt is one of five ACC programs still unbeaten on the season. Wake Forest (5-0-0), Clemson (5-0-0) and NC State (3-0-0) have yet to lose or draw, while Virginia Tech (3-0-1) has come away with a win or tie in each outing.
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 Aug. 22 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
The 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 hit the road for the next three games, traveling to Kent State (Sept. 7), Nebraska (Sept. 10) and Wake Forest (Sept. 15).
#H2P | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
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