University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Friday, August 24
Pittsburgh, Pa.
5 PM
Pitt
vs
Kent State
Pitt Continues Homestand with Kent State, Jacksonville
8/23/2018 3:19:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Panthers Look to Continue Unbeaten Streak
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh women's soccer team will close out its four-game homestand this weekend, welcoming regional rival Kent State as well as Jacksonville to Ambrose Urbanic Field.
Pitt and the Golden Flashes will get things underway at 5 p.m. Friday, as the homestand comes to an end Sunday as the Panthers host the Dolphins at noon.
TICKETS
HOW TO FOLLOW
Pitt (2-0-0) looks to continue its hot start to the 2018 season, as the Panthers have opened the year with back-to-back wins and turn their attention to non-conference matchups with Kent State and Jacksonville. The Panthers kicked off 2018 with a 2-1 victory over Ohio last Friday as Ashley Moreira and Anna Rico found the back of the net. Pitt followed that up with a 1-0 double-overtime victory over Morehead State with freshman Rico coming away with the game winner.
On the season, Rico has paced the offense in her debut season, tallying a pair of goals on 13 shots (seven on goal). Moreira scored Friday's game winner and has tallied two shots (one on goal) in 106 minutes of action. Mikayla Schmidt, Bel van Noorden and Dixon Veltri have all tallied one assist on the year.
In the net, Amaia Pena has seen the entirety of action, making both starts and registering 193 minutes. She's faced 21 shots, tallying 10 saves for a .909 save percentage. She's let up just one goal and owns a 0.47 goals against average.
SCOUTING KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes (1-1-0) are coming off a 2-1 win over St. Bonaventure after dropping their first game of the season vs. Butler 3-1. The game-winning goal came within the last three minutes of regulation.
After recording just three shots on goal vs. Butler, the Golden Flashes elevated their game vs. St Bonaventure, registering an impressive 25 shots and tallying the most corner kicks in program history (14). The defense tightened up as well, allowing just two shots on goal.
Freshmen forward Autumn Meisenburg, senior midfielder Cassandra Sauter and sophomore forward Isabelle Mihail have each added goals, while redshirt freshmen goalkeeper Faith O'Neill has played the full 180 minutes, recording 2.00 goals against average.
THE SERIES WITH KENT STATE
This will be the eighth meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 2006 season. Pitt owns a 4-2-1 all-time advantage over the Golden Flashes, including a mark of 2-1-1 at home. Kent state has won back-to-back outings, including a double-overtime defeat of the Panthers in their last trip to Ambrose Urbanic Field on Sept. 11, 2016.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE
The Dolphins (0-2-0) are looking for their first win after dropping their opening games vs. Troy and Vanderbilt. They've allowed five goals on the season and will take on Duquesne Friday before traveling to Pitt Sunday.
The Dolphins have yet to score a goal this season under their first-year coaching staff.
Goalkeeper Brittany Huneley has played all 180 minutes in net for the Dolphins this season.
THE SEIRES WITH JACKSONVILLE
This will be the second meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 2003 season. Pitt owns the 1-0-0 advantage in the series as the Panthers captured a 5-1 victory at the James Madison Invitational on Aug. 26, 2011.
MILESTONE 400
Head coach Randy Waldrum reached a career milestone in the team's season opener against Ohio Friday night as he secured his 400th career victory. The win was the first for Waldrum as a Panther as he is the ninth winningest coach in NCAA Division I women's soccer history.
THE WALDRUM ERA
The season marks the beginning of the Randy Waldrum era as the first-year head coach and his staff begin their inaugural year with the Panthers. Waldrum is the fourth head coach in program history, bringing national experience to the Panthers' program.
Waldrum saw unprecedented success in his tenure at the helm of the perennial powerhouse Notre Dame women's program. In his 14 seasons, he led the Fighting Irish to two national championships, capturing the College Cup title in 2004 and 2010. His teams won eight Big East Tournament titles and appeared in eight NCAA Final Four games in that span.
A two-time national coach of the year (2009 by Soccer America; 2010 by NSCAA), Waldrum was the first coach in NCAA history to lead a team to a national title in his/her first season with a program. He wrapped up his tenure at Notre Dame with a mark of 292-58-17 (.819) and holds an overall record of 401-108-29 (.772) as a head coach on the women's side. His record ranks fourth in all-time wins as an NCAA women's head coach and third in win percentage.
NEWBIES
The Panthers feature 14 newcomers on the roster, as 50 percent of the 2018 squad is new to the program. Pitt will debut 11 freshmen and three transfers. Of the 2017 roster with nine or more games of experience, only six return – Taylor Pryce, Vildan Kardesler, Alli Higgs, Ashley Moreira, Cheyenne Hudson and Aideen O'Donoghue.
REDSHIRT RETURNERS
Two redshirt seniors, forward Taylor Pryce and midfielder Ashley Moreira, both of whom have attended the U-20 Canadian National Team Camp, will lead the Panthers this season. Pryce started 17 of the 18 games in 2014 and 2015, scoring game-winning goals versus Louisville and Wake Forest. In 2016, she competed in two games, with one shot on goal, before missing the rest of season due to injury. Last season Pryce finished as the team's top point scorer, recording 11 points and starting in all 18 games.
Moreira also started 17 of the 18 games in 2014 and recorded 1,330 minutes of playing time, which was the fourth highest on the team. In 2015, she started all 18 games and recorded seven shots on goal, scoring her first career goal in an overtime game-winner at Colorado College. She missed the 2016 season due to the U-20 Canadian National Team Camp, but bounced back last season logging 1,541 total minutes and starting all 18 games.
GOALKEEPERS
Redshirt sophomore Amaia Pena will lead this young goalkeeper squad with a 2.55 goals against average. Last season she logged just over 529 minutes of field time and made a career-high 10 saves in a 3-2 loss vs. Boston College.
Freshmen Katherine Robinson and Claire Hinkle will also compete for time this season.
MEET THE STAFF
Randy Waldrum is joined by three fresh faces on the 2018 coaching staff in Dustin Stein, Ben Waldrum and Riley Butler.
Stein joined the Panthers after nearly five years as the head coach at Eastfield College, where he was the winningest coach in program history. While at Eastfield, his teams tallied 14 or more wins in each of his last three seasons, and boasted a record of 42-12-3 in that stretch. Eastfield was amongst the top 10 NJCAA programs in each of the last three seasons as Stein was named the 2015 NJCAA Region 5 Division 3 Coach of the Year and the Metro Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
The younger Waldrum had served as a member of the FC Dallas staff since October of 2012, in the youth development program. In April 2015 he was promoted to head coach of the FCD Women. The team competed to a record of 34-3-3 under Waldrum's tutelage, appearing in the WPSL Playoffs in 2016 and 2017 and capturing the 2016 WPSL Southwest Conference championships.
This will be the younger Waldrum's second stint in the college ranks, as he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under his father at Notre Dame from 2003-08. With both Waldrums on staff, the Fighting Irish competed to a record of 111-13-5 and won the 2004 NCAA national title. He was a member of three NCAA College Cup appearances, won five Big East regular season titles and coached five All-Americans.
Butler came to the program after a four-year stint as the assistant men's coach at Radford University.
Butler helped lead the Highlanders to an overall record of 50-17-11, leading squads that were ranked in the top 25 in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Big South Tournament champions in 2016 and regular season champions in 2014, 2015 and 2016 earned NCAA berths in both 2015 and 2016 under Butler's tutelage.
THE SCHEDULE
The Panthers will take part in 18 regular season games in 2018, including 11 home matches, in addition to a pair of exhibition contests. The regular season will see five meetings with teams ranked in the top 25 at the conclusion of the 2017 season, including three in the top 15 and two in the top 10. The Panthers are set to face off against 12 teams in the top 75 of last season's final RPI rankings.
SOCCER CREST UNVEILED
The crest features elements from the City of Pittsburgh, the city's iconic bridges and the three rivers surrounding the Steel City. The crest pays homage to the Cathedral of Learning arch-shape – a shield depicts a strong foundation, honing in on the arch shape only strengthens this idea.
The castle-like design at the top of the crest was inspired by the City of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh seals, as both feature a similar castle. The iconic bridge is based on the Sister Bridges (Clemente, Warhol, Rachel Carson) as there are over 446 bridges throughout the Pittsburgh region, more than any other city in the world. The idea of bridges also ties in with Pitt Athletics Department strategy of the Gold Standard. The bottom portion of the crest features the three rivers (Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio) that surround the Pittsburgh area.
UP NEXT
Pitt hits the road for the first time in the 2018 campaign, traveling to Texas for a pair of meetings with TCU and North Texas. Pitt will square off with the Horned Frogs at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30 before opening the month of September with a 1 p.m. battle at North Texas on Sept. 1.
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Pitt and the Golden Flashes will get things underway at 5 p.m. Friday, as the homestand comes to an end Sunday as the Panthers host the Dolphins at noon.
TICKETS
- Fans can purchase single game tickets here for an advanced rate of $3.
- Tickets at the gate are $5 and free for students.
- Flex season ticket packages are also available here for $25.
- Friday's game will be a part of Pitt's Block Party on the Hill celebration as the men's and women's soccer teams as well as the women's volleyball program are in action. Pitt students will receive a Beat Kent State shirt at the women's soccer game. Free food will be made available to students at the volleyball match, set for 7 p.m., and the evening will conclude with an 8 p.m. men's soccer game where students can enter to win a Yetti cooler and a Pitt cornhole set.
- The first 200 fans at Sunday's game will take home Pitt script sunglasses. The game will also serve as International Students Day as all of Pitt's international students are invited for a meet and greet after the game.
HOW TO FOLLOW
- The games can be seen live on the ACC Network Extra via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.
- Live stats will be available via PittsburghPanthers.com.
- Fans fan follow along with live updates on Twitter @Pitt_WSOC.
Pitt (2-0-0) looks to continue its hot start to the 2018 season, as the Panthers have opened the year with back-to-back wins and turn their attention to non-conference matchups with Kent State and Jacksonville. The Panthers kicked off 2018 with a 2-1 victory over Ohio last Friday as Ashley Moreira and Anna Rico found the back of the net. Pitt followed that up with a 1-0 double-overtime victory over Morehead State with freshman Rico coming away with the game winner.
On the season, Rico has paced the offense in her debut season, tallying a pair of goals on 13 shots (seven on goal). Moreira scored Friday's game winner and has tallied two shots (one on goal) in 106 minutes of action. Mikayla Schmidt, Bel van Noorden and Dixon Veltri have all tallied one assist on the year.
In the net, Amaia Pena has seen the entirety of action, making both starts and registering 193 minutes. She's faced 21 shots, tallying 10 saves for a .909 save percentage. She's let up just one goal and owns a 0.47 goals against average.
SCOUTING KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes (1-1-0) are coming off a 2-1 win over St. Bonaventure after dropping their first game of the season vs. Butler 3-1. The game-winning goal came within the last three minutes of regulation.
After recording just three shots on goal vs. Butler, the Golden Flashes elevated their game vs. St Bonaventure, registering an impressive 25 shots and tallying the most corner kicks in program history (14). The defense tightened up as well, allowing just two shots on goal.
Freshmen forward Autumn Meisenburg, senior midfielder Cassandra Sauter and sophomore forward Isabelle Mihail have each added goals, while redshirt freshmen goalkeeper Faith O'Neill has played the full 180 minutes, recording 2.00 goals against average.
THE SERIES WITH KENT STATE
This will be the eighth meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 2006 season. Pitt owns a 4-2-1 all-time advantage over the Golden Flashes, including a mark of 2-1-1 at home. Kent state has won back-to-back outings, including a double-overtime defeat of the Panthers in their last trip to Ambrose Urbanic Field on Sept. 11, 2016.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE
The Dolphins (0-2-0) are looking for their first win after dropping their opening games vs. Troy and Vanderbilt. They've allowed five goals on the season and will take on Duquesne Friday before traveling to Pitt Sunday.
The Dolphins have yet to score a goal this season under their first-year coaching staff.
Goalkeeper Brittany Huneley has played all 180 minutes in net for the Dolphins this season.
THE SEIRES WITH JACKSONVILLE
This will be the second meeting between the two programs in a series dating back to the 2003 season. Pitt owns the 1-0-0 advantage in the series as the Panthers captured a 5-1 victory at the James Madison Invitational on Aug. 26, 2011.
MILESTONE 400
Head coach Randy Waldrum reached a career milestone in the team's season opener against Ohio Friday night as he secured his 400th career victory. The win was the first for Waldrum as a Panther as he is the ninth winningest coach in NCAA Division I women's soccer history.
THE WALDRUM ERA
The season marks the beginning of the Randy Waldrum era as the first-year head coach and his staff begin their inaugural year with the Panthers. Waldrum is the fourth head coach in program history, bringing national experience to the Panthers' program.
Waldrum saw unprecedented success in his tenure at the helm of the perennial powerhouse Notre Dame women's program. In his 14 seasons, he led the Fighting Irish to two national championships, capturing the College Cup title in 2004 and 2010. His teams won eight Big East Tournament titles and appeared in eight NCAA Final Four games in that span.
A two-time national coach of the year (2009 by Soccer America; 2010 by NSCAA), Waldrum was the first coach in NCAA history to lead a team to a national title in his/her first season with a program. He wrapped up his tenure at Notre Dame with a mark of 292-58-17 (.819) and holds an overall record of 401-108-29 (.772) as a head coach on the women's side. His record ranks fourth in all-time wins as an NCAA women's head coach and third in win percentage.
NEWBIES
The Panthers feature 14 newcomers on the roster, as 50 percent of the 2018 squad is new to the program. Pitt will debut 11 freshmen and three transfers. Of the 2017 roster with nine or more games of experience, only six return – Taylor Pryce, Vildan Kardesler, Alli Higgs, Ashley Moreira, Cheyenne Hudson and Aideen O'Donoghue.
REDSHIRT RETURNERS
Two redshirt seniors, forward Taylor Pryce and midfielder Ashley Moreira, both of whom have attended the U-20 Canadian National Team Camp, will lead the Panthers this season. Pryce started 17 of the 18 games in 2014 and 2015, scoring game-winning goals versus Louisville and Wake Forest. In 2016, she competed in two games, with one shot on goal, before missing the rest of season due to injury. Last season Pryce finished as the team's top point scorer, recording 11 points and starting in all 18 games.
Moreira also started 17 of the 18 games in 2014 and recorded 1,330 minutes of playing time, which was the fourth highest on the team. In 2015, she started all 18 games and recorded seven shots on goal, scoring her first career goal in an overtime game-winner at Colorado College. She missed the 2016 season due to the U-20 Canadian National Team Camp, but bounced back last season logging 1,541 total minutes and starting all 18 games.
GOALKEEPERS
Redshirt sophomore Amaia Pena will lead this young goalkeeper squad with a 2.55 goals against average. Last season she logged just over 529 minutes of field time and made a career-high 10 saves in a 3-2 loss vs. Boston College.
Freshmen Katherine Robinson and Claire Hinkle will also compete for time this season.
MEET THE STAFF
Randy Waldrum is joined by three fresh faces on the 2018 coaching staff in Dustin Stein, Ben Waldrum and Riley Butler.
Stein joined the Panthers after nearly five years as the head coach at Eastfield College, where he was the winningest coach in program history. While at Eastfield, his teams tallied 14 or more wins in each of his last three seasons, and boasted a record of 42-12-3 in that stretch. Eastfield was amongst the top 10 NJCAA programs in each of the last three seasons as Stein was named the 2015 NJCAA Region 5 Division 3 Coach of the Year and the Metro Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
The younger Waldrum had served as a member of the FC Dallas staff since October of 2012, in the youth development program. In April 2015 he was promoted to head coach of the FCD Women. The team competed to a record of 34-3-3 under Waldrum's tutelage, appearing in the WPSL Playoffs in 2016 and 2017 and capturing the 2016 WPSL Southwest Conference championships.
This will be the younger Waldrum's second stint in the college ranks, as he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under his father at Notre Dame from 2003-08. With both Waldrums on staff, the Fighting Irish competed to a record of 111-13-5 and won the 2004 NCAA national title. He was a member of three NCAA College Cup appearances, won five Big East regular season titles and coached five All-Americans.
Butler came to the program after a four-year stint as the assistant men's coach at Radford University.
Butler helped lead the Highlanders to an overall record of 50-17-11, leading squads that were ranked in the top 25 in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Big South Tournament champions in 2016 and regular season champions in 2014, 2015 and 2016 earned NCAA berths in both 2015 and 2016 under Butler's tutelage.
THE SCHEDULE
The Panthers will take part in 18 regular season games in 2018, including 11 home matches, in addition to a pair of exhibition contests. The regular season will see five meetings with teams ranked in the top 25 at the conclusion of the 2017 season, including three in the top 15 and two in the top 10. The Panthers are set to face off against 12 teams in the top 75 of last season's final RPI rankings.
SOCCER CREST UNVEILED
The crest features elements from the City of Pittsburgh, the city's iconic bridges and the three rivers surrounding the Steel City. The crest pays homage to the Cathedral of Learning arch-shape – a shield depicts a strong foundation, honing in on the arch shape only strengthens this idea.
The castle-like design at the top of the crest was inspired by the City of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh seals, as both feature a similar castle. The iconic bridge is based on the Sister Bridges (Clemente, Warhol, Rachel Carson) as there are over 446 bridges throughout the Pittsburgh region, more than any other city in the world. The idea of bridges also ties in with Pitt Athletics Department strategy of the Gold Standard. The bottom portion of the crest features the three rivers (Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio) that surround the Pittsburgh area.
UP NEXT
Pitt hits the road for the first time in the 2018 campaign, traveling to Texas for a pair of meetings with TCU and North Texas. Pitt will square off with the Horned Frogs at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30 before opening the month of September with a 1 p.m. battle at North Texas on Sept. 1.
#H2P | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
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