Women's Soccer Looks For Strong Rebound Effort On Sunday At UMass

Sunday, September 1

Amherst, MA

1 PM

Pitt

Massachusetts

Photo by: Matt Hawley/Pitt Athletics

Women's Soccer Looks For Strong Rebound Effort On Sunday At UMass

8/31/2019 1:41:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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PITTSBURGH – The Pitt women's soccer team will look to get back on track on Sunday afternoon as they head to Amherst, MA to take on the UMass Minutewomen at Rudd Field at 1:00 pm. The Panthers are coming off of a 2-1 loss at Dartmouth on Friday afternoon while the Minutewomen are coming off of a 2-2 draw.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

Sunday afternoon's match against UMass will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Fans can also follow live stats HERE.
Updates from the match will also be provided on Twitter. Follow @Pitt_WSOC for the latest news and updates about the team.

THE MATCHUP

Pitt will conclude their three-match road swing on Sunday afternoon as they head to Amherst, MA for a showdown with the UMass Minutewomen at 1:00 pm at Rudd Field. The Panthers are coming off of their first loss of the season while UMass is coming off of a 2-2 draw at UMass Lowell on Thursday.

LAST TIME OUT

The Panthers weren't able to overcome a 2-1 second half deficit on the road against Dartmouth on Friday afternoon as they were handed their first loss of the season by a tough Big Green squad.
Pitt was outshot on Friday 10-5 but freshman sensation Amanda West continued her hot streak for the Panthers as she netted the lone goal, her fifth of the season. She has now connected on goals in three straight matches to open up her career, a program record.

SCOUTING UMASS

The Minutewomen enter Sunday's non-conference showdown with the Panthers with a 1-1-1 record on the season as they drew UMass Lowell, 2-2, on Thursday night on the road.
The UMass offense has seen four different players score goals so far this season while Ansley Frazier leads the team with two helpers and four shots on goal so far this season.
Sophomore Lauren Bonavita has appeared in two matches so far this season and has netted a goal and a team-high seven shots.
In goal, senior Peyton Ryan owns a 1-1-1 recrord with a 1.24 GAA while notching one shutout and making 12 saves on the season.

THE SERIES WITH MASSACHUSETTS

This marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams in program history.
Pitt's all-time series record against Atlantic 10 opponents is 14-13-0.

FINDING THE RIGHT LINEUP

With a team of 21 newcomers, it will take some time to find the right lineup that will help the Panthers succeed this season.
Through three matches, the Panthers have used three different starting XI combinations with eight Pitt players starting all three matches.
The three different combinations have been successful in the early going for the Panthers as they have produced seven goals through three matches after the 2018 version of the Panthers posted just 11 goals all season.

WEST CONTINUES STRONG START TO FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN

Freshman forward Amanda West made her presence felt during opening weekend and she was rewarded by being named ACC Offensive Player of the Week after netting four goals, one assist, nine points and two game-winning markers.
West becomes just the second Panther in program history to earn ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors and the first Pitt freshman to do so. The last Panther to earn the weekly recognition was Taylor Pryce in 2015.
Last time out, West netted the lone goal in the Panthers 2-1 loss at Dartmouth but became the first Pitt freshman in program history to score goals in three straight games to open a collegiate career.
She opened up her career with the best debut in program history as she netted a hat-trick and an assist including the game-winner in the 84th minute as Pitt handed Loyola Marymount the 5-4 defeat. Her seven points are the most in a game by a Pitt player since 2001 and most in Ambrose Urbanic Field history by a Panther.
The striker backed up her impressive debut with another strong match on Sunday afternoon as she netted the game-winning goal in the 101st minute to lift Pitt to the 1-0 victory over Bucknell.
So far this season, West has netted five goals, one assist and 11 points which marks the most points in a season by a Panther since Taylor Pryce had 11 in 2017.

RICO MAKING THINGS HAPPEN FOR THE PITT OFFENSE

Sophomore Anna Rico has taken her play to a new level to start the season for the Panthers as she has notched a career-high three assists through three matches.
The crafty forward was dangerous all night long in the Panthers 5-4 opening night victory as she finished with a pair of helpers and two shots.
On Sunday, Rico finished off another strong showing with a great assist on West's game-winner while also posting a season-high six shots, four on frame, in the 1-0 win over Bucknell.
She currently ranks second on the squad with nine shots and four on target through three matches.

FRESH FACES

The Panthers start the 2019 season with 21 new players on the roster, including 17 incoming freshmen and three transfers.
Junior Hollie Olding (Kentucky) joins Pitt after a pair of impressive seasons with the Wildcats and is joined by sophomores Danielle Maggio (Charleston Southern), and Kate McKay (Elon). Olding, Maggio and McKay combined to net seven goals and two assists a season ago.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

Prior to the beginning of the 2019 campaign, the Pitt women's soccer team voted on captains for the season and selected senior Juliana Vazquez and junior Kentucky transfer Hollie Olding to lead the team this year.
Vazquez is a four-year starter up front for the Panthers as she has appeared in 56 games while notching 47 starts over her impressive career. She has also notched three goals, four assists and 10 points in her strong career.
Olding joined the Panthers for her junior campaign after spending her last two seasons of collegiate soccer at Kentucky. The England native has been named team captain in each of her three seasons in college as she earned the badge as a freshman and sophomore for the WIldcats. For her career, Olding has appeared in 32 matches while making 20 starts as she has netted four goals and eight points so far in her career.

UP NEXT

Pitt will return to Ambrose Urbanic Field for their next three matches starting on Friday, September 6 at 5:00 pm as they welcome Rhode Island to town. Prior to Friday night's match, the Panthers will honor their three seniors as part of Senior Day.

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