University of Pittsburgh Athletics
11/20/2020 12:00:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh women's lacrosse roster for its inaugural season in 2021-22 continues to take shape with the addition of Oregon transfer Carlie Leach.
"Carlie fills a big gap on the left side of our crease as a feeder and hard 1v1 dodger," said head coach Emily Boissonneault. "She has been fortunate to have had great coaches that have prepared her for the level of competitiveness in the ACC and is eager to apply what she has learned. As an upperclassman, we will be looking to her for leadership in the early years of our program. Carlie is excited to join a program that will encourage her development and creativity."
Leach scored 24 goals and added six assists in 21 career games (17 starts) at Oregon. As a freshman in 2019, she finished with 21 points (18 goals, 3 assists) and posted a team-best .545 shooting percentage. Leach scored multiple goals in a game four times, including three hat tricks. In six games during the shortened 2020 season, she had six goals and three assists.
A standout at Lake Oswego High School, Leach was named to the U.S. Lacrosse All-America team in 2018. She led her team to three state championships and was named MVP of the championship game as a junior. Leach also earned all-state accolades three times and all-league honors in all four seasons.
Leach joins a 15-player 2021 recruiting class along with Pitt's current roster featuring four transfers (Madisyn Kittell, Therese Pitman, Gabby Turano, Brittney Villhauer), three juniors (Caroline Lederman, Kierin Ratliff-Kailbourne, Payton Reed ) who played on Pitt's 2019 club National Championship team and the Panthers' current group of six first-year freshmen (Emily Coughlin, Kate Elam, Madigan Lublin, Maureen McNierney, Riley Patrick, Abby Thorne) to form the team that will compete in the inaugural season of Pitt Lacrosse.
Director of Athletics Heather Lyke announced the addition of women's lacrosse as a varsity sport at Pitt Nov. 1, 2018 with Boissonneault named head coach of the Pitt Lacrosse program June 28, 2019. The program will play its inaugural season against NCAA Division I competition in the 2021-22 academic year.
