Pitt Welcomes Syracuse to Ambrose Urbanic Field Sunday

PITTSBURGH – The Pitt women's soccer team faces Syracuse Sunday, Oct. 13 at Ambrose Urbanic Field in a key ACC contest. First kick is set for 1:30 p.m. with Dre Cordero and Morgan Bowen calling the action on ACC Network.

FOLLOW ALONG

Sunday's ACC matchup will be streamed live on ACC Network.
Live stats for the game will be available HERE.
Live updates throughout the game will be posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) by following the Pitt women's soccer account @Pitt_WSOC.

IN THE POLLS

Pitt is 18th overall in the NCAA RPI Ranking, while also sitting at No. 13 in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings. Syracuse enters Sunday's contest unranked and 80th in NCAA RPI.

THE SERIES

Pitt is 9-12-4 all-time against Syracuse, including a 5-5-4 mark at Ambrose Urbanic Field. The Panthers have won the past four meetings between the two schools and are 4-0-1 under Randy Waldrum against the Orange.

Pitt shut out the Orange, 6-0, in the last match between the two schools (Oct. 14, 2023) as Sarah Schupansky finished with five points (1 goal, 3 assists) in the win. She has nine points (3 goals, 3 assists) in three career games against Syracuse.

SCOUTING THE ORANGE

Syracuse ranks first in the ACC in saves per game (5.36) and fourth in the ACC in save percentage (.789). Shae Vanderbosch has 70 saves and three shutouts on the season. Ashley Rauch leads Syracuse with four goals and nine points, while Ava Uribe has a team-high four assists to go along with two goals.

PITT VERUS RANKED OPPONENTS

The Panthers are 5-7-2 in their past 14 matches against ranked opponents. Pitt is 0-1-2 this season against teams ranked in the top 25 of the US Coaches Poll.

PITT IN THE STATISTICAL RANKINGS

The Panthers are currently ranked in the top 10 in the nation in assists per game (5th - 3.15), corner kicks per game (8th - 7.62), points per game (6th - 8.38), shots per game (2nd - 23.23), shots on goal per game (4th - 10.46), total assists (6th - 41), and total points (6th - 109).

HIGH SCORING QUARTET

Pitt's roster features four of the top 12 career goal scorers in program history. Sarah Schupansky is second with 31 career goals, while Samiah Phiri ranks fourth with 22 goals. Midfielder Ellie Coffield has 14 career goals to rank 10th all-time for the Panthers with Keera Melenhorst tied for 11th with 13 goals.

SCHUPANSKY THE STAR

Sarah Schupansky is in the midst of a fantastic senior season leading the country in assists (13) and assists per game (1.00), while also ranking fourth in the country with 23 points (5 goals / 13 assists) and sixth in points per game (1.92). She is just one assist shy of matching her own school record for most assists earned in a single season. Schupansky also ranks fourth in the NCAA in shots on goal per game (2.77) and 11th in shots per game (4.62).

The Pittsburgh, Pa., native matched a program record with four assists in a 6-1 win over Dartmouth (Sept. 5) and became the second player in Pitt history to record 100 career points during the 7-0 win over Mercyhurst.

Schupansky holds the school record for career assists (41) and is chasing Pitt records for career points, shots, and shots on goal.

PHIRI ROAD

Senior Samiah Phiri recorded the second brace of her career with two second half goals in a 3-1 win over Louisville to open ACC play. Phiri leads the Panthers and ranks fifth in the ACC with seven goals on the season.

Phiri ranks fourth with 21 career goals and fifth with 52 career points at Pitt.

ABIODUN WORKING HER WAY BACK

Sophomore standout Deborah Abiodun returned to action for ACC play after missing six games due to injury. She played a season-high 84 minutes in Pitt's 1-1 draw at Stanford Sunday, Sept. 29 and scored her first goal of the season in the win over Clemson. A 2023 All-ACC (3rd) and ACC All-Freshman Team selection, Abiodun recorded 15 points on six goals and three assists a year ago.

Abiodun competed for her home country of Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

UP NEXT

The Panthers travel to Florida to face Miami (Oct. 17) and Florida State (Oct. 20) next week.