Pitt
#22 Florida State
Pitt Faces Road Test at No. 22 Florida State Sunday
10/19/2024 12:07:00 PM | Women's Soccer
PITTSBURGH – Pitt continues its Florida road trip Sunday afternoon with a 1 p.m. first kick against No. 22 Florida State at the Seminole Soccer Complex. The Panthers played to a scoreless draw at Miami Thursday evening to open the two-game stretch down South.
FOLLOW ALONG
- Sunday's ACC matchup will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
- 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 ranks eighth in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings, while also receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. The Panthers also rank 30th in NCAA RPI. Florida State enters the match ranked No. 22 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and No. 7 in Top Drawer Soccer rankings. The Seminoles are also No. 9 in NCAA RPI.
PITT VERSUS 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 United Soccer Coaches Poll.
THE SERIES
Pitt is looking for its first victory in the all-time series having dropped the previous 14 matches to the Seminoles. The Panthers battled Florida State to a 3-2 decision in Tallahassee last season during the regular season before also falling to the Seminoles in the semifinals of the 2023 Ally ACC Championship and in an Elite Eight game in the NCAA Championship in Tallahassee.
SCOUTING THE SEMINOLES
Florida State has won its past two matches and boasts one of the top offenses in the country. The Seminoles rank in the top 10 in the NCAA in assists per game (4th - 3.23), goal differential (7th - +31), points per game (4th - 9.54), scoring offense (4th - 3.15), shots per game (4th - 21.77), and shots on goal per game (3rd - 10.69). Taylor Huff leads the attack with 24 points on nine goals and six assists, while four others have scored at least four goals this season. Florida State has been excellent at their home venue with a 6-0-1 mark at the Seminole Soccer Complex.
PITT IN THE STATISTICAL RANKINGS
The Panthers are currently ranked in the top 10 in the nation in assists per game (7th - 2.93), corner kicks per game (6th - 7.87), points per game (9th - 7.87)), shots per game (2nd - 23.33), shots on goal per game (5th - 10.82), total assists (7th - 44), and total points (9th - 117).
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 15 career goals to rank tied for ninth all-time and Keera Melenhorst is tied for 11th with 13 goals.
SCHUPANSKY LEADING PANTHERS & NCAA
Sarah Schupansky leads the NCAA in assists (15) and assists per game (1.00), while also ranking ninth in the country with 25 points (5 goals / 15 assists) and 11th in points per game (1.80). She leads the ACC and ranks seventh in the NCAA in shots on goal per game (2.60) and is eighth in the nation in shots per game (4.73).
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 (Sept. 8).
She recorded two assists in Pitt's win over Syracuse (Oct. 13) to set the school single-season assists record (15). Schupansky has five multi-assist games on the season and has tallied two or more points in a game seven times in 2024.
Schupansky holds the school record for career assists (43) and is also chasing Pitt records for career points, shots, and shots on goal.
BREECH-ING THE RECORD BOOKS
Junior Ellie Breech earned her 23rd win in goal for the Panthers in a 4-1 victory over Clemson to become the winningest goalkeeper in program history. The Mechanicsburg, Pa. native now has 108 saves and 24 wins in 43 career games.
Breech has recorded five shutouts, tied for fifth in the ACC, while tallying 26 saves with just nine goals allowed this season.
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 is tied for fourth in the ACC with eight goals on the season.
Phiri ranks fourth with 22 career goals and fifth with 55 career points at Pitt.
ABIODUN IS BACK
Sophomore standout Deborah Abiodun has come on strong after missing six games due to injury prior to the start of ACC play. She scored her first goal of the season in the win over Clemson and followed up with a brace in the Panthers 3-0 win over Syracuse.
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.
ELLIE EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF PITT
Senior Ellie Coffield was honored as a 2024 Spirit of Pitt winner over Homecoming Weekend (Sept.29-30). The award honors students who embody Pitt pride, serve the community, and demonstrate exceptional leadership.
A co-captain on the team, Coffield has performed 200+ hours of community service for local organizations in the Pittsburgh area including: Humane Animal Wildlife and Rehabilitation Center, St. Barnabas Nursing Home, PittServes, Pittsburgh Street Medicine, Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community, Northway Christian Church, Women's Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.
Coffield is also Co-President of Pitt's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and an ACC SAAC Executive Board member.
Additional roles and memberships Coffield currently fills include; President of Pitt's Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO) Student-Athlete Fellowship, member of Blue & Gold Society, Chair of Events for American Cancer Society Club, Council member of Pitt Alumni Student Network, and member of Tri Beta (Biological Sciences Honor Society).
Coffield has two goals and four assists on the season and has recorded a point in each of the past two matches for the Panthers.
MELENHORST HAVING HER BEST SEASON
Keera Melenhorst has a career-best five goals and 15 points for the Panthers in 2024 with her five assists ranking 12th in the ACC and just one assist away from her career high.
Melenhorst is tied for the team lead with three goals in ACC play.
ABRAHAM OUT AFTER STRONG START TO FRESHMAN YEAR
Freshman Lola Abraham will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a right knee injury in the Panthers' Sept. 19 match against No. 8 North Carolina. The Oakmont, Pa., native appeared in 10 games, making seven starts, before being sidelined with the injury. She recorded assists in wins over Bucknell (Aug. 25) and Louisville (Sept. 14) and totaled 567 minutes prior to going down with the injury in the first half against the Tar Heels.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to Pittsburgh to play their final regular season home contest Thursday, Oct. 24 against No. 2 Wake Forest. First kick is set for 7 p.m. from Ambrose Urbanic Field.
