Pitt
#2 Wake Forest
Panthers Host No. 2 Wake Forest Thursday Evening
10/23/2024 8:50:00 AM | Women's Soccer
PITTSBURGH – Pitt hosts No. 2 Wake Forest in its regular season home finale Thursday, Oct. 24 at Ambrose Urbanic Field. First kick is set for 7 p.m. as the Panthers look for a key result heading into postseason play.
FOLLOW ALONG
- Thursday'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 is unranked in both the United Soccer Coaches Poll and Top Drawer Soccer rankings for the first time this season. The Panthers enter the week ranked 32nd in NCAA RPI. Wake Forest enters Thursday's match ranked No. 2 in both the United Soccer Coaches Poll and Top Drawer Soccer rankings. The Demon Deacons are also No. 4 in NCAA RPI.
PITT VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
The Panthers are 5-8-2 in their past 15 matches against ranked opponents. Pitt is 0-2-2 this season against teams ranked in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Five of Pitt's nine wins all-time against ranked opponents have come under Randy Waldrum's direction.
THE SERIES
Pitt is 2-5-0 all-time against Wake Forest, including a 4-1 win over the Demon Deacons last season at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Thursday's matchup will be the third consecutive in the series in Pittsburgh. Sarah Schupansky, Samiah Phiri, and Ellie Coffield each scored in last season's win over Wake Forest.
SCOUTING THE DEMON DEACONS
Wake Forest is unbeaten in its past six matches, going 5-0-1 with wins over then No.2 Virginia (3-0), No. 1 Stanford (1-0), and No. 6 Florida State (4-1) in that span. The Demon Deacons are led on offense by the trio of Caiya Hanks (7 goals, 6 assists), Emily Colton (6 goals, 3 assists), and Emily Murphy (2 goals, 6 assists). Wake Forest has posted seven shutouts this season and is allowing just 0.64 goals per game. Valentina Amaral has recorded four shutouts with 19 saves and a .792 save percentage in goal for the Demon Deacons.
PITT IN THE STATISTICAL RANKINGS
The Panthers are currently ranked in the top 15 in the nation in assists per game (9th - 2.75), corner kicks per game (7th - 7.63), points per game (11th - 7.50), shots per game (3rd - 22.25), shots on goal per game (5th - 9.81), total assists (9th - 44), total goals (15th - 38), and total points (10th - 119).
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 (0.94), while also ranking 14th in the country with 27 points (6 goals / 15 assists) and 19th in points per game (1.69). She leads the ACC and ranks seventh in the NCAA in shots on goal per game (2.56) and is 10th in the nation in shots per game (4.56).
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 is one start away from matching the program record of 77 starts by a field player. She already holds the school record for career assists (43) and is chasing Pitt records for career points, shots, and shots on goal.
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. Abiodun also scored Pitt's lone goal against No. 22 Florida State and now leads the Panthers with four goals in ACC play.
Abiodun competed for her home country of Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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 sixth in the ACC with eight goals on the season.
Phiri ranks fourth with 22 career goals and fifth with 55 career points at Pitt.
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 110 saves and 24 wins in 44 career games.
Breech has recorded five shutouts, while tallying 28 saves with 13 goals allowed this season.
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 is just one assist away from her career high.
Melenhorst is second on the team with three goals in ACC play.
MOON SUFFERS INJURY AT FLORIDA STATE
Senior Ashley Moon is out for the season after suffering a significant lower leg injury early in Pitt's game at Florida State. Moon has been one of the Panthers' defensive anchors this season from her outside back position. She started eight of 10 games played and gone a career-best 627 minutes of action prior to the injury.
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 against the Tar Heels.
UP NEXT
The Panthers conclude the regular season Thursday, Oct. 31 at No. 7 Notre Dame. First kick is set for 7 p.m.
