Women’s Soccer: Team drops second straight ACC matchup

After holding off a tough North Carolina State attack for 89 minutes, Pitt women’s soccer had one lapse with just under a minute to play that would prove to be very costly in a 1-0 loss on Sunday.

The loss is the second consecutive for the Panthers (4-3-1) in ACC play, and drops the team to 0-2 in conference play.

“We knew this would be a real grudge match for us,” Pitt coach Greg Miller said in a press release. “N.C. State is very blue-collar and hard-working and good on set pieces.

On Sunday afternoon an argument could be made that the Panthers were the better

team on the pitch, but a couple of missed opportunities really cost the team, the best of which occurred after an N.C. State handball, which gave Pitt a free kick.

On the ensuing boot, Katie Lippert sent a ball toward the Wolfpack goal that N.C. State goalie Mackenzie Stelljes was able to snuff out and make a diving save.

For most of the game, Pitt goalie Nicole D’Agostino came up large for the Panthers. And while D’Agostino had five saves on the afternoon, the keeper was unable to save the Panthers in the final minute.

Following a Panther attack that culminated in an offside, N.C. State advanced the ball into the Pitt defensive third with the free kick. N.C. State defender Meagan Proper connected with Jackie Stengel on a pass near the middle of the field. Stengel, after receiving the pass, turned a rocketed a shot that nailed the top left corner of the net and eluded a diving D’Agostino.

The goal came with just 53 seconds showing on the clock.

“Today was very positive individually, because a lot of players had good games, but in the end, we’ve got to find a way to get better chances and put the ball in the goal,” Miller said.