Boston College shuts out Pitt women’s soccer, 3-0

The Pitt women’s soccer team continued its rough start to ACC play with another shutout loss Thursday night against No. 17 Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

The Panthers (1-8-1 overall, 0-2-0 ACC) began their two-game road trip riding a five-game losing streak, and the skid continued against the Eagles (9-1-1 overall, 1-1-0 ACC) Thursday night. Boston College jumped out to an early lead, kept on the offensive and pulled away late for a 3-0 victory.

“They are a well-coached team and wanted it more than we did. They were more physical than us, scrappier than us and more intense,” Pitt head coach Greg Miller said in a press release. “Despite the fact that we went down a goal, I thought that we had some chances in the first half to even it up and I was fairly pleased with the effort.”

The Eagles attacked the Panthers’ defense from the start, as Boston College forward Hayley Dowd sent a header over the net just over a minute into the game. The Eagles then received a free kick in the fifth minute and didn’t waste it — defender Samantha Hiatt took the free kick, which Dowd headed past Pitt goalkeeper Taylor Francis for her sixth goal of the season.

“Once again, we gave up a goal on a set piece and that is just inexcusable,” Miller said in the release.

Leading 1-0, less than five minutes into the game, Boston College stayed aggressive and never gave the Panthers a chance to come back. The Eagles received a corner kick in the 12th minute, but Pitt blocked forward McKenzie Meehan’s header attempt.

Forward Sarah Krause did her best to generate offense for the Panthers, attempting three shots in the first 15 minutes. But her first shot sailed high, and Boston College goalkeeper Erin Seppi turned away the other two.

The Eagles remained on the offensive, outshooting the Panthers in the first half, 10-3. But Pitt blocked most of the shots before they reached Francis, keeping it a one-goal game going into halftime.

Boston College came out firing in the second half, with defender Jenna Bike leading the charge.

Bike hit the post with a shot in the 47th minute, then had another shot blocked a minute later. But in the 53rd minute, she received a cross from midfielder Lauren Berman and beat Francis to the left side of the net to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

Boston College again hit the post on forward Olivia Vaughn’s header in the 60th minute, but kept the pressure on the Panthers.

In the 84th minute, Meehan put away any chance of a Pitt comeback, heading a cross from defender Gaby Carreiro past Francis for her ninth goal of the season and giving the Eagles a commanding 3-0 lead late in the game.

“Between Hayley Dowd and McKenzie Meehan, we knew they were going to be a handful up-front,” Miller said in the release. “We had to try to minimize their touches and not let them get many chances. We let that happen a bit too much.”

The Panthers never came close to getting on the board, dropping their sixth consecutive game and second in a row to start ACC play.

Pitt will next travel to South Bend, Indiana, to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25.