Women’s Soccer: Pitt off to fast start under new head coach

Following back-to-back 2-1 victories over Robert Morris and St. Bonaventure this past week, the…

The Pitt women’s soccer team are now 4-1 after picking up wins against Robert Morris, St. Bonaventure and Duquesne.

Bobby Mizia, Senior Staff Photographer

Following back-to-back 2-1 victories over Robert Morris and St. Bonaventure this past week, the Pitt women’s soccer team did something that had eluded the players all of last season: They won their third game.

And after improving their record to 4-1 with a strong 3-1 victory over city rival Duquesne on Sunday, the Panthers have already doubled their win total from last season and are off to their best start in three seasons.

“Our attitude is much better this year,” sophomore goalkeeper Nicole D’Agostino said. “The defense isn’t giving anyone any time or space to shoot, which gives us a great chance to win. The back line is strong, and they’re playing extremely well right now.”

In all four of their victories, the Panthers have found themselves with an early lead, only to let the other team tie up the game before Pitt retakes the lead. The ability to shut down the other team late and score in critical situations were aspects of the game the Panthers found themselves unable to pull off last season.

But new head coach Greg Miller said the team needs to get even better at holding onto advantages.

“We have to stop having these mental lapses after we’ve positioned ourselves with a lead,” Miller said in a press release. “We’ve got to do a better job of playing with a lead. On the positive side, we’re not giving up. We continue to push through and play tough. I’m proud of our team for battling back and for taking leads after we find ourselves with some adversity.”

Pitt 2, Robert Morris 1

The team classified the 2-1 win over Robert Morris last Wednesday as “sloppy.”

Sophomore Alex Charlebois, a transfer from Missouri, scored the game-winner — her first collegiate goal — with a header off a corner kick in the 70th minute.

“Scoring that goal felt great,” Charlebois said. “It was nice to get off to a strong start and to have a fresh start here.”

Earlier in the game, senior Ashley Cuba gave Pitt a 1-0 lead with her first goal of the season. It was her 48th career point, establishing a new school record, and her 22nd career goal, extending the school record she set last season.

Pitt 2, St. Bonaventure 1

Against St. Bonaventure, junior Dana DelleFemine tapped in the game winning goal with less than two minutes left off a corner kick from freshman Roosa Arvas that was headed by junior Morgan Sharick.

“Morgan headed it, and it came down and bounced, and I was in the right place, so I just flipped it over the goalie’s head,” DelleFemine said. “It was a team-effort goal. I was really glad to score because I didn’t think I had played my best that game, but I made up for it there. It was nice to help the team get the win. I’m also glad to have scored this early because it took me awhile to get my first goal last season.”

The play was very similar to the Panther’s first goal, which Sharick headed in off Arvas’s corner.

“We have been really focused on finishing and set pieces in practice,” Charlebois said. “Morgan is great in the air, and Roosa puts the ball in the exact same spot every single time.”

D’Agostino registered a save in the victory.

Pitt 3, Duquesne 1

After allowing their city rivals to level the score late in the first half, the Panthers broke open a 1-1 tie with two second-half scores — Arvas’s first career goal and Charlebois second of the season — to secure their third consecutive victory.

Pitt took a 1-0 lead following Sharick’s team-high third goal of the season, all off Arvas’ corner kicks. D’Agostino made two saves in the victory.

Arvas has started her freshman season on a tear, leading the team with eight points in five games. Her six assists currently lead the Big East.

“I’m really proud of Roosa’s contributions through five games,” Miller said. “Only five games into a completely different style of play for her and already she’s found a way to put her stamp on the game with her soccer sense and ability to place the ball where we need it on set pieces.”

Against Duquesne, Pitt played for the fifth time in nine days and relied heavily on the bench to keep players fresh.

“Our bench continues to contribute significant minutes for us,” Miller said. “We knew coming in that we’d need everybody. We were prepared for it, and I’m proud of how we fought through it. We will need everyone next weekend when we face the tougher part of our non-conference schedule and continue to prepare for Big East play.”

The Panthers next face Miami and Penn State on Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, respectively, at the West Virginia 90 Minute Classic in Morgantown, W.V.