Soccer: Panthers push through lows

Although the Pitt women’s soccer team had already been eliminated from the playoffs, head… Although the Pitt women’s soccer team had already been eliminated from the playoffs, head coach Sue-Moy Chin made sure to remind her players that they had plenty to play for going into Friday night’s game against West Virginia.

“It was our senior night,” sophomore Caroline Keefer said. “[Chin] told us, ‘You guys have another shot to come back and have a better season but the seniors do not. So we owe it to them to play as hard as we can to get the win tonight.’”

Whether it was Chin’s rousing pregame words or the realization that they would be playing their last game of the season under the lights of their new stadium, the Panthers started strong against the nationally ranked Mountaineers on Friday, outshooting their opponents 7-6 in the first half.

“The girls were really motivated coming into the game, and I thought it showed,” Chin said. “I thought it was the best half of soccer we’ve played all season.”

But the Panthers’ incessant inability to finish shots — which has plagued the team all year — resulted in their 1-0 defeat. West Virginia’s Kate Schwindel scored the game’s only goal in the 46th minute, burying a left-footed blast from 25 yards out into the top left corner of the net.

“It was a turnover in the midfield, and we didn’t pressure the ball quickly enough,” Chin said. “It was a bit of a free strike, an open shot from distance. She hit it really well: upper ninety, out of our goaltender’s reach.”

Despite trailing for the majority of the second half, the Panthers never let up the intensity. Senior Katie Ruhe, playing in her last game as a Panther, had three late scoring chances — one of which nearly beat West Virginia goalkeeper Sara Keane.

The Panthers had possession of the ball near the sideline when, noticing that the Mountaineers had shifted their defense into an unbalanced formation, Pitt centered the ball to a streaking Ruhe who then fired a shot on goal. Keane sprung into the air, reaching up to tip the flying threat away from the goal to preserve her team’s lead.

“We had several chances to put the ball away to even the game and even had some quality chances before they scored [in the first half],” Ruhe said. “It just didn’t seem to go our way — kind of summed up our season in one game.”

Ruhe managed four shots in the game, two of which were on goal. Freshman Ali Matisse also tallied four shots for the Panthers.

Ultimately, the Mountaineer attack was too strong for the Panthers’ defense. West Virginia held advantages in shots (18-16) and corners (8-5). Pitt goalkeeper Kristina Rioux, who missed a season for medical reasons and will return next season for her fifth year, saw plenty of action. The senior made 12 saves for the Panthers, bringing her season total to 100.

The Panthers have battled from behind in most of their 19-game season. Friday’s loss marked the 12th time the Panthers have been held scoreless. Pitt finished the year averaging 0.74 goals scored per game, tied for second to last place in the Big East. On the defensive side, they let up the most goals of any team in the conference.

Nevertheless, Chin said she was pleased with her team’s resiliency — a trait she’s noticed throughout the year.

“We kept pressing and going for the equalizer,” she said. “I’m very proud of the effort the girls gave. They never quit — that’s been the case all season.”

Chin said that she will stress defensive and offensive technique with her players on an individual basis during spring workouts. The athletes will begin offseason training sessions on Nov. 1.

With the win over Pitt, West Virginia (14-4, 10-1) clinched the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the Big East tournament, which kicks off October 27. Last season was the first and only time that Pitt qualified for the tournament. They were knocked out in the first round by DePaul.