Weekend Recap: Soccer and cross country complete pivotal weekend

First-year midfielder Emily Yaple (10) led the Panthers with five shots, scoring on none during Pitt's 1-0 loss to Wake Forest on Sunday. With the loss to Demon Deacons, the Panthers will miss the 2020 ACC Women's Soccer Tournament and end their season with a 9-5-0 record.

Pitt Athletics had an eventful and pivotal Halloween weekend, with cross country and women’s soccer each taking part in high-leverage competition toward the closure of their seasons.

Both men’s and women’s cross country competed in the ACC Championships on Friday, and women’s soccer concluded its regular season with a potential conference tournament play-in game.

Women’s soccer

Pitt wrapped up its season with a 1-0 loss to Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon in Winston-Salem, N.C. With a win, the Panthers would have qualified for the ACC tournament and extended their season. Instead, despite a final 9-5-0 record, Pitt’s season is over.

The Panthers managed only one fewer shot than Wake Forest (15-14) but were not able to cash in on any of their opportunities. First-year Emily Yaple struck a game-high five shots, including two on goal, followed by sophomore Amanda West and first-year Chantelle Parker, who recorded three and two shots, respectively.

Sophomore goalkeeper Caitlyn Lazzarini recorded seven saves but failed to stop Wake Forest midfielder Sofia Rossi from scoring in the match’s 65th minute.

Pitt finished the season 10th in the ACC standings with a conference record of 3-5-0.

Cross Country

Men’s and women’s cross country also concluded their seasons over the weekend, traveling to North Carolina to compete in the ACC Championships. The Pitt men finished in 10th place, one rank higher than their 2019 spot, and the women earned a 14th place finish for the second year in a row. The men’s and women’s teams posted total scores of 282 and 406, respectively.

Seniors Ally Brunton and Zach Lefever placed highest among Pitt’s competitors in their respective races. In the men’s 8k race, Marc Migliozzi posted a personal record time of 24:19.3, finishing 53rd overall.

Senior Josh Higgins and Junior Evan Addison placed 88th and 91st, followed by Sam Otis and Ethan Maher in 106th and 109th, respectively. The women’s 6k race was highlighted by Brunton’s season-best time of 21:23.2, good for a 54th place finish.

Following Brunton was first-year Sadie Carey-Tharp, who finished second among Pitt’s competitors with a 6k personal record time of 22:07.6. Carey-Tarp finished 88th overall. Sophomore Lily Robertson finished next for Pitt with a 105th place in 22:42.4 while the first-year trio of Olivia Zambrio, Reagan Flannery and Veronica Sanchez each recorded top-125 finishes.

The ACC Championships were Pitt’s final competition of 2020, and the National Championships are set to take place in March of 2021.

Men’s Soccer

Pitt men’s soccer announced on Wednesday afternoon that it had paused all team-related activities “due to COVID-19 related protocols.” As a result, last Friday’s game versus Notre Dame was cancelled.

The Panthers have already qualified for the 2020 ACC Championship tournament and now await an opponent who is yet to be determined, and who they will play in a quarterfinal round game scheduled for Nov. 15. The site of the tournament also has yet to be finalized.

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