The last time the Panthers walked on Ambrose Urbanic Field, they broke Duke’s historic winning streak over Pitt, 2-1. Pitt (11-2-1, 4-1-1 ACC) continued their three-game win streak on Sunday afternoon, beating Wake Forest (8-1-4, 2-1-3 ACC) 4-1.
Head coach Randy Waldrum knew Pitt was capable of winning against teams like Wake Forest — who have a history of being a good program.
“This year it feels the team can win those games now,” Waldrum said. “Like we’re better. And as a coaching staff, we felt like this weekend we were better than Duke and Wake, and I don’t know how many people outside of us believed that but we believed it and I think our players are playing like they believe it.”
The match picked up on the brisk October day after the 16th minute. Pitt graduate student forward Amanda West took a shot at the top right corner of the net but Wake Forest senior goalkeeper Madison Howard made the save. In the 21st minute, Pitt junior forward Sarah Schupansky kicked the ball off the top of her foot and the ball headed to the top back of the net. Howard jumped up almost to the top of the post for another save.
In the 29th minute, a Wake Forest player received some friendly fire when two Demon Deacons blocked the ball off each other. As a result, the ball shot toward a Pitt player on the left wing. Schupansky took her shot, but a Wake Forest defender blocked the ball and it bounced off the left post. Pitt fifth-year midfielder Anna Bout swept in from the right wing for the rebound and tapped the ball off her right foot into the net, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Pitt dominated the field by the end of the first half. The Panthers posted two more shots in the last five minutes and their press prevented the Demon Deacons from having any chances. By the end of the second half, Pitt posted eight shots to Wake Forest’s one.
The Panthers headed into the locker rooms at the half leading in corner kicks, shots and points.
The Demon Deacons put more pressure on the Panthers to start the second half. After Pitt junior midfielder Ellie Coffield committed a foul, Emily Morris took her free kick. It soared just above the top of the post. Pitt picked up another foul in the 51st minute resulting in another Wake Forest shot. Within the first ten minutes of the second half, the Demon Deacons took three shots.
In the 57th minute, Wake Forest capitalized on its opportunities. Wake Forest junior forward Emily Murphy found a gap in Pitt’s defense and kicked the ball off her bottom left foot to tie the game, 1-1.
Schupansky knew that Wake Forest was capable of potentially coming from behind and winning the game at the last minute.
“They’ve come from behind against a lot of their other opponents,” Schupansky said. “But once they went down, we made sure not to get in our heads.”
Pitt got two opportunities to tie the game after they were awarded two free kicks in the 58th and 60th minutes. Both missed the mark.
Pitt played a conservative game at the start of the second half. No one stepped up in the box and no one put themselves in the position to score. That changed in the 65th minute.
Pitt graduate student midfielder Landy Mertz beat her defender down the left wing for the breakaway. Mertz and Schupansky were a foot ahead of the only Demon Deacons’ defender. Mertz made the pass to Schupansky who tapped the ball with her left foot into the back of the net. The Panthers took the lead, 2-1, with 25 minutes left of the match.
West took three shots between the 74th and 77th minutes, trying to break her goalless streak over the past five games. All three just missed the mark.
In the 80th minute, Pitt first-year midfielder Deborah Aboidun found junior forward Samiah Phiri running down the right wing. Aboidun served the pass and Phiri made her shot in the bottom left corner of the net, strengthening their lead to 3-1.
With just five minutes left in the match, Coffield earned her third point of the season after she launched the ball into the back of the net to seal the game.
The Panthers won the match, 4-1. They hope to extend their winning streak on the road next Saturday against Syracuse.
