The first time Morie Kephart started as goalkeeper for Pitt’s soccer team, she was so nervous she was shaking.

Now, she’s a leader for Pitt’s defense, “the level head in the back,” as she calls it, and one of the top goalkeepers in the country… The first time Morie Kephart started as goalkeeper for Pitt’s soccer team, she was so nervous she was shaking.

Now, she’s a leader for Pitt’s defense, “the level head in the back,” as she calls it, and one of the top goalkeepers in the country.

Kephart leads Division I goalkeepers with a .926 save percentage on a Pitt defense that allowed only 11 goals last season, tying for first in the Big East.

She set several school records during her years at Pitt, including most shutouts in a season (8), most career shutouts (13) and least career goals allowed (39). However, Kephart quickly pointed out that the achievements were not hers alone.

“It wasn’t just my success,” Kephart said. “We had a really cohesive defensive line and defensive unit. The back line had been together two or three years total. It was just something that clicked.”

That backfield consisted of Kat Weiler, Maura Caslin, Rebecca Fraser and Abby Baldys. Weiler — who is also Kephart’s roommate — and Baldys both return this season.

Kepart said that a lot of credit goes to the defense for preventing the opponent from getting good shots off.

“Most of the shots that I got were fairly easy to save,” Kephart said. “I only had one or two games where I had to make a lot of tough saves.”

Despite her success last season, Kephart said there are always ways for her to improve her game. She said she’ll continue to work hard on her game individually in order to get bigger and stronger heading into this season.

Although she has personal goals for her senior season, such as allowing no more than 10 goals, her main goals focus on the team. She wants to go far in the Big East tournament and receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

“I could have the worst season of my life, but as long as the team succeeds, I would be happy,” she said.

Kephart’s journey to Pitt is one rooted in legacy. Both of her parents, grandparents and great grandparents attended the University. So although she looked at other schools, she decided to attend Pitt — even though she wasn’t sure she had a spot on the team right away.

The Panthers were recruiting a goalie for her year, Kephart said, but that eventually fell through. Kephart was accepted to Pitt at the end of her junior year and, in the winter, decided she was going to attend Pitt whether or not there was a place on the team.

Pitt head coach Sue-Moy Chin called Kephart in March to offer her a spot that opened on the squad. Although Chin had never seen Kephart play, Kephart played for one of the assistants in the past, and Chin trusted her judgment.

“Everything just kind of fell into place after that,” Kephart said.

Kephart chose a health and physical activity major at Pitt, hoping to keep soccer in her life after she graduates. She wants to coach, saying she would like to start at the club level and maybe eventually become a college coach. She’s also looking at becoming a personal trainer or a strength and conditioning coach.

She came to Pittsburgh from State College, and although she said there was a transition moving from the country to the city, she always considered Pittsburgh a second home.

Kephart played in Pittsburgh for club soccer, and she has family in the city, so she spent a lot of time in Pittsburgh growing up.

“It also helps to have a team with you,” she said. “You have automatic friends and that makes the adjustment a lot easier.”

That bond with her teammates helped her grow as a goalie throughout the years, because she knows how they play and what to expect.

As she heads into her final year as a Panther, Kephart said there are many things she’s improved upon since beginning on the field as a nervous freshman.

“The experience helped me tremendously,” she said. “I’m more knowledgeable. I’m more explosive. I’ve become faster and stronger overall. My organization skills have gotten a lot better. With an organized defense, the other team gets half as many shots.”

In order to organize the defense, Kephart said that she tries to keep everyone calm around her.

“I do play with a lot of emotion,” she said. “If I wouldn’t play with emotion, I wouldn’t be the player I am. But being a goalie, you have to keep everyone’s emotions running low around you.”

She said she tries to be a leader in everything she does, and especially this season, she wants to step up and lead the team no matter what.

“It’s my senior year and it’ll probably be one of the last times I play competitive soccer,” she said. “I want to leave everything on the fields. No regrets.”