Women’s Soccer: Panthers open up season with mixed results

The Pitt women’s soccer team started the season with a scoring record and a career first,… The Pitt women’s soccer team started the season with a scoring record and a career first, despite early games  filled with missed scoring opportunities.

Head coach Sue-Moy Chin said the Panthers haven’t played their best soccer yet, but she’s pleased with the team’s effort.

“We’re still working things out in the midfield and getting our backline sorted out as well,” Chin said. “But at the same time, we’re sitting at 2-2, and we have the chance to get some things sorted out this weekend when we go on our first road trip.”

Chin attributes the early season difficulties to adjusting to new personnel and working out beginning-of-the-year kinks.

She hopes to have the team improve on some technical issues during this weekend’s game in North Carolina.

Even so, those kinks didn’t stop the Panthers from beginning the year with two straight wins.

Pitt 1, Cleveland State 0

The Panthers’ first game of the season was an exhibition game victory over Cleveland State.

Liz Carroll scored the only goal of the match-up in the 16th minute when she headed a corner kick from Laura Berbert into the net.

Morie Kephart and Kristina Rioux, who each played a half in goal, contributed solid performances and stopped all three Cleveland State shots on goal, holding the Vikings scoreless. Kephart made a diving stop in the 29th minute to keep Pitt in the lead.

Neither team could take advantage of scoring opportunities in the second half, and the Panthers held on to the early lead for the win.

Pitt out-shot the Vikings 16-4, including 9-3 on goal.

Pitt 4, Buffalo 1

Ashley Cuba tied a school record, scoring three goals as the Panthers defeated Buffalo 4-1 in their regular season opener.

Cuba scored the only goal of the first half in the fifth minute when she got a loose ball by the Buffalo goalkeeper. She scored again in the 49th minute, dribbling left and shooting into the lower right corner for a goal.

Katelyn Lippert notched the only Panther goal not by Cuba in the 51st minute off a set-up from Dana DelleFemine. It was the first goal of the freshman’s collegiate career.

Natasha Arana scored the lone Buffalo goal in the 59th minute when she got the ball past Pitt goalkeeper Kephart. Kephart finished with two saves.

In the 89th minute, Cuba scored her record-tying third goal of the game off a set-up from Abby Baldys. Cuba is one of only seven players in Pitt history to score three goals in a game.

Katie Ruhe had two assists, tying a career high.

The Panthers had 22 shots to Buffalo’s five, including a 10-3 shots-on-goal advantage.

Ohio 2, Pitt 0

Pitt suffered its first loss of the season against Ohio, falling to the Bobcats 2-0.

The Panthers out-shot Ohio 18-9, but the Bobcats took advantage of their scoring opportunities.

Neither team scored in the first half, but Ohio’s Jackie Hanson scored the first goal of the game in the 63rd minute after Katie Kemen collected a loose ball.

In the 76th minute, the Bobcats padded their lead as Kelsey Pichel’s shot from the center of the field went over the head of Kephart. Kephart had two saves for the Panthers, while Ohio goalkeeper Mattie Liston stopped all five Panther shots for the shutout.

Carroll and Ruhe led the Panthers with five and three shots, respectively.

Ohio State 2, Pitt 0

Another team from Ohio handed the Panthers their second loss and second shutout of the season as the Buckeyes defeated Pitt 2-0.

Chin said the game was a hard-fought, tough loss.

Ohio State scored once in each half. The first goal came in the 29th minute, when Tiffany Cameron scored off a pass from Caitlyn Martin.

Liz Sullivan connected on a free kick from 40 yards out in the 67th minute, when the ball bounced over the head of Kephart and into the net.

Pitt had only two shots on goal, with scoring opportunities in the fourth and 60th minutes. In the fourth minute, Ohio State goalkeeper Rachel Middleman made a shoulder-high save to keep Ashley Cuba’s shot from going in.

In the 60th minute, Carroll narrowly missed a goal off a header.

The Buckeyes out-shot the Panthers 14-8, and Pitt only had two shots on goal. Kephart was credited with four saves.

Pitt 3, Oakland 0

DelleFemine scored two goals as the Panthers bounced back against Oakland, beating the Golden Grizzlies 3-0.

“Early games are always difficult,” Chin said of the 1 p.m. match-up. “We were trying to match the emotion from Friday, and we had to battle the heat.”

DelleFemine scored her first career goal in the 16th minute off a pass from Ruhe at the top of the box. She scored her second goal in the 87th minute, once again assisted by Ruhe.

Laura Berbert scored the other Panther goal off a penalty kick in the 71st minute.

Pitt was awarded the penalty kick after Alexandra Jaffe was held up in the box.

Ruhe finished the game with two assists. Carroll and Jaffe each had one assist.

Despite the win, Chin said she saw room for improvement.

“We could have been more composed on the ball,” she said. “But overall, I think they worked hard and well together. Katie Ruhe did a good job supplying the ball.”

The Panthers had 21 shots to Oakland’s three, including an 8-2 shots-on-goal advantage. Kephart finished with two saves for the Panthers, while Oakland goalkeeper Shannon Coley had five.

“We had a good effort after that tough Friday match,” Chin said. “The girls responded.”