Pitt women’s soccer’s performance in the past two seasons has set the program to a higher standard, not only in the eyes of the ACC, but in the national rankings too.
Head coach Randy Waldrum shifted his team’s mindset from rebuilding the program to winning every game.
“Our approach is different,” Randy Waldrum said. “[The team] expects to win now. I think [in the 2022] season, there were still sometimes some games where we were just hoping to win.”
But after the 2023 season, Pitt women’s soccer is ready for more.
The program broke countless ACC records last season, including making it to the ACC semifinals and taking down No. 2-seeded Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament. But the 2024 roster was left with some big shoes to fill.
Key offensive players like Landy Mertz and Amanda West had gone to play professionally, and fans were eager to see how the season would fair without those two skilled assets.
As nonconference play comes to an end, associate head coach Ben Waldrum believes the program found a way to fill those shoes, and it requires every player to step up.
“It’s always hard to replace people of that caliber,” Ben Waldrum said. “We may have to find a different way we’re going to attack because what [Mertz and West] brought to us was unique and special.”
A key player who’s stepped up this season is senior forward Sarah Schupansky. Schupansky has climbed to the top of several NCAA rankings in nonconference play. She’s ranked No. 1 in shots on goal per game, No. 2 in shots per game and No. 1 in assists per game.
Schupansky’s performance in non conference play is crucial to the Panthers’ success as they have started the season with a 6-1-1 record. She credits her knack for getting the ball to the right person at the right time to her teammates as well.
“I know my teammates are going to do their absolute best every time I get [the ball] to put in whatever I can get them,” Schupansky said. “I’m going to do my best to do my part, and I know they’ll do their best to do theirs.”
Shupansky’s performances against Dartmouth last Thursday and Mercyhurst on Sunday demonstrated her confidence in her team and herself to get the job done.
In a scoreless first half against Dartmouth, Pitt posted 19 shots, but none made the mark. Schupansky had several corner kicks and crosses that couldn’t find the back of the net. In the second half, the senior remained confident and continued to create those opportunities for her team.
In the second period, Pitt went on a 3-0 run, each with an assist from Schupansky. The senior earned another assist and a goal later in the period, and Pitt won 6-1. She picked up two more assists and another goal on Sunday as well. Shupansky averages 1.43 assists per game and is a key component in the program’s attack.
Another player that’s stepped up is first-year forward Lola Abraham. The Pennsylvania native made her college debut against Georgia on Aug. 15 and has played in every game since.
Abraham has acclimated quickly to collegiate competition with several marks on the board already. She earned her first assist against Bucknell and fired four shots in both the Dartmouth and Mercyhurst matchups. Her value to the team is reminiscent of what Mertz gave to the program, according to Ben Waldrum.
“What you’re seeing now is Lola Abraham,” Ben Waldrum said. “A young player that’s come along. I think she’s doing a really nice job of coming close to what Landy gave us.”
Nonconference play demonstrated how well Pitt has acclimated to its new roster. With the season’s first section ending,en Waldrum knows what it’ll take for his team to succeed as the program heads into conference play.
“We’re going to have to find different ways to generate offense,” Ben Waldrum said. “Like we saw [playing Dartmouth], we had six different goal scorers. It’s going to be more of a collective group picking up the slack than just one or two people.”
The Panthers kick off ACC play at home against Louisville on Saturday. Last time out, the Cardinals beat the Panthers 3-2 and currently hold an all-time 8-3 edge over Pitt. The Panthers can’t wait for conference play to start this week.
“We’re really excited — it’s one of the most fun times of the year,” Shupansky said. “Any team can win any game … we’re going to work our absolute hardest to do the best in this conference.”