Women’s soccer: Defense at the heart of Panthers’ success

When opponents face the Pitt women’s soccer team, they know scoring on one of the top defenses… When opponents face the Pitt women’s soccer team, they know scoring on one of the top defenses in the country won’t be easy.

Pitt’s defense set a school record for the most shutouts in a season (nine) with its win over Villanova Sunday. The victory also brought the Panthers closer to the University’s win record — one more victory gives the team eight wins and ties the record.

Pitt head coach Sue-Moy Chin said this Panther defense is the best she’s seen in her seven years as head coach and has been the strongest part of the team this season.

“Their understanding over the past couple of years playing in the system has gotten better, so they’ve gotten better,” Chin said. “Add that with the experience of playing together and the records they’ve set, and they are [the] best.”

Pitt’s backfield consists of senior Maura Caslin, juniors Kat Weiler and Rebecca Fraser and sophomore Brittany Pfaff, prior to her ankle injury.

Chin said that after Pfaff’s injury, freshman Abby Baldys did a good job of stepping in, learning the situation on the field and being productive for the team.

The Panthers are tied for third in the Big East for goals allowed and are fifth in goals against average with 0.62 goals.

Starting goalkeeper Morie Kephart has seven shutouts this season — a season record — and is also the team’s all-time shutout leader with 12. She is second in the Big East this season with a 0.51 goals against average and first in save percentage with .910.

When Kephart broke the record for most shutouts in a season, she credited the entire defense for her success.

“We all work together to form an effective unit,” Kephart said. “I demand a lot out of them, and they demand a lot out of me.”

But Kephart isn’t the only goalkeeper finding success on the field.

Backup goalkeeper Alison Finch shut out Notre Dame on Oct. 4, keeping the Fighting Irish scoreless for the first time since 2006. Notre Dame is second in the Big East in goals per game, followed by Connecticut, against whom the Panthers will end the season.

Pitt has played against several high-powered offenses this season. Chin said she’s been impressed with her backfield’s ability to hold them to long shots and her goalkeepers’ capability of stopping those shots when they come.

“The backfield is not allowing players to get us in a lot of dangerous situations,” Chin said. “They’ve been good with the ball and starting our attack. I can’t say enough about them and what they’ve done for us this year.”

Chin said defense is something on which the team concentrates every year, beginning with preseason workouts. The coaches practice with the Panthers to move from individual to group to complete team defense.

She said defense is a team concept, where the players start from the front and work toward the back.

“Every year, we want to make sure we are solid and sure in the back,” Chin said. “We talk to our forwards about how when they turn it over, they put pressure on our backline.”

She said Weiler and Caslin are the center of the backfield for the Panthers.

Weiler was named the Big East defensive player of the week on Oct. 6. She started every game this season, while leading the team in minutes. Caslin has also started every game this year.

“They are the organizers for the defense, and they’ve been consistent for us throughout the years,” Chin said. “They have determination and an understanding of how to play. Their focus has been really impressive.”

Chin said she has noticed those characteristics carry over to the rest of the backfield and the goalkeepers. Combined with the team’s overall experience, those qualities make up one of the best defenses in the Big East.

“It’s very impressive with the teams that we play in the conference, with the amount of goals that those teams usually score,” Chin said. “Our defending and organization helps us eliminate a lot of different attacks and offenses.”