Win over Georgetown keeps Pitt women alive

Ashley Habbel’s goal with four seconds remaining pushed the Pitt women’s soccer team past… Ashley Habbel’s goal with four seconds remaining pushed the Pitt women’s soccer team past Georgetown (10-3-2) for a double-overtime win Sunday on senior day. With the 2-1 victory over the Hoyas, the Panthers (6-10-1) earned three much-needed Big East points and tied South Florida for fifth place in the conference. ‘I think we played really well today,’ said Pitt coach Sue-Moy Chin. ‘We are getting better at creating chances and getting shots off.’ The first score for the Panthers came in the 30th minute when Jennifer Kritch gained control of a ball headed by a Georgetown defender. The goal was the 13th of the season for Kritch, who was honored along with Kylie Veverka for senior recognition day. Pitt played aggressive from start to finish, outshooting the Hoyas 14-5. After dominating the first half, the Panthers were confident in their ability to defeat No. 19 Georgetown. ‘We were confident,’ said Habbel. ‘We felt like we were controlling the game. We were going to score.’ Georgetown went into the second half hungry for points. In the 59th minute, Nicole Smith headed a ball from Stephanie Zare to even the score for the Hoyas. ‘They scored, and it was a tough goal, but we didn’t let it affect us,’ said Habbel. ‘We just controlled the ball and found ways to score.’ Samantha Baker made the final attempt at a goal for the Hoyas in the 66th minute. Georgetown was outshot 10-0 through the last 20 minutes of regular play and both overtimes. And heading into overtime, the Panthers knew what to expect. ‘Going into overtime tied 1-1, we knew we could win, and we needed the extra time to score,’ said sophomore Kat Weiler. The Panthers took numerous shots on goal, but the winning goal came with four seconds remaining in the second overtime. ‘[The clock] was counting down from 10 seconds, and the ball was at the top. I could hear the count in my head, and all I thought was, ‘Get the shot off,” said Habbel. To her satisfaction, the shot found the back of the net, and the Panthers defeated the Hoyas, 2-1. ‘In the second overtime, with four seconds left, they never stopped believing,’ said Chin. The Panthers see the win as evidence of their improvement. ‘I definitely feel like we’ve been dominating teams all year, but we just couldn’t get the results we wanted. Now we’re stepping it up offensively and playing the whole game to the fullest,’ said Weiler. The Panthers play Big East opponent South Florida Friday in a match that can secure a spot in the Big East tournament.