A season ago, the Pitt women’s soccer team managed to qualify for the Big East Tournament… A season ago, the Pitt women’s soccer team managed to qualify for the Big East Tournament with a measly 4-10-3 record. Like the party crashers most figured them to be, the Panthers were bounced easily from the playoffs almost as if they had never arrived.

Looking to secure an early invitation to the tournament this year, the Panthers have wasted little time in bolstering their cause. This weekend’s home sweep of two non-conference opponents, coupled with an early season tournament championship, has resulted in a 4-0 start for head coach Sue-Moy Chin’s squad.

Pitt handed out its party favors in the form of shots on goal, peppering their opponents’ goal all weekend. With victories over SUNY Binghamton and Western Michigan, the Panthers have surged out to the best start in program history.

And, with 11 goals already this season, they are on the prowl.

Pitt will continue its non-conference schedule with a 5 p.m. Friday contest against Marshall at Founders Field.

Pitt 3, SUNY Binghamton 1

To get off to the program’s first-ever 3-0 start, the Panthers needed a career first from sophomore Jen Kritch, whose three goals helped Pitt overpower the invading Bearcats, 3-1, Friday night.

She found the back of the net for the first time in the game’s 27th minute when freshman Katie Caslin slipped the ball to Kristina Francois, who laid it off to Kritch. The sophomore’s shot led to an early Panther lead.

The teams played to a stalemate for the next 45 minutes before Kritch and Francois were at it again. Francois fed a through-ball to the sophomore, who gathered it in, blew by one defender and crushed a shot past the goalkeeper for a 2-0 Pitt lead. The second assist of the game for Francois tied a single-game Pitt record.

That wasn’t the only record to that would be matched on this night, however.

Not even a minute later, Kritch notched her first career hat trick when the ball deflected off a Bearcat defender and ended up in the sophomore’s possession. She hit a solid volley from about 20 yards out just past the goalkeeper to extend the Panthers’ lead to 3-0.

With that goal, she became the sixth Pitt player to score three goals in a match. No player has scored more in Panther history.

Binghamton slipped a meaningless shot past Panther goalkeeper Alison Finch three minutes later, but Pitt’s dominating midfield proved to be too much for the invading Bearcats.

“We played well against a good team,” Chin said on PittsburghPanthers.com afterwards. “We worked hard for the win and I’m pleased with the effort. Jen Kritch really stepped up for us tonight.

“The win was a good team effort, Kritch finished her chances well but she couldn’t have done it without help from her teammates.”

Pitt 2, Western Michigan 0

Two days after relying on youth to pull out a win, the Panthers turned to senior leadership to extend their record-setting start. Seniors Francois and Corina Sebesta notched goals 30 minutes apart to lead Pitt to a 2-0 win Sunday afternoon.

Sebesta put Pitt on top 37 minutes in when Caslin found Sebesta in the center of the field. Sebesta dribbled past a Bronco and rifled a 20-yard shot over the Western Michigan goalkeeper for a 1-0 Panther lead.

“Corina had an outstanding day today,” Chin said afterwards. “She did a great job of winning balls in the middle and then distributing to her teammates.”

Francois doubled the lead when she took a pass from Kritch and then dialed long distance herself with a 30-yard blast that also found the back of the net. That shot meant the duo combined for three goals on the weekend.

When coupled with Pitt’s solid defensive play (the Broncos only managed two shots on goal), the margin proved to be more than enough for a fourth-straight win.

“Obviously, Tina Francois also had a great day. I am pleased with how our defense continues to remain solid,” Chin said. “We’re all happy and excited to be 4-0.”