Soccer shut out for the weekend

After just achieving a win over top-10 ranked West Virginia, followed by a heartbreaking… After just achieving a win over top-10 ranked West Virginia, followed by a heartbreaking last-second loss to Toledo, the emotionally drained women’s soccer team traveled to Athens, Ga. over the weekend to take part in the Georgia Tournament. The Panthers faced off against a pair of opponents they have rarely competed with in the past, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Kennesaw State Owls.

Georgia 2, Pitt 0

The first matchup of the weekend pitted a Panther team fresh off their first loss of the season against a formidable Bulldog team, owner of a 5-0 record and a No. 6 national ranking, according to Soccer Buzz. The Bulldogs also had the added advantage of playing in front of their home crowd.

The game’s first goal was scored 11 minutes into the match by Bulldog junior defender Missy Vierling, her second of the season. Veirling’s goal was the result of a nifty shot fake at the edge of the Panthers’ penalty box. The fake opened up a lane for her to rip a left-footed shot into the upper left hand corner of the goal.

Senior forward Erin Sekerak earned her third goal of the season early in the second half, scoring the game’s next and last goal when a Pitt defender deflected a pass from Georgia’s Kristin Garman.

The ball went over goalkeeper Jamie Pelusi’s hands and rolled near the goal. The streaking Sekerak beat the Pitt defenders to the ball and knocked it in to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead and the victory.

The Panthers deficient offense managed just seven shots for the game – only three on goal – compared with the Bulldogs’ 18 shots. Georgia’s victory was the team’s sixth straight, which tied the 1997 Bulldog squad’s team record for best start ever.

Pitt 0, Kennesaw State 0

The Panthers next match was played on Sunday against an Owls team that just recently won the 2005 Nike Classic Championship.

The Panthers rebounded nicely from their Friday night loss, displaying tremendous heart in a grueling 110-minute battle, which resulted in a double-overtime 0-0 tie. The evenly matched teams engaged in a defensive battle, which was highlighted by the play of star goalkeeper Jamie Pelusi, who recorded 10 saves in the contest. Pelusi was most impressive in the second overtime, when she averted vicious offensive attacks by the Owls’ Annie Phillips and Rebecca Hall.

The Panthers controlled the tempo of the game and were the more aggressive team, but they were unable to finish any goals.

“Jamie had an excellent game and so did (defenseman) Carli Brill,” head coach Sue-Moy Chin said on PittsburghPanthers.com. “Jamie faced a couple of really tough shots in overtime but was able to stop the shots and hold it together for our team. We are really coming along, and this is a good rebound for us after Friday night’s game.”

The Panthers played much better offensively than in Friday night’s game and created numerous scoring opportunities, including eight corner kicks and 11 shots. Despite their best efforts and an oh-so-close miss by senior Sara Gutting in the first overtime period, the Panthers were unable to find the net.

The Panther offense was shut out over weekend, but Coach Chin expressed little frustration.

“I was really pleased with our effort,” she said.

As a result of the weekend’s matches, the Panthers overall record fell to 2-2-1. The team is scheduled to travel to Colorado this weekend for two tough games. On Friday, they take on the University of Denver. They then take on the University of Colorado on Sunday. The team will not play at home again until they take on Syracuse on Sept. 25.