Women’s Soccer Opens ACC Play at Virginia Tech

THE MATCHUP

The Pitt women’s soccer team (7-1-0) opens the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of its 2022 schedule when it travels to Blacksburg, Va., to battle Virginia Tech (6-1-1) Friday at Thompson Field. First touch is scheduled for 5 p.m. The matchup will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.

PANTHERS FINISH NON-CONFERENCE PLAY STRONG

Pitt prevailed in seven of its first eight games for the second year in a row to finish non-conference play strong. The Panthers went a perfect 4-0 at home in non-conference action, wrapping up that portion of its 2022 schedule with a 3-2 triumph over Liberty last Sunday at Ambrose Urbanic Field. After falling behind 1-0 in the 11th minute, Leah Pais delivered her second brace in three matches, scoring in the 30th and 38th minutes to give the Panthers a lead they never relinquished. Ellie Coffield added an insurance goal on a free kick in the 55th minute.

STARTING OUT HOT

With its 6-0 start to the 2022 campaign, the Panthers matched the 2020 Pitt squad for the best start to a season in program history. Pitt has come storming out of the gate each of the last three seasons, following up its 6-0 start in 2020 by rattling off five straight wins to begin the ’21 regular season.

BUILDING THE PROGRAM

The Panthers are now 38-35-1 under the leadership of fifth-year head coach Randy Waldrum. After going 9-22-4 in the first two years of a massive rebuild, Pitt has gone 29-15 over the last two-plus seasons.

OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT

Pitt has outscored the opposition 29-6 so far in 2022. The Panthers rolled to a 7-0 victory over Kent State, marking the second time in as many seasons that Pitt has registered a 7-0 win, beating Saint Francis by the same score on Sept. 9, 2021. The victory over Kent State marked the third-straight season in which Pitt has scored seven goals in a game, with a 7-1 win over App State on Sept. 13, 2020, starting the streak. The Panthers have totaled at least six goals in a game five times and have won by at least five goals seven times in the last three years.

The Panthers currently rank second in NCAA Division I in total points (83) and are tied for first in total goals (29) and tied for second in scoring offense (3.62 points per game). Pitt is also tied for third in the country in total assists (25) and ranks fifth in both shots per game (23.12) and shots on…