THE MATCHUP
PITTSBURGH – Two teams tied for second place in the ACC standings are set to square off Sunday at Koskinen Stadium as the No. 13-ranked Pitt women’s soccer team (11-2-0, 4-1-0 ACC) visits Durham, N.C., to battle No. 7-ranked Duke (9-3-0, 4-1-0 ACC). The matchup is slated to get underway at 1 p.m. and will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK
Pitt saw its five-game winning streak snapped with a 4-0 loss on the road to No. 5-ranked North Carolina Thursday. The setback marked the first for the Panthers in ACC play in 2022.
Pitt’s four goals conceded marked a season high. The Tar Heels outshot the Panthers, 22-5, and held the advantage in shots on goal (10-4) and corners (9-5). Pitt was shutout for the first time this season.
MOVIN’ UP
Pitt moved up one spot to No. 13 in the country in the latest United Soccer Coaches Rankings.
The Panthers entered the rankings at No. 14 a week ago, marking the third-straight year Pitt has appeared in the weekly poll. Pitt reached as high as No. 19 in the poll last season and No. 12 in 2020.
BATTLE OF RANKED TEAMS
Pitt’s matchup against No. 7 ranked Duke on Sunday marks the program’s fourth showdown as a ranked team against a ranked opponent. Last season, then-No. 20-ranked Pitt hosted then-No. 6-ranked TCU and fell by a 1-0 score. In 2020, the then-No. 14-ranked Panthers suffered a 2-1 overtime setback to then-No. 10-ranked Virginia. Pitt’s loss to North Carolina on Thursday marked its third defeat in three tires as a ranked team against a ranked opponent.
TOP TWO
The Panthers have climbed all the way to No. 2 in the NCAA’s third Rating Percentage Index (RPI) report of the 2022 season after opening at No. 18 in the initial report and then moving up to seventh last week.
HOT START
With 11 wins in 13 attempts, Pitt is off to its best start in program history. With their next victory, the Panthers will set the program standard for the most victories in a single season.
A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
ACC play has seen Pitt record its first-ever wins over Virginia Tech (4-1) and Notre Dame (3-1). The Panthers were previously 0-7-1 against the Hokies and 0-15-1 against the…
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