No. 19 Women’s Soccer Hosts Clemson with ACC Tournament Berth at Stake

THE MATCHUP

PITTSBURGH – The 2022 regular season finale is the stage for the most important game of the season as the No. 19-ranked Pitt women’s soccer team (12-4-1, 5-3-1 ACC) plays host to Clemson (8-4-4, 4-3-2), with a win or a tie clinching a berth in the 2022 ACC Championship field for the Panthers. First touch from Ambrose Urbanic Field is set for 7 p.m. The showdown will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. 

HISTORY AT STAKE

A win over the Tigers will clinch Pitt’s first-ever trip to the ACC tournament. The Panthers last appeared in postseason play in 2010 – a 1-0 loss at DePaul in the Big East Tournament First Round. Pitt has never qualified for the NCAA tournament.

The top six teams in the league will qualify for the 2022 ACC Women’s Soccer Championship. Notre Dame, North Carolina, Florida State, Duke and Virginia have all qualified for the tournament, with seeding to be determined by the results of Thursday’s regular season finales. The top two seeds will receive a bye to the semifinals while the third and sixth seeds and fourth and fifth seeds will square off at the campus site of the higher seed on October 30. With a win or tie on Thursday, Pitt can qualify as either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed pending the result of Virginia’s game at Miami. Both the semifinals (November 3) and championship game (November 6) are slated to be contested at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

PANTHERS FALL TO SEMINOLES

Pitt suffered its first home loss of the 2022 season Sunday at Ambrose Urbanic Field, falling to then–No. 4-ranked Florida State, 1-0, in a hard-fought battle.

A WIN FOR THE RECORD BOOK

Pitt set new program standards for both wins and goals in a single season courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Syracuse last Thursday at Ambrose Urbanic Field.

The Panthers have captured a program-record 12 victories in 2022, surpassing the previous standard of 11 set by the 2020-21 and ’21 squads. Pitt’s five ACC wins this year are the most in a single season in program history since the Panthers joined the league prior to the 2013 campaign. Pitt also set a new program record for goals scored in a single season, raising its total to 43 on the year after potting a pair against the Orange.

Bri Hilsenteger found the back of the net in the 44th minute, then Sarah Schupansky added an insurance goal in the 86th minute to put…