Pitt women’s soccer ties Kent State, remains unbeaten

The Pitt women’s soccer team remained unbeaten on Friday night by drawing with Kent State 1-1 in a matchup that went into double overtime. While the outcome fell short of ideal, it was still a relatively positive turn of events for the Panthers, who lost to the Golden Flashes in 2016 and 2017. Another positive was that Pitt’s Anna Rico extended her scoring streak to three games.

”[Rico’s] carrying the load offensively right now, and [we had] another great goal from her early,” Pitt head coach Randy Waldrum said in a postgame interview. “She probably would tell you herself she could have had two or three today. ... The efficiency that she’s had around the goal has just been really something. Hopefully we keep her going but get a few more going as well.”

Rico opened up the scoring with a goal in the 16th minute, thanks to a well-placed pass by Dixon Veltri. It was Rico’s third goal of the season and Veltri’s second assist.

However, the Panthers were unable to hold onto their early lead, as Maddie Holmes of the Golden Flashes found the back of the net to tie things up in the 53rd minute. Neither team would score again, as the match spilled into overtime and played out as a stalemate.

Offensively, both teams tapered off in overtime, as neither team got a shot off in the first overtime period and each managed just one in the second overtime period.

Rico’s scoring streak is undoubtedly the most notable positive for the team early in the season, but it also highlights a concerning aspect of the team’s offensive attack that Waldrum alluded to. Aside from Rico, only one other Panther, Ashley Moreira, has tallied a goal this season, leaving the Pitt offense a bit one dimensional and prone to getting shut down by stouter defenses.

The Panthers will take the field again on Sunday, when they face a 0-3 Jacksonville Dolphins team that went 5-11 last season. They’ll kick off from Ambrose Urbanic Field at noon ET.