Pitt women’s soccer posts 2-0 shutout of St. Joseph’s

The Pitt women’s soccer team hosted St. Joseph’s at Ambrose Urbanic Field on Sunday afternoon and earned its third win of the season in a 2-0 shutout. The game also served as a showcase of Pitt’s young talent, as the team’s two goals were furnished by first-year players and it benefited from a clean sheet by freshman goalkeeper Caitlyn Lazzarini.

Although Pitt outshot St. Joseph’s 7-2 in the first half, it only put two shots on goal and failed to get either of those past Hawks goalkeeper Emily Cuccio. However, in the 73rd minute, Panthers star Amanda West was taken down in the penalty box and was awarded a penalty kick, which she converted to put Pitt on the board. With the goal, the freshman also extended her point streak to six games.

In the 85th minute, West found Panthers midfielder Juliana Vazquez with a corner kick. Vazquez then advanced the ball to Panthers forward Margret Arnadottir, which she drove into the back of the net to put Pitt up 2-0. It was the Iceland native’s first goal as a Panther, and the Hawks would be unable to come up with an answer in the remaining five minutes of play.

”I think it’s the first time all season we’ve put 90 minutes together,” Pitt head coach Randy Waldrum said after the game. “Tonight, I told them after the game that for a bunch of amateurs, I thought it was a really professional performance. And I thought they just managed the game really well. ... So it’s just nice getting to see some of these players grow and mature as we move on in the season.”

With the win, Pitt improves to 3-2-1 on the season and extends its unbeaten streak at Ambrose Urbanic Field to three games. The Panthers will look to extend that streak to four games on Thursday, when they host VCU in the final game of a three-game homestand. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.