Pitt women’s soccer team blanked by Wake Forest 1-0

The Pitt women’s soccer team faced Wake Forest in its final scheduled game of the fall at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem on Sunday afternoon. The stakes were high, as a spot in the ACC tournament was on the line for Pitt, and the Panthers fell short, leaving the Tar Heel State with a costly 1-0 loss.

The first half played out as a defensive stalemate, with neither team overwhelming the other with pressure. But the Demon Deacons did have a slight edge in shots at the 45-minute mark, with seven to the Panthers’ five.

The second half played out in a similar fashion, but Pitt outshot Wake Forest 9-8. However, the game-winning shot came off the foot of a Demon Deacon, as Sofia Rossi scored the only goal of the game in the 65th minute. That gave Wake Forest a 1-0 lead it would hold on to.

Pitt goalkeeper Caitlyn Lazzarini put on a solid performance, as she came up with seven saves after a nine-save game against Clemson on Thursday. Offensively, Pitt was led by Emily Yaple, who got off five shots and put two on goal. Amanda West was held scoreless despite her three shots and one on goal.

Heading into the game, Pitt was tied with Virginia Tech for eighth place in the ACC, meaning the team needed a win or a tie and a Hokies loss to remain in the top eight and earn an ACC tournament berth. But with the loss on Sunday, Pitt fell to 3-5-0 in ACC play and dropped to 10th in the conference standings and will not earn a tournament bid.

The loss also drops Pitt to 9-5-0 overall for the fall, with potentially more games to be played in the spring. And in a statistical anomaly, Pitt has failed to secure a spot in the tournament despite having more wins than any other team in the ACC. Now, the Panthers will await additional competition in the spring, when they will likely have an opportunity to secure their first 10-win campaign since 2015.