Pitt women’s soccer team ranked No. 20 in the nation

The Pitt women’s soccer team made its debut in the United Soccer Coaches poll on Tuesday afternoon, coming in at No. 20 after shutting out their opposition in two straight games. And in addition to playing solid defense, the Panthers put on a show on the offensive end of the pitch, outscoring their opponents 10-0.

Previously, Pitt sat just outside the top 25 after a successful weekend in Oklahoma, during which the team topped Tulsa 3-0 and then-No. 16 Oklahoma State 3-2. But after dominating Cleveland State and NJIT, both by a score of 5-0, Pitt was able to break into the ranking.

Pitt is one of six ACC programs in the top-25 ranking, as Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia occupy the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 spots, respectively, while Duke comes in at No. 5 and Clemson comes in at No. 15. No other conference has more ranked teams, and the closest one to the ACC is the SEC, with four.

In addition to its No. 20 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches poll, Pitt is ranked No. 21 by Top Drawer Soccer. The team earned a two-spot bump from its No. 23 ranking last week.

At this point, Pitt sits at 4-0 on the season, and the Panthers will look to improve on their record on Friday night, when they head to Philadelphia to face St. Joseph’s. And after that, the team will head home for a top-25 showdown with No. 6 TCU in Pittsburgh.