No. 20 Pitt women’s soccer team deals Towson 2-0 loss

The No. 20 Pitt women’s soccer team faced Towson at Ambrose Urbanic Field on Sunday afternoon and came up with a 2-0 shutout. The shutout was Pitt’s sixth of the season and its second in a row, as the Panthers also blanked St. Francis 7-0 last Thursday.

Early on, the game took the form of a defensive stalemate, as neither Pitt nor Towson could find the back of the net in the first half. However, that was not for a lack of effort on Pitt’s part, as the Panthers outshot the Tigers 19-3 in the first frame and drew eight corner kicks while the visitors drew none. But with that said, Pitt only put three shots on goal and was fortunate to escape the first half unscathed, as Towson put two consecutive shots on goal, prompting diving saves from Pitt goalkeeper Katherine Robinson.

In the second half, Pitt got off to a similar start, finding chances but struggling to put shots on goal. However, that all changed in the 65th minute, when Ellie Coffield sent a pass into the box for Anna Bout, drawing Towson goalkeeper Riley Melendez off her line and leaving Sarah Schupansky open in front of the net. Bout then chipped a cross over Melendez, and Schupansky headed it in to put Pitt up 1-0.

Schupansky would have more to say about the outcome of the game in the 78th minute, when she charged into the box and was taken down by Towson midfielder Emily Kirkpatrick, drawing a penalty kick. Schupansky would place her shot up and in the middle, leaving it beyond the reach of Melendez, who dove to the side. With the goal, Schupansky secured the second brace of her Pitt career and provided Pitt with a 2-0 advantage. Towson would not respond, making that the final score.

With the win, Pitt improved to 7-1 on the season and 4-1 at home, with its lone loss coming to a still-undefeated TCU team ranked No. 6 in the country. The Panthers’ next challenge will be navigating their ACC schedule, which begins with a trip to South Carolina to take on Clemson. That game will take place at Riggs Field, and kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Thursday.