WSOC Wins Opener: A Defensive Battle

[mike412]

In a match in which defense apparently was optional, Pitt beat Loyola Marymount 5-4 in the season opener. Pitt came from a goal behind three times, scoring two goals in the final 10 minutes for the win. Freshman Amanda West scored the winning goal, completing a hat trick.

Pitt started 6 freshmen and 3 sophomores.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

Out with the old, in with the new. Maybe the young ones can get this team going for the future. I assume an ACC win will not come this year, maybe 1 I guess.

 

[JD1976]

Out with the old, in with the new. Maybe the young ones can get this team going for the future. I assume an ACC win will not come this year, maybe 1 I guess.

The ACC will be unforgiving as always and the conference is loaded again 1-9. Florida State and UNC are 2 of the 3 best teams in the nation (Stanford being the other) and Pitt has both on the schedule. The next tier of UVA and Duke are always College Cup contenders. NC State and Va Tech are ranked and the group of Wake, ND and Louisville always have good talent. The good news is Pitt has a highly winnable ACC opener vs Syracuse. They have been bad for years and just fired their coach this past offseason. BC is also a winnable home game. They have had some program turmoil and lost one of the best players in the country in Sam Coffey, who transferred to PSU. Miami on the road is gettable. I’d say 2 wins in the ACC is attainable.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

In a match in which defense apparently was optional, Pitt beat Loyola Marymount 5-4 in the season opener. Pitt came from a goal behind three times, scoring two goals in the final 10 minutes for the win. Freshman Amanda West scored the winning goal, completing a hat trick.

Pitt started 6 freshmen and 3 sophomores.

Just talked with one of Coach Waldrum’s former Notre Dame players last night. She’s still convinced that coach will have this program loaded with national team players from top to bottom within a couple of years. I still question whether it can be done at Pitt. But if anyone can, it’s him.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

Just talked with one of Coach Waldrum’s former Notre Dame players last night. She’s still convinced that coach will have this program loaded with national team players from top to bottom within a couple of years. I still question whether it can be done at Pitt. But if anyone can, it’s him.

It is the ACC. Soccer can be balanced across colleges, this isn’t football. I think getting talent and competing is possible in women’s soccer. The talent pool is also increasing thanks to more opportunities with women’s clubs.

 

[mike412]

The men’s program under Luxbacher might have been the worst in the country. With a new coach and a couple of recruiting classes, we had a real chance at making the NCAAs last season. Lack of depth was the culprit. The players just ran out of gas.

Luxbacher used to lose to Duquesne. This season we crushed them 5-0. Then we beat #17 James Madison 1-0 in the final preseason game. The depth is better, but we still may be a class away.

Although women’s’ soccer in the ACC is far superior to men’s on a national level, there is no reason the women can’t make the same improvement.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

The men’s program under Luxbacher might have been the worst in the country. With a new coach and a couple of recruiting classes, we had a real chance at making the NCAAs last season. Lack of depth was the culprit. The players just ran out of gas.

Luxbacher used to lose to Duquesne. This season we crushed them 5-0. Then we beat #17 James Madison 1-0 in the final preseason game. The depth is better, but we still may be a class away.

Although women’s’ soccer in the ACC is far superior to men’s on a national level, there is no reason the women can’t make the same improvement.

I agree. Soccer overall is very different from college football. There are strong teams, but you can win or lose any game. Both men and women should be vastly improved, men obviously further along. But the women just need to get better players, and they are and will.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

The men’s program under Luxbacher might have been the worst in the country. With a new coach and a couple of recruiting classes, we had a real chance at making the NCAAs last season. Lack of depth was the culprit. The players just ran out of gas.

Luxbacher used to lose to Duquesne. This season we crushed them 5-0. Then we beat #17 James Madison 1-0 in the final preseason game. The depth is better, but we still may be a class away.

Although women’s’ soccer in the ACC is far superior to men’s on a national level, there is no reason the women can’t make the same improvement.

Several years ago, Sue Moy Chin was the pitt coach and she recruited a local standout to the pitt program. Then, she was sacked and Greg Miller came in. One of the first things Miller did was run that player out of the program and happily approve her request to transfer to Duquesne. In the first game of the year when Pitt played Duquesne, this player drove down the sideline in front of the pitt bench, cut inside the 18 and scored the goal to beat pitt 1-0 and she went on to have a fine career at Duquesne. Pitt continued to get out recruited by duquesne and lose to Duquesne on the pitch. That’s all changing. This current staff will recruit nationally and in Canada, and is determined to keep the good local players home. That’s something we’ve never had here.