The first-ever meeting between Pitt’s and SMU’s women’s soccer programs was a midfield battle ending in a 4-0 loss for the Panthers.
Pitt stayed resilient for a strong first half and even an aggressive start to the second, but the SMU Mustangs brought a palpable energy to the field.
Give them their flowers.
If one thing stood out the entire game, it was SMU’s bench. No matter where you were — on the field, in the stands, or even in the bathroom (yes, this was tested) — you could hear them.
They were loud and energetic and even had some barking was involved. That’s what makes a true team — not just playing together, but doing it with energy, fun and motivation, even if it means losing your voice by the end of the night.
“This bench energy is what keeps them going,” SMU head coach Nicole Nelson said. Nelson also highlighted the team’s relationships as a key role in their successes this season.
Main moments by the numbers
SMU exploded with four goals in a 17-minute span of the second half to secure its first ACC victory of the season. Pitt generated 13 shots but couldn’t break through against junior goalkeeper Aubrey Brown with her three big saves and a resilient SMU defense.
Junior forward Nyah Rose broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute, slotting a pinpoint pass from senior midfielder Sydney Japic into the lower left corner.
In the 70th minute, sophomore defender Paxton Bock and junior midfielder Zoe Parkhurst slipped the ball to graduate student forward/midfielder Sammy Nieves. Nieves was left open inside the box and shot it right over Pitt redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Abby Reisz’s gloves into the net. Minutes later, Bock served it on a platter for Japic to head the ball in, marking her first career goal and putting SMU up 3-0. The final SMU goal was scored again by Rose off an assist from sophomore forward Liz Eddy to end the game 4-0.
Pitt sophomore forward Lucia Wells had five shots and played a key role in the Panthers’ early second-half pressure with a shot on goal in the 55th minute. This helped Pitt earn two corner kicks within the first few minutes. Pitt junior defender and captain Olivia Lee also extended her 90-minute game streak to all 11 games this season and 18 of the last 21 games dating back to last season.
While the Panthers outshot the Mustangs 13-12, SMU converted when needed.
What this win means for SMU
This game was a statement of SMU’s (6-3-1) recent form and resilience in their second season competing in the ACC. Against Pitt, the Mustangs showed offensive promise and team chemistry and capitalized on Pitt’s tired legs, proving they belong in the ACC.
The Mustangs showed their defensive discipline with a dominant goalkeeper in Brown and the energy they carried on and off the bench.
“We’ve been determined to work for what we deserve, and I think you could see that tonight, just with the excitement and overall joy of the team,” Nieves said “I think everyone has been ready for us to breakthrough, and we’re just going to continue to take things game by game and try to keep the energy as high as we can.”
What’s next for the Panthers?
Pitt (5-5-2) heads to Durham, N.C. on Oct. 2 to face Duke (6-2-1) in an ACC matchup. The Panthers won’t return home until Oct. 17, when they host NC State (2-6-3).
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