Bradford, Pa. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women’s soccer team returns to action this fall looking to build on their 2019 season and make a return to the AMCC playoffs.

“We are really looking forward to taking the field this season,” said head coach Melissa Graham. “We have a lot of talent and an undeniable team chemistry that will be the backbone of our team.”

In their last season, 2019, the Panthers finished 4-14 overall with a 2-8 record in AMCC play which put them in 9^th place in the conference. Offensively, the Panthers were led by Taylor Sutryk, who scored a team-high 8 goals. She also took 71 shots which was the 4^th highest tally in the AMCC. Emily Bethel picked up 2 wins for the Panthers in goal, making 102 saves on the season.

Looking forward, the 2021 iteration of the Pitt-Bradford Women’s Soccer team hopes to mix a strong base of returning players with a large number of new players bringing a diverse set of skills to the squad.

The Panthers look to rely on an experienced backline to help lead the team going forward “Captains Emily Bethel, Katie Anderton, Emily Goetz, and Jada Luther will provide us with a strong anchor in defense, while our 5^th captain, Emily Royea will lead a young, exciting offensive attack,” said Graham.

While she stressed the importance of having depth throughout the team’s roster, Graham pointed out a few new players that are set to make an immediate impact for the Panthers. “We’re really excited to see incoming players Carolelyn LaPrairie and Marissa Harman adding to our offensive attack,” she explained. “Kihara Gotshall is also going to help us control the center of the pitch and add some strength to both our offense and defense,” Graham added.

In the annual AMCC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Panthers finished the voting in 7^th place.

The Panthers begin their season on the road, as they will travel to Central New York for a pair of games over the opening weekend. Their season opener is Friday, Sept. 3^rd when they travel to Morrisville State for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff. They will follow that up with a game at Cazenovia at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Their first home game is slated for Wednesday, Sept. 8^th at 4:00 p.m., when they will host Thiel.