ON THE ROAD AGAIN

After becoming the first Big East team this season to tie the No. 20 Marquette Golden Eagles Sunday, the UConn women’s soccer team will head to Pennsylvania Thursday, to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers in a Big East American Division matchup. The Huskies (7-6-2 overall, 3-4-1 Big East) sit in fourth place in the American Division with 10 points, just one point ahead of Providence, who they’ll face in their season finale next weekend. The top four teams from the seven-team National Division are guaranteed a spot in the Big East Tournament along with the top four from the eight-team American Division. Of the remaining seven teams that don’t qualify for postseason play, two will be selected to advance regardless of division. A victory for the Huskies against Pitt would put them in great position to advance to the tournament, which will take place at Morrone Stadium in Storrs.

Unfortunately for the Huskies, however, they will be without senior striker Danielle Schulmann against the Panthers. Schulmann picked up a red card after receiving her second yellow card of the game against Marquette. By rule, she’s required to sit out a game. Head coach Len Tsantiris thinks the team will miss Schulmann, but doesn’t think it’s devastating.

“We are going to lack her experience and she is the leading scorer,” Tsantiris said after the Marquette game. “We do have the players that can go in. We got to adjust.”
Tsantiris currently sits at 498 career wins, just two shy of 500. He’ll become only the second coach in the history of NCAA women’s soccer to reach the mark, joining North Carolina head coach Anson Dorrance.

Pitt (5-10-2) has been dreadful in the Big East this season and sits in dead last in the American Division. The Panthers haven’t won a single game against conference foes and have only scored five goals in eight conference games. Their most recent result was an away tie against fellow American Division rival St. John’s. With only two points on the season and three teams to leap frog, the odds are stacked colossally against the Panthers making the Big East postseason.

The game can be heard on 91.7 FM or streamed online at whus.org beginning at 7 p.m.