The Pitt State women’s soccer team officially opened their season with a strong performance on the road, defeating the Missouri-St. Louis Tritons 2-0. After 81 minutes of scoreless play, sophomore Carrie Cunningham found the breakthrough, finishing cleanly to give the Gorillas the lead. Just 30 seconds later, freshman Ella Cazzavillain doubled the advantage when she scored her first collegiate goal off a well-placed assist from junior Macy Malik. The two quick goals stunned the Tritons and secured the victory for Pitt State. Sophomore goalkeeper Jocelyn Kramar also stood tall, preserving the shutout and helping the Gorillas start their season on a positive note.
The Gorillas then returned for their home opener but came up short in a 3-1 loss to the Missouri S&T Miners. Pitt State opened the match by taking the lead in the fifth minute when Cazzavillain scored her second goal of the weekend. The early strike energized the team and gave them momentum throughout much of the first half. Head Coach Wes Branstetter said that stretch of play showed flashes of what the group is capable of when they execute. “The first half of the Missouri S&T match was probably our best performance so far,” Branstetter said. “But it’s not anywhere near the standard we need it to be. We grabbed the early goal, had a little bit more of the ball, but I just felt like we needed to create a little bit more.”
Despite the promising start, the momentum shifted quickly after halftime. Missouri S&T equalized in the 47th minute and then capitalized on a sudden surge, adding two more goals in the 56th and 59th minutes. The three-goal run swung the game firmly in the Miners’s favor and left Pitt State chasing from behind. The Gorillas continued to battle, but they were unable to find a way back into the match.
“After the game, I felt like we battled and competed hard in that game for the full 90 minutes, which is important,” Branstetter said. “But I was also feeling like it wasn’t our best performance. They gained a little momentum, and we were kind of put into a funk. They grabbed two more goals and made it 3-1 real quick. We have a young team and that’s part of hitting adversity for the first time. The question comes in how you respond to it. We’ve got to do a better job of getting them prepared to do that.”
The Gorillas now turn their attention to another pair of nonconference home matches this upcoming week. The Pitt State women’s soccer team will host the Southwest Baptist Bearcats on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. before welcoming the Southern Nazarene Thundercats on Saturday, Sept. 13 at noon. “Sometimes when you look too far ahead, you forget that there’s a rock below you and trip and fall,” he said. “All we’re focused on right now is the next step. And Southwest Baptist is going to give us a run for our money,” Branstetter said.
With one win and one loss to open the season, Pitt State has already shown both progress and areas for growth. The coming week will give the Gorillas more opportunities to test themselves and build the consistency needed as their second season unfolds.