Pittsburgh, PA- It was a sprint to the finish for the Women's Club Soccer team over the weekend as they had 3 matches in 2 days to finish up the season. It started off on Saturday with a doubleheader against Pitt and then Gannon University. The Colonials played well against the Division leader Pitt, but a fluke goal and a few bad bounces sunk RMU as they fell 3-0. However, they battled through the fatigue and picked up their first win of the season against Gannon University 3-2. The Sunday match was on the road against WVU in which they lost 2-0.

Game 1: RMU loses 3-0 to Pitt

Robert Morris had their work cut out for them taking on the powerhouse of the division in Pitt. Pitt has yet to lose a game this season, and at this point in time RMU had yet to close out a contest victorious. However, Robert Morris played them well for much of the match. They played sound defense and really limited the amount of opportunities Pitt had to score. Pitt was able to convert on the few chances they did have which is how they got out ahead. RMU's strong defense led to some chippy moments on the pitch as well. Freshman Sarah Bacha was hit with an elbow to the spine but remained in the game and played exceptionally well. Additionally, Captain Miranda Vankirk took a errant cleat to the thigh, but was fine to continue. For as strong as the defensive play was, the Colonials offense struggled to get anything going. Once gained the possession the Colonials would get the ball upfield, but just could not get clean shot attempts. While it wasn't a bad effort for the Colonials, it ultimately was not the result they were looking for.

Game 2: RMU wins 3-2 over Gannon

The Colonials had a mere 10 minutes of rest in between the matches against Pitt and Gannon. A scheduling conflict on the field at Pitt saw the games pushed immediately back to back for time constraints. RMU wasn't fazed and went out and played a gritty back and forth match against the Golden Knights. The captain scored first for RMU to open the scoring. Miranda Vankirk scored off a corner in the 15th minute to make it 1-0 Colonials. However, a couple of defensive breakdowns in the second half lead to Gannon taking a 2-1 lead to the half. It seemed the fatigue of a game and a half with only 10 minutes of rest was starting to catch up to RMU. A mere three minute halftime break did not help matters further. Despite the limited rest, RMU came back with all of the energy they had left. They found the equalizer around halfway through the second half. Miranda Vankirk scored her second of the game with a beauty from outside the box. The long shot caught the goalkeeper off their line and found the far corner to make it 2-2. With 10 minutes to play in the game, Sarah Bacha got the ball and open space and turned on the jets. The breakaway ended in a goal and elevated the Colonials to a 3-2 lead they wouldn't relinquish. 

Game 3: RMU loses 2-0 to West Virginia

If playing Pitt the day before hadn't been enough, the Colonials took on the Mountaineers that Sunday. WVU also has yet to lose a game this season and currently sit 2nd in the standings behind Pitt. The Colonials found their stride from the opening whistle and played WVU even for most of the match. Both teams were playing strong defense and as a result it was 0-0 at the half. Robert Morris played well and were getting a few good chances but it was not meant to be. WVU pulled ahead in the final 10 minutes with 2 quick goals and RMU lost 2-0.

With this the Women's Club soccer season comes to a close. While the record shows it was a rough season for the women, they played better than the record would indicate. Back to back 2-1 losses to start the season were tough considering they were in those games right until the very end. Also, by the time the team had built strong on-field chemistry with one another, the final opponents were some of the best teams in the division. (Pitt and WVU are a combined 12-0-3 this season). The future outlook for this squad is bright, with many members this being only their first or second season on the team. The team will lose a couple key seniors, but it will provide a great opportunity for younger members to step up and guide the program back to the top of the league table.

Miranda Vankirk '20
Captain, Women's Club Soccer

Alexander Gagnon '21
Club Sport Information Director