WPIAL alums waste little time emerging at Pitt
Sarah Schupansky jogged off the field at the end of regulation in a 2-2 game against No. 16 Oklahoma State Aug. 22 frustrated about what could have — and should have — been.
It was a brutally hot day. Temperatures in Stillwater eclipsed 90 degrees by kickoff, which felt more like 100-plus on Oklahoma State’s turf field. An overtime affair was the last thing Schupansky, or anyone for that matter, wanted.
Schupansky, a North Allegheny grad in her first season at forward with Pitt women’s soccer (5-0), had nearly ended the contest with a strike from her left foot in the waning minutes of regular time. She collected a cross, raced down the right flank, cut back and ripped a shot toward the goal. It sailed just over the crossbar. No dice.
“It’s usually a shot I’m confident in making,” Schupansky said. “When I wasn’t on frame, I was obviously upset with myself. I should have finished it.”
Upon reaching the sideline, Schupansky was met by Pitt coaches Randy and Ben Waldrum with a rather frank message.
“We don’t ever want you to stop
taking shots,” they told her. “Go out with confidence and get the game-winner.”
A mere 30 seconds later, she did exactly that.
Sophomore defender Athalie Palomo pinpointed a perfect cross directly to Schupansky, who onetouched a top-left corner shot past Oklahoma State’s goaltender for the upset win. Schupansky’s first collegiate goal was a golden goal, one that came after a frustrating misfire.
“I knew I needed to make a difference,” she said. “It hit off my foot perfectly. When I saw it go in, everything kind of just went blank. I was in awe.”
Call that turning garbage into gold.
Schupansky is one of 11 freshmen on a Pitt squad — ranked No. 20 in the United Soccer Coaches’ poll released Tuesday — with high expectations as it comes off the winningest season (11-5) in program history in 2020-21. She and fellow WPIAL product Ellie Coffield, a Mars grad and two-time Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year, are among the select few of newcomers to have already cracked the starting lineup.
Through five games, Shupansky is Pitt’s secondleading scorer with 9 points off 3 goals and 3 assists on a team-high 11 shots. Coffield ranks right behind her at third with 6 points of her own, coming from 2 goals and 2 assists on 6 shots. Both will undoubtedly serve as critical pieces to their team’s success this season … just like when they were younger.
“We played club soccer together for North United back when we were 13 or 14 [years-old],” said Coffield. “Then we split when we were in high school, but came into Pitt last spring and didn’t skip a beat. There’s nothing I love more than finding her with the ball. I don’t know if you saw her goal against Cleveland State, but she’s unbelievable.
“I guess you could say she’s ambidextrous and equally skilled with both feet, which is a killer asset.
It’s dangerous. You never know where she’s going with the ball.”
The respect is mutual. “It’s been amazing to have a midfielder of her caliber to play with,” Schupansky added. “Her vision and sense of where everyone is on the field is just impeccable. I’ve been waiting to play with her since our freshman year [of high school.] We definitely both matured as players, and have just been working super hard since the spring. It’s crazy to be on this journey with her.”
Both agreed the early arrival to Oakland helped streamline their transition to the Division I level. Schupansky and Coffield were among nine freshmen to forgo their final semesters of high school and club soccer and join the Panthers last spring. They trained alongside that 11-win team, gaining invaluable experience from long practices and grueling conditioning seasons. It’s safe to say the experience was worth its weight in gold.
“I knew getting involved with the team and getting used to the speed of play was the most important thing here,” said Schupansky. “I’m grateful I did that. It made the transition from pre-preseason to regular preseason a lot easier.”
The Panthers will look to Schupansky and Coffield to provide critical support for All- ACC sophomore Amanda West, who ranked third in the nation in points (33) and fifth in goals (13) last season. If it all comes together at the right time, the Panthers could be on the verge of another step forward in 2021-22. “This group is very special,” said Coffield. “The upperclassmen and captains have done a phenomenal job of bonding the freshmen together. The chemistry is certainly there. At this level, everyone’s a great athlete and can contribute so it’s an extremely competitive environment, but it’s exactly what we’ve wanted.”