COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Pittsburgh women’s soccer team (2-1-1) claimed a 1-0 overtime win on the road against Colorado College (1-2-0) thanks to a late goal from sophomore Ashley Moreira on Sunday at Stewart Field.

“I told the team that they were going to defeat or be defeated,” said head coach Greg Miller. “That was my message. It’s our third overtime game this year and we just haven’t been able to finish the job. I told them either you persevere or you go home with another loss. They were able to grind it out.”

The Panthers saw the game’s outcome forced to be decided in overtime for the third time in four contests so far this season. The team has now matched the total number of overtime games played in the past two seasons combined (3) and the most in a single season since 2012 (4) with 14 games still remaining on the docket. It marks the first overtime win for Pitt since 10/25/09 at Connecticut.

The win snapped a 24-game home winning streak for the Tigers.

Sophomores Taylor Pryce and Hanna Hannesdottir would ultimately share the team lead in shots at four apiece, while junior Taylor Francis made a season-high 10 saves. It was her fifth career clean sheet.

Pitt leaned toward a direct attack in the first half, attempting to utilize the speed of sophomore forward Taylor Pryce. However, despite efforts to successfully deliver the ball into the attacking third, Pitt found itself repeatedly offside and unable to finish the play.

In the second half, neither side was able to maintain an advantage as both teams saw their best scoring chances foiled by great individual efforts on the part of the goalkeepers. Francis, who had made a spectacular diving save earlier in the ninth minute, again preserved the tie in the 53^rd minute with another diving effort to deflect a ball outside the near post.

Pitt found its best second half scoring chance in the 65^th minute on a 19-yard rocket from senior forward Roosa Arvas, but the Tigers’ keeper Louisa Mackenzie leapt up to bat it over the crossbar at the last moment.

The winning blow came in the game’s 95^th minute on a head-on attack from the Panthers. Controlling the ball at the top of the box, Pryce flipped the ball inside to Moreira who battled through a defender and fired high inside the right post to beat Mackenzie. It was Moreira’s first career goal.

“On Thursday [at Northern Colorado] we were a little upset with that loss,” said Moreira. “Coming into this game we just really wanted the win. It was really exciting to get it done in overtime. We knew we had to finish.”

Pitt will host Villanova on Friday, Sept. 4, at 5 p.m. at Ambrose Urbanic Field for its 2015 home opener, followed by La Salle on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 11 a.m.

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