No. 9/10 Clemson Grits Out 11-10 Victory Over No. 24/25 Pittsburgh

March 21, 2026

CLEMSON, S.C. – No. 9/10 Clemson (7-4, 3-3 ACC) powered through a marquee ACC road matchup against No. 24/25 Pittsburgh (4-6, 2-5 ACC) Saturday afternoon, emerging with an 11-10 victory in the City of Bridges.

Clemson held firm on the road Saturday, using a dominant start and a late fourth‑quarter surge to secure the win over Pitt. The Tigers built early momentum behind efficient offense and strong draw control play, taking a 6–2 lead after the first quarter and carrying a 7–5 advantage into halftime. Pitt mounted a significant push out of the break, briefly grabbing an 8–7 lead but Clemson’s defense kept the game within reach until the offense settled back in.

In the fourth, Clemson’s composure and star power took over. Natalie Shurtleff delivered a game‑changing stretch with three goals in five minutes, flipping a one‑goal deficit into an 11–9 lead the Tigers would not relinquish. Clemson closed the game with disciplined possessions, key defensive stops and a final draw control to seal the win. Shurtleff finished with five goals while Kayla MacLeod added a hat trick (reaching 90 goals in her career) and Alexa Spallina distributed five assists. Emma Penczek stuffed the stat sheet with three assists, three ground balls, three caused turnovers and three draw controls, and Aubrie Eisfeld led all players with six ground balls as Clemson earned a gritty team victory.

FIRST QUARTER | 6-2, CLEMSON

Clemson came out flying, dictating possession from the opening draw and striking first behind Regan Byrne just over a minute in. Penczek dominated the circle early and the Tigers turned extra possessions into goals from Shurtleff and a woman‑up finish by Spallina to build a 3–0 cushion. Pitt briefly pushed back with two goals but Clemson immediately reasserted control as MacLeod buried her 11^th of the year to halt the run. The Tigers closed the quarter with a pair of woman‑up goals (Eisfeld and Shurtleff again) stretching the lead to 6–2.

SECOND QUARTER | 7-5, CLEMSON

Pitt opened the frame with more urgency, trimming the deficit to 6–4 but Clemson’s defense and Tessa DeLuca’s poise in goal kept the Tigers in front during a choppy, turnover‑heavy stretch. Clemson generated a flurry of looks midway through the quarter, peppering the cage with shots from Spallina, Eisfeld and Shurtleff, even as Pitt tried to slow the pace. After Pitt pulled within one on a woman‑up goal, Clemson responded with a composed, veteran possession capped by MacLeod’s second of the afternoon.

THIRD QUARTER | 8-8, TIED

Pitt made its strongest push of the day coming out of halftime, scoring three straight to grab an 8–7 lead as Clemson weathered a brief offensive lull. But the Tigers’ defense, led by Eisfeld’s relentless groundball work and DeLuca’s key saves, kept the game from tilting further. Clemson finally broke through on a woman‑up opportunity, with MacLeod burying the equalizer (her 90^th career goal) off a feed from Spallina to steady the Tigers. The quarter ended locked at 8–8.

FOURTH QUARTER | 11-10, CLEMSON

Pitt briefly reclaimed the lead early in the fourth but Clemson’s response was emphatic and immediate. Shurtleff took over the game, scoring three goals in a span of five minutes, including two assisted by Penczek, to flip the scoreboard and put Clemson ahead 11–9. From there, the Tigers’ defense delivered under pressure, forcing turnovers, winning ground balls and getting another clutch save from DeLuca as Pitt tried to claw back. Even after Pitt cut it to one late, Clemson controlled the final draw, killed precious seconds and forced a turnover in the closing moments to seal a gritty 11–10 road victory.

STATS RECAP

Shurtleff | Five goals on eight shots, one ground ball and one caused turnover.
MacLeod | Three goals on five shots.
Spallina | One goal and five assists.
Penczek | Three assists, three ground balls, three caused turnovers and three draw controls.
Camryn Pfundstein | One ground ball.
Paris Masaracchia | One caused turnover.
Bridget Babcock | One assist and one draw control.
Kira Balis | Four draw controls.
Teagan Scott | Five ground balls, one caused turnover and one draw control.
Byrne | One goal on four shots.
Eisfeld | One goal on two shots, six ground balls, one caused turnover and one draw control.
Marleigh O’Day | One ground ball.
Jane Hilsabeck | One caused turnover.
Jordan DeBlasio | One caused turnover.
Maddigan Miller | Two draw controls.
DeLuca | Five saves.