Getting Ready
August 19, 2003 09:53 AM | General
August 19, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Despite winning a record 18 matches and finishing in the top 15 for the first time in school history, West Virginia University women’s soccer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown plans to make some changes this year.
“We always change things up a little bit, see what type of personalities we have and what they are going to bring,” she noted. “With our newcomers, they are always going to add something different.”
West Virginia began preseason practice last Tuesday in preparation for its season-opener at Virginia on Saturday, Aug. 30. Izzo-Brown says she has already begun working on an attack to face what she believes could be a preseason top 10 team in the Cavaliers.
“Right now we’re pushing everybody to be prepared for the season opener against Virginia,” she said. “Its like get into our system, understand our plays and how we run things and get into it immediately.”
Izzo-Brown’s main focus at the outset is making sure her players understand her complicated defensive system.
“We’re always working on our defense first and then building to our offense,” said the coach. “That’s going to come and it’s obviously something that we will incorporate into our training, but we haven’t gone through too much of (offensive installation) yet because it’s a little easier to understand that than what we do defensively.”
Izzo-Brown has the luxury of having two of the nation’s top players returning at their respective positions in 5-foot-9 senior forward Chrissie Abbott and 5-6 senior midfielder Lisa Stoia.
Abbott is a preseason candidate for national player of the year honors after scoring a Big East-best 20 goals last season. Abbott has scored 35 goals the last two years and was a consensus first team All-American pick. Abbott’s ability to put the ball into the net will force teams to double and triple-team her this season.
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| Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown has led West Virginia to a 48-14-2 record and three NCAA tournament appearances over the last three seasons. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
“That’s the one thing we’ve got to always be aware of that she is going to be double and triple-teamed,” said the coach. “We’ve got to make sure that some of our other attacking players are ready to pick up the slack and finish the ball.
“We’re going to do some little patterns of play to make sure that we are going to be able to get her open but also to have other options around the ball if Chrissie’s covered,” Izzo-Brown added.
Stoia also earned All-America honors by the NSCAA and Soccerbuzz and was voted Big East midfielder of the year by league coaches after a junior season in which she tied Katie Barnes’ school record with 10 assists.
Izzo-Brown says Stoia joins a group that includes Laura Kane, Marisa Kanela, Leslie Barden and Kambria Riggins that are going to have to take up the scoring slack when opposing teams try and shut down Abbott.
The veteran coach is also pleased with what she’s seen from some of this year’s freshman class. Michigan player of the year Nicole Cauzillo is one player who has caught Izzo-Brown’s eye.
“She is really stepping in and working hard and doing some really impressive things for us in the center-mid area,” said Izzo-Brown. “She’s doing really well.”
Izzo-Brown also singled out the play of freshman Cathy Abel of Flemington, N.J.
“Cathy has been very impressive. All of our newcomers come in and add something different. Now we just have to see how we can add it all together,” said Izzo-Brown.
One major area of concern is at goal where West Virginia must replace Melissa Haire. Senior Laura Finley started 11 games last year and has the inside track on the job this fall.
“We’re going to put the best 11 out there,” said Izzo-Brown. “Obviously we feel comfortable that Finley has got the experience, but it’s all got to come together also.”
West Virginia will have its first preseason game on Wednesday against Marshall at Morgantown High School. WVU’s second scrimmage will be against Miami, Ohio -- most likely Friday night at Mountaineer Field under the lights.
“As a coaching staff, we are going to try and put our thinking caps on and really put what we feel are going to be the best 11 out there and obviously mix some other people in there as well,” she said.
Izzo-Brown says that she will not substitute as freely in the second scrimmage on Friday.
“The most important thing we want to get out of this is: are we getting better as a team?” she said. “And are we making sure that we are making the right decisions as far as playing time?”
Like its opening opponent Virginia, West Virginia is expected to start the season ranked in the top 25.
Briefly ...
