Dlesk Debut
September 01, 2004 10:00 PM | General
September 1, 2004
(All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Eight years to the day of its inaugural home match at Mountaineer Field, the West Virginia University women's soccer team downed Purdue 1-0 to christen Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium with a victory on opening night.
"It's unbelievable," head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said of the first match in the new stadium. "Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe that it's really here. It's been a dream of ours for eight years and these girls have really worked hard to play in a stadium of this caliber. They deserve to perform on a stage of this magnitude."
Redshirt freshman Natalie Cocchi scored the match's only goal in the 11th minute when she took advantage of a mistake by Purdue's goalkeeper, Lauren Mason, and rifled a shot from nearly 25 yards out into the back of the net.
Play for the rest of the contest was a battle, but the No. 15 Mountaineers (3-0-0) held the Boilermakers (2-1-0) scoreless to net their second shutout of the season.
WVU doubled the Boilermakers shot output on the night, taking 16 shots to their eight.
"Purdue was a very good opponent tonight," commented Izzo-Brown. "They were a Sweet 16 team in 2003 and they played with intensity and determination. I'm very proud of how our girls responded to that type of pressure. This was a good win for us."
Sophomore goalkeeper Lana Bannerman earned her second consecutive shutout in the victory.
With the win, West Virginia opens a season 3-0 for the first time since 2000.
The Mountaineers return to action on Sunday, Sept. 5, when along with the men's squad, they dedicate Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. A dedication ceremony will be held prior to the 2 p.m., kickoff of the women's match against No. 10 Virginia. The Mountaineer men will take on Mount St. Mary's at 4:30 p.m., that same day.
West Virginia 1, Purdue 0
Scoring: WVU - Cocchi 10:48
Shots: WVU - 18; PU - 8
Corner Kicks: WVU - 4; PU - 1
Fouls: WVU - 10; PU - 10
Goalkeeping: WVU - Lana Bannerman 2 saves, 0GA, 90:00; PU - Lauren Mason 8 saves, 1GA 47:29; PU - Maureen Carey 0 saves, 0GA, 42:31
