Another Kind of Football Fever
October 27, 2006 09:47 AM | General
October 27, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Each autumn, through the hills and valleys of West Virginia, Mountaineer fans unite with hopes of a Big East championship in football. However this fall, in addition to watching success on the gridiron, the Gold and Blue faithful have been treated to unprecedented success in a different type of football.
The No. 8-ranked West Virginia women’s soccer team has compiled a 14-2-2 record on the way to their first Big East division title since 2002. The women wrapped up the American Division with a 4-0 shutout of Providence last Sunday in Morgantown.
The No. 4-ranked men’s soccer team has had an incredible run of their own, compiling a 14-1-2 record en route to their first regular season Big East championship in school history.
While the results of these two programs have been similar this season, each has traveled divergent paths to the same destination.
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| Lana Bannerman |
The women’s team has had a rich history of success under the direction of veteran head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. When senior goalkeeper Lana Bannerman arrived in Morgantown four years ago, a culture of winning had already been established within the women’s program. Winning wasn’t a hope, it was an expectation.
“We all knew when we were coming here that it was going to be hard work. We wanted to win and we expected to win,” Bannerman said.
Despite the high standards, Bannerman wasn’t burdened by the pressure to win within the program.
“There wasn’t much pressure on my class. We had a couple very good seniors that year so there was a lot more pressure put on them. We kind of just settled in and did what we were supposed to do and got the feel of things,” Bannerman said.
Bannerman must have gotten quite a feel, indeed. The senior from Naperville, Ill., has been a four-year starter between the posts. She has 36 career shutouts to her credit and set a single-season school record for shutouts with 11 in Sunday’s 4-0 victory over Providence.
“It means a lot to do something like that in my senior year. Having worked hard for four years, being able to do something like that is pretty neat. It is hopefully a record that will stay around for a while,” Bannerman said.
The women’s team will meet Louisville in the quarterfinals of the Big East Championships on Sunday at Dick Dlesk Stadium in Morgantown. The Cardinals beat Pitt 1-0 in overtime Thursday night.
“I definitely want to win a Big East Championship this year. I think we can; I know we can,” Bannerman said. “As far as the NCAA tournament if we play together as a team, I think we can go really far. It is hard to predict the tournament because anything can happen but I definitely think we can win the Big East.”
The story of the men’s soccer program’s meteoric rise has been nothing short of remarkable.
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| Nick Noble |
Senior goalkeeper Nick Noble recalls a Tuesday recruiting visit four years ago in which he wondered what in the world he was getting himself into.
“I came on a mid-week recruiting visit and that day came to be known as “bloody Tuesday” because on that day they ended up cutting pretty much most of the team that was already here. So when I came in there were like 19 freshmen in my class,” Noble said.
The newcomers were confused to say the least
“We didn’t know what was going on,” Noble said. We started six or seven freshmen every game my freshman year, and to make it to where we are now is something else.”
As his career went on, the Damascus, Md., native saw flashes of brilliance and a glimpse into what was possible for the future of this program.
“There were moments when it turned around but I never thought we would be first place in the Big East. It is too strong of a conference from top to bottom,” Noble said. “But there were games like Notre Dame my sophomore year when I knew we had the ability to compete with teams but we just weren’t able to do it day in and day out.”
A big win would be followed by a devastating defeat.
“It took some crazy turns along the way. We had some high points with some really big wins but we also had a lot of losses. We went months at a time without winning a game. The dedication of those that stuck it out, all the fitness, all the hard work, I think that is ultimately what led us to the success we are experiencing,” Noble said.
That dedication coupled with veteran players that have formed great team chemistry and have bought into first-year coach Marlon Leblanc’s teachings is what Noble credits with turning the program around.
“The fact that we have experience and that we have quite a few games under our belt has helped us. I think that is a key for the freshmen development and for the entire program as a whole. Marlon really helps a lot. He understands everything that is going on inside the team and he knows what to do with it,” Noble said.
The men will try to take the next step in their journey when they meet South Florida Saturday evening in Morgantown in the quarterfinals of the Big East Championships. The Mountaineers tied the Bulls 2-2 in Tampa, FL earlier this season.
“They beat Seton Hall 5-1. Apparently they had a lot of injuries but they are coming back to full strength now,” Noble said. “They are a scary team up top but we feel we can score as many goals as them. At the end of the day it will be about who can score more.”
Noble describes what he believes are the keys to continuing the men’s magical run into the postseason.
“We have to keep defending well. We haven’t given up more than two goals in a game the entire season. That has played an important role,” Noble said. “We have to score first. We are a lot better when we are ahead early in the game where we don’t have to chase it. We can make other teams chase is and especially at home that is an important thing to do.”
After a wildly successful senior season, Noble has his sights set squarely on a Big East tournament title.
“Our expectations have to be to win the Big East tournament. There is no reason why we can’t achieve that. We have beaten or played even with all the teams in the Big East and our confidence level has to be there to win it all,” Noble said.
