Women's Soccer: WVU Ready For NCAA First Round
November 15, 2007 12:00 PM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
November 15, 2007
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| Nikki Izzo-Brown |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 10th-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team will make its 2007 NCAA tournament debut Friday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m., at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The Mountaineers, a No. 4 seed, will play host to Navy in only the third meeting all-time between the two programs.
The Midshipmen make their third NCAA postseason appearance (2003, 2006, 2007) after winning a second straight Patriot League championship last weekend. Navy carries a 10-game unbeaten streak into Morgantown and sports an overall record of 14-4-4.
“Navy has been playing well and they are a tough team. I’ve always felt Navy trains their athletes to defend our country,” says WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “The easiest part of their day is playing soccer. I think that’s one thing they’re going to always have, a mentality to battle. We have to make sure we have that and we’re ready for that kind of mentality.”
West Virginia owns a record of 15-4-2 and is making its eighth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. WVU is 5-7 all-time in NCAA Championship play, including a 3-3 mark at home.
Senior defender Natalie Cocchi understands the importance of having a home-field advantage in the NCAA tournament. The last time West Virginia hosted an NCAA tournament was 2003, a season in which WVU advanced to the Sweet 16.
“We can sleep in our own beds, eat our own food and not be out in the restaurants and hotels all the time,” says Cocchi. “It’s a huge advantage to be in our own routine and do what we usually do before games, and playing in front of our fans is a very big deal.”
Cocchi is one of three Mountaineers on the current roster to have scored a goal in an NCAA match. Cocchi netted a goal in first round action against Southern Methodist in 2004, a 2-1 WVU victory.
Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for youth and students. To order tickets in advance call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office in the WVU Coliseum. The first 200 WVU students will be admitted free courtesy of the Mountaineer Maniacs.
A free video stream of the match will be available at MSNsportsNET.com.
