Women's Soccer: WVU Blanks Falcons
August 31, 2007 10:10 PM | General
August 31, 2007
BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia women’s soccer team got the 2007 season off to an ideal start, shutting out Bowling Green 4-0 Saturday evening in front of 736 fans at Dick Dlesk Stadium. The game marked the season opener for both teams.
“Obviously we’re happy with the result,” West Virginia Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “I think Bowling Green was trying to do some things to disrupt us and the girls found a way to break them down.”
The Mountaineers dominated play from the opening kick, putting pressure on the Falcons both offensively and defensively while pushing numbers forward to score goals. Junior forward Deana Everrett led the way with two goals to go along with one assist.
Everrett got the scoring started at the 24:06 mark of the first half off of a corner from senior Ashley Banks to give the Mountaineers an early 1-0 lead. The corner deflected off of Bowling Green goalkeeper Christy Zabek and the Oakville, Ontario native was there to knock it into the back of the net.
“Basically I just found myself in the right place at the right time. Everyone else did the work for the most part, I was just there to tap it in,” Everrett said.
Everrett did a little work of her own just over three minutes later when she sent a ball into the box toward Banks, who out jumped the Falcon defender and played a gorgeous header into the top left corner of the net for one of the most beautiful goals you will ever see.
“She (Everrett) just played a brilliant ball to me,” Banks said. “It was in the vicinity of my head and I was able to get my head to it and follow through with my head to the back of the net. I can’t stop talking about how good of a ball it was.”
West Virginia held a 2-0 lead at halftime and continued its aggressive play into the second period. Everrett scored her second goal at the 55:41 mark off of a deflection from Kim Bonilla to give the Mountaineers a 3-0 lead.
Junior midfielder Amanda Cicchini rounded out the scoring, slipping behind the defense on a useful through ball from Bonilla, striking it firmly into the back of the net.
The Mountaineers overwhelmed the Falcons, out shooting Bowling Green 20-4 on the night. West Virginia also earned six corner kicks. Sophomore goalkeeper Mallory Beck recorded the shutout in her first career start, making one save in the process.
West Virginia was able to use 21 players in the match; something Izzo-Brown believes is invaluable this early in the season.
“It’s good to be able to kind of mix things up. We have a huge game on Sunday so it’s good for us to keep our legs a little fresh and get some different people in there,” Izzo-Brown said.
West Virginia (1-0) will now travel to Charlottesville to take on nationally ranked Virginia Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. The Cavaliers beat the Mountaineers 2-0 last year in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“Anytime you go to Virginia you expect a top five type of program nationally,” Izzo-Brown said. “There is no more of a sour taste in your mouth than getting knocked out of the national tournament by a team but fortunately we get to see them again this year. We should have all the motivation in the world to go get them.”
