Women's Soccer: Two-Game BIG EAST Road Trip
October 01, 2008 11:05 AM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
October 2, 2008
GAME NOTES
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| Nikki Izzo-Brown |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 9th-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team hits the road for a pair of BIG EAST matches this weekend. The Mountaineers travel to Seton Hall for a 7 p.m. match on Friday, Oct. 3, and visit Rutgers at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5.
“Every point matters when it comes to BIG EAST play and this is a big weekend for us,” says Head Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “Going on the road for two conference games will be challenging but we need to come away with two victories.”
Seton Hall, led by second-year Head Coach Kazbek Tambi, brings a 4-5-2 record into Friday’s contest. The Pirates are coming off a 1-0 loss at Villanova on Sept. 28. SHU is winless in conference play, dropping matches to Rutgers, Georgetown and Villanova.
The Pirates are led offensively by midfielder Nicki Gross and forward Katie Andreski. Andreski has a team-best four goals while Gross has netted three goals and two assists on the season.
All-BIG EAST defender Megan Mills anchors the Seton Hall defense which has allowed 13 goals through 10 contests. In goal, a pair of young goalkeepers split time for the Pirates. Sophomore Elizabeth Bond has started eight matches, allowing nine goals, while freshman Chelsea King has allowed four goals in four matches (two starts).
“We know Seton Hall has mixed it up and has done some really good things this season,” says Izzo-Brown. “Rutgers is well coached and they are hovering around the national rankings. It will be a tough weekend for us.”
Glenn Crooks, in his ninth season as head coach at Rutgers, has guided the Scarlet Knights to a 7-3-0 record through 10 games this season. Rutgers plays host to Pitt on Oct. 3, prior to its meeting with WVU.
Junior captain Erin Guthrie is the starting goalkeeper of a stingy Rutgers defense. Guthrie, who stands in second place on RU’s all-time career shutout list (26), has allowed seven goals in over 900 minutes of action between the posts.
The Scarlet Knights offense is led by midfielder Gina DeMaio, a 2007 Second Team All-BIG EAST selection. DeMaio has a conference-best nine assists on the season. She is joined by junior forward Caycie Gusman who has scored a team-high five goals.
