Women's Soccer: Divisional Title Up For Grabs
October 23, 2008 10:26 AM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
October 23, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 15th-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team closes out the regular season this weekend with a pair of BIG EAST Conference road matches. WVU battles Marquette at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24 in Milwaukee. On Sunday, Oct. 26, the Mountaineers face USF in a 1 p.m. match in Tampa.
“We have a tough weekend ahead of us with two important BIG EAST road games,” says Head Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown, whose Mountaineers carry a 10-2-5 (5-1-3 BIG EAST) record into the weekend play. “We will need a focused 90-minute effort from every player on this team. Every point counts this weekend as we look to defend our American Division title.”
Marquette is led by 13-year veteran Markus Roeders, owner of 185 victories in 13 seasons with the Golden Eagles. Roeders, who has guided MU to six NCAA tournament appearances, and his 2008 squad stand in second place in the current BIG EAST American Division standings with a 5-5-2 (9-5-3 overall) record.
Senior Katie Kelly, a Third Team All-BIG EAST selection from a season ago, anchors the Marquette defense. The Golden Eagles have given up two or more goals only twice this season. The defensive unit has allowed 13 goals this season, good for a 0.71 goals-against clip.
Eleven different players have scored a goal for Marquette this season. Sophomores Julia Victor and Ashley Bares lead the team in scoring with three goals each. The MU offense has out-shot its opponents 286-155 through 17 games.
MU has been tough to beat at home, holding an impressive 106-31-10 record all-time at Valley Fields. The Mountaineers are the third opponent in a four-match homestand to complete the regular season for Marquette.
West Virginia and Marquette meet for the fourth time with WVU holding a 3-0-0 lead in the all-time series. The Mountaineers are 2-0 in Morgantown and 1-0 in Milwaukee. WVU posted shutouts in its first two meetings before scoring three unanswered goals in a 3-1 victory last season.
USF features second-year Head Coach Denise Schilte-Brown, coming off a 4-10-3 record in her first season in Tampa. The Bulls, 2-3-0 in their last five outings, carry a record of 7-6-3 after 16 games. USF battles Pitt in a BIG EAST contest on Oct. 24, before taking on the Mountaineers on Oct. 26.
Freshman forward Chelsea Klotz leads the Bulls in scoring with four goals and a team-best eight points on the season. Two players, forward Amanda McCormick and midfielder Rehana Muran, share the lead for assists with four.
The Bulls, which have allowed eight goals in their last nine matches, are led defensively by senior defender Melanie Sutherland and junior goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi. Sutherland has appeared in 61 matches at defender for USF, while Lofton-Malachi is a second-year starter in goal, sporting a 0.81 goal-against average to go with 101 saves on the season.
West Virginia and USF meet for the fourth time with WVU holding a 3-0-0 lead in the all-time series. The Mountaineers are 2-0 in Morgantown and 1-0 in Tampa. All three matches have been 2-0 decisions in favor of the Mountaineers. A year ago, WVU posted a 2-0 shutout and received goals from then-seniors Kim Bonilla and Kiley Harris.
WVU is looking to defend its division crown from each of the last two seasons while battling for seeding position in this year’s BIG EAST tournament. The 2008 BIG EAST Championship is a 10-team single-elimination tournament. The top five teams in each division, seeded by conference point total, qualify for the conference championship. Notre Dame’s Alumni Stadium will serve as host for the semifinals (Nov. 7) and finals (Nov. 9).
