Women’s Soccer: WVU Ready For NCAA Action
November 13, 2008 02:23 PM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
November 13, 2008
GAME NOTES | 
NCAA BRACKET
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| Nikki Izzo-Brown. |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The 12th-ranked West Virginia women’s soccer team begins its quest for the 2008 NCAA College Cup against Princeton in the opening round of NCAA tournament Friday, Nov. 14, in Charlottesville, Va. Kickoff at Klöckner Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Mountaineers are 8-8 all-time in NCAA tournament play, including a 2-1 mark against teams on a neutral site. West Virginia and Princeton have never met on the soccer field and the Mountaineers have never played an NCAA match in Charlottesville.
“We are excited to get back out on the field and play West Virginia soccer,” said Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “You work so hard to get to the postseason and this team is ready to go.”
West Virginia enters NCAA play carrying an eight-match unbeaten streak (6-0-2). The dangerous WVU offense has scored at least one goal in 18 of 21 games this season. Defensively, the Mountaineers have posted 13 shutouts on the season, tying the all-time record set in 2006 and 2007.
Princeton is led by 14th-year Head Coach Julie Shackford, the winningest coach in program history. She has guided the Tigers to seven NCAA tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 2004.
The Tigers sport a 12-2-2 overall record after winning their sixth Ivy League title. Princeton captured the regular season championship (there is no postseason tournament) following a 2-1 double-overtime win over Penn on Nov. 8.
“Princeton is a well-coached team who possesses the ball well,” said Izzo-Brown. “Their team is very technical and they have a dangerous forward in (Sarah) Peteraf. They haven’t given up a lot of goals this year and have a very organized back line.”
Peteraf leads the Tigers offensively with a team-best 12 goals and 26 points on the season. Peteraf, who has appeared in 54 career matches, has notched seven game-winning goals this season. The senior is the first Princeton player since Emily Behncke (2005) to score a double-digit number of goals in a single season.
Princeton is led defensively by two-time All-Ivy League defender Taylor Numann. Numann scored both goals against Penn off headers, only her second and third career goals. The four-year starter has helped her team post 10 shutouts this season.
In net for the Tigers is sophomore Alyssa Pont. The first-year goalkeeper has started all 16 matches for Princeton, allowing only seven goals in 1,414 minutes, registering 49 saves and seven shutouts.
Princeton is the fourth first-time opponent this season for WVU. The Mountaineers have only played one Ivy League team in the program’s 13-year history, a 2-0 victory over Yale in 2003.
Four BIG EAST women’s soccer teams will participate in the 2008 NCAA Championship. Two teams, including No. 1 seed Notre Dame and Rutgers, will host first and second round matches. Last year the league saw three teams advance to the Elite Eight of the tournament. Over the past four years (not including 2008), the league has secured 21 NCAA berths and compiled a record of 35-15-7 (.675).
