Women's Soccer: 2008 Class Announced
February 12, 2008 03:19 PM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
February 12, 2008
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| Nikki Izzo-Brown |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University head women’s soccer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown announced today the signing of five student-athletes for the 2008 season.
The five signees are Chelsey Corroto (F/Hilliard, Ohio), Caitlin Hickey (D/Stafford, Va.), Meghan Lewis (M/Naperville, Ill.), Blake Miller (F/St. Louis, Mo.) and Morgan Betscher (D/Decatur, Ill.) who enrolled in January.
“I’m very excited to have this class come in because of its versatility and athleticism,” says Izzo-Brown, the 2007 Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. “This is an experienced group of student-athletes who can build on the success of the program. They understand the importance of hard work and our goal to win championships.”
Corroto was a four-year starter (2004-07) at Hilliard Davidson High where she was a first team all-conference selection each season. The conference’s co-player of the year in 2005 was a second team all-district pick in 2004 and a first team choice the last three seasons. A two-time all-state performer, Corroto was a team captain (2006-07) and earned MVP honors in 2006 and offensive player of the year honors in 2004 and 2007.
Corroto played on Olympic Development Program (ODP) state teams from 2002-06. Her club team, Ohio Premier, won state cup championships in 2001 and 2003. She was named to the Region II team in 2003-04 and participated in the U-14 national camp in 2003.
“Chelsey is a crafty and technical forward who works extremely hard,” says Izzo-Brown. “She is not only intelligent on the field but also in the classroom. She displayed a true passion to be a Mountaineer during her visit to Morgantown.”
Hickey earned Most Valuable Defender honors in guiding Colonial Forge High to a Virginia AAA state quarterfinal appearance in 2007. She was named a Freelance Star first team all-area pick in 2006-07. A two-time Commonwealth all-district selection, Hickey was named first team all-region in 2006 and honorable mention in 2005. The former team rookie of the year guided Colonial Forge to a district championship and regional final appearance in 2007.
Hickey played on ODP state teams in 2005-06. Her club team, RFC United, was ranked nationally in the top 25 and advanced to the state cup final four in each of the last three years.
“Caitlin is a physical and strong defender,” comments Izzo-Brown. “She had tremendous success playing in a defensive role for her club team. She’ll participate in ROTC here on campus, which reflects the leadership and work ethic qualities we saw in her.”
Lewis is a three-year letterwinner at Neuqua Valley High where she guided them to a pair of regional championships (2006-07). Her 2007 team was ranked as high as No. 2 in the state and Lewis earned all-conference honors at midfield.
Lewis played on ODP state teams from 2004-06. Her club career began in 1998 with Team Chicago before concluding with her current team, Eclipse Select North. Lewis guided her clubs teams to five Illinois state cup championships (2001-02, 2004-06). She was the team captain of her 2005 team were USYS Region II finalists.
“Meghan brings versatility to our roster,” says Izzo-Brown. “She is an athletic midfielder with good vision. She is quick, good on the ball and great in the air. Meghan comes from very established club team, which will aid in her transition to the college game.”
Miller led Incarnate Word Academy to the Missouri state championship game in 2005 and 2007. A three-time first team all-conference pick, Miller’s team earned a national top 20 ranking. She was named first team all-state in 2006-07 and second team all-state in 2005. Miller led her teams in scoring for three seasons and was twice named all-metro.
Miller played club soccer for the St. Louis Soccer Club (STLSC) and was coached by her father, Gary. STLSC won state cup championships in 2003, 2005-2007 and a national championship 2005. Earlier this month, STLSC was named the top youth club in the nation by Soccer America for second straight year. Miller earned the adidas Golden Boot award in 2005, given annually to the player in each division who have the greatest competitive impact in the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships. She was named a youth All-American in 2006-07 and was a member of the ODP regional teams those years.
“Blake is a true goal scorer with a great first touch,” adds Izzo-Brown. “She can take on defenders one-v-one. She is a technical and physical player. She has that rare ability to find the back of the net often.”
Betscher is in her first semester on campus, enrolling in January. She joins current Mountaineer Stephanie Burgess as the only players in program history to enroll early.
West Virginia made its first NCAA Elite Eight appearance this season with a record of 18-5-2, tying the school record for victories in a season. The Mountaineers won the BIG EAST Conference’s regular season division and tournament titles.
