Women's Soccer: BIG EAST Road Opener
September 23, 2008 09:26 PM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
September 24, 2008
GAME NOTES
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| Coach Izzo-Brown |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the third straight week, the 11th-ranked West Virginia women’s soccer team will play a Thursday night match. The Mountaineers travel to St. John’s for their BIG EAST road opener on Sept. 25. Kickoff at Belson Stadium is slated for 4:30 p.m.
“Every game in the BIG EAST is tough and playing on the road is always challenging,” says Head Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “It is important for this team to stay focused for 90 minutes for us to be successful. Our girls will be ready to play.”
St. John’s, led by 15th-year Head Coach Ian Stone, brings a record of 4-1-3 into today’s contest. The Red Storm are coming off a 1-1 draw with Princeton on Sept. 21.
STJ returns 18 upperclassmen this season, including All-BIG EAST players Tara Mendoza and Nicole Pasciolla who anchor the defensive effort.
Junior Amanda Santos leads the team in points with five and is the only Red Storm player with multiple goals on the season. Santos was credited with an assist last time out in a 1-1 tie with Princeton.
Between the posts for St. John’s is freshman Kristin Russell. Russell has started all eight matches, allowing only one goal in 735 minutes while making 45 saves.
The Mountaineers are led offensively by sophomore Megan Mischler and senior Deana Everrett who combine for seven of the team’s 16 goals on the year. West Virginia has scored a goal in all nine games this season.
A strong back line and sophomore goalkeeper Kerri Butler guide WVU’s defensive efforts. The Mountaineers, owners of six shutouts, and have allowed only two goals in the last 580 minutes of soccer.
West Virginia and St. John’s meet for the 13th time with WVU holding an 8-2-2 lead in the all-time series. The Mountaineers have won eight of the last nine (8-0-1) meetings including a 2-0 win in Morgantown last season.
Ten of the 12 meetings have taken place in the regular season. The other two meetings took place in the BIG EAST tournament in 2002 and 2003.
WVU last played in Queens in 2006, a 0-0 double overtime draw at Belson Stadium.
