Women's Soccer: Four-Game Road Swing
October 15, 2009 08:57 AM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
October 15, 2009
GAME NOTES
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| Nicole Mailloux |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia women’s soccer team closes out the regular season with four BIG EAST road matches beginning this weekend. The Mountaineers travel to Villanova, Pa., to take on Villanova on Friday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m. WVU concludes the weekend in Washington, D.C., with a match at Georgetown on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m.
West Virginia is riding a season high three match win streak. The Mountaineers sport a 7-4-4 record, including a 4-2-1 mark in conference play. WVU sits atop the BIG EAST American Division with St. John’s at 13 points, but holds the tiebreaker after winning its head-to-head meeting on Oct. 11.
"We know every conference game is going to be a battle, especially this late in the season," says WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. "Both teams are very good at home and both teams have plenty of starters back from last season’s teams. We have to stay focused and play West Virginia soccer."
Villanova is led by second-year coach John Byford, the program’s fifth head coach. In one-and-a-half seasons, Byford has led the Wildcats to a 21-10-3 record.
The Wildcats return nine starters from a year ago and carry a record of 10-3-2 into the weekend, including a 3-3-1 mark in BIG EAST play. Villanova is unbeaten (8-0-1) at home and is coming off a pair of league wins last weekend over Cincinnati and Louisville.
Leading the Villanova offense is sophomore forward Katie Ryan with a team-best 10 goals and six assists for 26 points (a league best). Freshman Heidi Sabatura has contributed seven goals and four assists as 10 different Wildcats have scored a goal this season.
Defensively, the Wildcats return three all-region defenders led by two-time all-BIG EAST performer Kelly Eagan. The senior, along with goalkeeper Molly Williams, have helped Villanova post four shutouts this season.
West Virginia leads the all-time series with Villanova by an 8-4-4 count, including a 3-2-2 edge in games played at Villanova. In their last meeting with the Wildcats, forward Blake Miller scored the game-winner in WVU’s 2-1 overtime victory in Morgantown on Oct. 19, 2008. WVU has won the last five meetings.
Georgetown, which returns eight starters this season, enters the weekend with a 10-3-2 record under sixth-year head coach Dave Nolan. In five-and-a-half seasons, the 2007 BIG EAST Coach of the Year has led the Hoyas to a 63-41-11 record.
The Hoyas, 3-3-1 in BIG EAST play, battle Pitt tomorrow night before Sunday’s match in Washington, D.C. Georgetown has posted league wins against Providence, Cincinnati and Louisville.
The Hoyas are led by midfielder Ingrid Wells, the 2007 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. The redshirt sophomore has scored seven goals and leads the conference in assists with nine – a mark good for ninth in the country. Wells spent the 2008 season with the U.S. U20 National Team at the 2008 World Cup.
Defensively, Georgetown returns three of its four starting defenders from last season. Senior Norah Swanson is a team captain and anchors the back line with more than 60 games of playing experience. Junior goalkeeper Jackie Desjardin has made 58 saves and posted five shutouts in 14 games this season for the Hoyas.
The Mountaineers hold an 11-2-0 advantage in the all-time series with Georgetown, including a 6-1-0 edge in games played in Washington, D.C. A year ago, West Virginia scored late to force overtime and Blake Miller scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute in WVU’s 2-1 victory in Morgantown. WVU has won the past four meetings while outscoring the Hoyas by a 12-5 margin in those contests.
