Women's Soccer Preview
July 29, 2009 02:52 PM | General
July 29, 2009
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| Kerri Butler |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia’s postseason appearance last November marked familiar territory for the Mountaineers women’s soccer team.
It also gave WVU the distinction of holding the nation’s ninth longest active streak for NCAA tournament appearances. That honor typically means added pressure for future teams. Yet, the merit is something Head Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown welcomes heading into the program’s 14th season.
Also adding to the Mountaineers’ load in 2009 is the defense of their BIG EAST American Division title. Leading the charge are the team’s three seniors: Mallory Beck, Carolyn Blank and Nicole Mailloux. And it starts with Blank, the team’s lone returning All-American.
The 2008 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year, Blank has started all 69 matches over the past three seasons, earning Second Team All-American honors as a junior. The Toms River, N.J., native has played in integral part in the success of WVU’s teams the past three seasons.
“There’s no question that Carolyn is the player that wants the ball, wants to be the communicator and wants to link the offense with the defense,” says Izzo-Brown of her center mid. “You couldn’t ask for a better midfielder that communicates and keeps it all together. Carolyn is that type of player and her presence in the midfield means so much to this team.”
WVU has flourished in the midfield throughout the years and will look for some younger players to complement Blank. With the departure of seniors Amanda Cicchini and Lisa DuCote, players like Ashtin Larkin, Meghan Lewis and Heather Saffel will compete for minutes.
The forward spot looks to be a promising position for Coach Izzo-Brown’s Mountaineers. WVU returns a pair of All-BIG EAST performers in Blake Miller and Megan Mischler.
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Challenging
Competition
All-BIG
EAST ReturneesMischler, a Moon Township, Pa., native, was off to a great sophomore season until suffering a broken fibula in a collision with the Connecticut goalkeeper midway through conference play. She finished third on the team in scoring despite missing the final eight matches of the year.
“Megan was having a tremendous season until her unfortunate injury,” explains Izzo-Brown. “She did all the things we ask of our forwards and is coming off a very good spring. It will be a huge help to have her healthy this fall and doing the things we know she is capable of doing. There’s no question that having her healthy for a full season is a big plus for our team.”
When Mischler went down, a pair of freshmen in Miller and Erica Henderson picked up the slack and provided a spark offensively.
“You can’t say enough about the job Blake Miller and Erica Henderson did as freshmen last fall,” notes Izzo-Brown. “Blake’s finesse and 1v1 ability, along with her technical ability, made a huge impact up top for us. Erica gave us maximum effort each minute on the field with her non-stop engine. Those two being able to find the back of the net was a huge help offensively. We are excited to see what those two can do as sophomores.”
Miller led the 2008 team in goals, registering 10 goals last season – the most-ever by a WVU freshman. The St. Louis, Mo., native also scored a team-best six game-winning goals.
Henderson, a Rochester, N.Y., native brings versatility to the lineup and started matches last fall at two positions: defender and forward. Also competing for time at the forward position are junior Sydney Metheny, and sophomores Morgan Betscher and Chelsey Corroto.
The foundation of Izzo-Brown teams throughout the years lies with a strong back line. Anchoring the 2009 defense is the lone returning starter in senior Mailloux. The center back started every match last fall on a team that held 12 opponents to five shots or less. Mailloux’s experience and skill level will be challenged early with a unit filled with first-time starters.
“Having experienced goalkeepers and a center back in Nikki Mailloux helps quite a bit,” says Izzo-Brown on duplicating the success of past defenses. “Their experience helps me as a coach by knowing already what their strengths and weaknesses are. There is no doubt we’ll have inexperienced players that need to step up and contribute this fall. But it’s going to be a team effort. This past spring allowed some players an opportunity to compete and the defensive unit did improve at the end of the spring. We need to stay focused and carry that improvement into fall where we can feel comfortable back there.”
Competing in goal are goalkeepers Beck and junior Kerri Butler. The two combined for 13 shutouts last year, tying the school record. WVU’s defense allowed only four goals in 11 conference games last year – the fewest by any BIG EAST team in either division.
With the loss of six starters, competition will be heavy for valuable minutes.
“When you lose eight seniors, including a large number of starters, it really opens things up. There are several positions that are wide open and every day is a competition,” notes Izzo-Brown. “Every day you have to prove yourself as a starter. I’m excited because competition is the sweetest motivator and I can’t wait to see who wants to help us win a championship.”
The Mountaineers bring in nine freshmen to join seven juniors and six sophomores to make up the 25-person team.
The rookie class consists of: Steph Carpenter (M/Mays Landing, N.J.), Nicolette DeLaurentis (F/Sicklerville, N.J.), Sara Keane (GK/Mt. Laurel, N.J.), Caralee Keppler (D/Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Ashley Magruda (GK/Belle Vernon, Pa.), Bry McCarthy (F/Ajax, Ontario), Bri Rodriguez (M/Aurora, Ill.), Mallory Smith (D/Hamden, Conn.) and Caroline Szwed (M/Oakville, Ontario).
Seven opponents on this year’s schedule made the 2008 NCAA tournament – Boston, BYU, Marquette, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee and Virginia.
“The 2009 season will be very challenging," says coach Izzo-Brown, who returns six starters from a year ago. “Playing against some of the nation’s best teams early will help us prepare for conference play as we look to defend our division title.”
West Virginia will play nine matches this fall at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium and will take to the road for 10 contests. WVU opens up the 2009 campaign at home against Ohio State on Sunday, Aug. 23.
Awaiting the Mountaineers in the early season are two challenging tournaments – the Penn State Invitational and the Virginia NIKE Soccer Classic. WVU will face Penn State and BYU in University Park, Pa., on Aug. 29-31. West Virginia plays Dartmouth and tournament host Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., on Sept. 11-13.
The Mountaineers, winners of three straight BIG EAST American Division titles, open conference play on Sept. 17 with a road match at Pitt. West Virginia will make road trips to USF, Villanova, Georgetown, Connecticut and Providence.
WVU’s BIG EAST home opener is scheduled for Sept. 24 against Marquette. The Mountaineers also hosts conference foes Notre Dame, DePaul, Syracuse and St. John’s this season.
The BIG EAST Championship begins on campus sites with first round action set for Thursday, Oct. 29 and quarterfinal action on Sunday, Nov. 1. Connecticut will play host to the BIG EAST semifinals and finals on Nov. 6-8.
Unlike past seasons full of deep and talented senior classes, the 2009 WVU soccer team will rely on balance and versatility as the strengths of its squad. Look for the Mountaineers to come together as a team and improve throughout the course of the year as a result of its senior leadership and skilful underclassmen. The goals remain the same, yet the road to success may take a different path, as the Mountaineers aim to prove they belong among the nation's elite.
