WSoc Blog: Black, Defense Ready to Roll
October 15, 2014 06:36 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 13 WVU women’s soccer team understands what is at stake this weekend.
The Mountaineers (9-2-2, 2-0-1) close out their Big 12 Conference road schedule with a match at Iowa State (6-8, 0-4) Friday night and a showdown at No. 9 Kansas (14-1, 4-0) Sunday afternoon. Flying back to Morgantown with six points is critical if WVU wants to secure its third straight Big 12 regular-season title.
“Every away trip, getting any points is important, but six points is what we need to achieve a conference championship,” said sophomore center back Carly Black. “I really think that the team is doing everything right here at practice and in games, and I don’t think we’ll let up just because we’re on the road. We need to go out, get the six points and put away two very good teams.”
One way the Mountaineers can ensure they’ll bring six points home? Posting two shutouts on the road. In fact, the Mountaineers opened their road Big 12 slate with consecutive shutouts, settling for a 0-0 draw at TCU on Sept. 26 and rolling to a 2-0 win at Texas on Sept. 28. WVU has six shutouts through 13 matches in 2014.
“Defense is important for us,” Black said. “(Coach) Izzo-Brown takes us under her wing and makes sure we’re always improving ourselves. It’s something this program has always prided itself on. I think, recently, we’ve had a lot of success, and going into this weekend, we need to shut these teams out and keep it going.”
Black and the back line have done an excellent job of limiting shot opportunities this season, holding opponents to 86 shots and 12 goals, seven of which came in WVU’s first three games.
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WVU enters the weekend needing one victory for its 15th straight 10-win season.
In her 20 years as a collegiate head coach, Nikki Izzo-Brown has posted 10-win seasons in all but one, as WVU finished 9-9-1 in 1999.
WVU tallied a program-best 18 wins in 2002, 2007 and 2010.
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Junior Cari Price’s game-winner in the Mountaineers’ 4-2 win over No. 15 Texas Tech Friday night was her first goal of the season. Through 13 matches, 12 different Mountaineers have combined for the team’s 31 goals.
The Mountaineers are on the same scoring pace as the 2013 Big 12 champions, as 10 different players combined for 33 goals through 13 matches.
The biggest difference between the squads? Each student-athlete on the 2014 squad is a threat to score at any time, giving WVU a balanced attack. Junior Leah Emaus, sophomore Ashley Lawrence and freshman Michaela Abam all show a team-best four goals, while three Mountaineers have posted three goals each. In 2013, senior Kate Schwindel and All-American Frances Silva combined for 16 goals in 13 games, just over 50 percent of the team’s scores.
Lawrence enters this weekend with a team-best 10 points (4 G, 2 A). Junior Kelsie Maloney shows nine points (3 G, 3 A), while four Mountaineers have eight points each.
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The Mountaineers’ four-goal performance Friday evening was their fifth four-goal game of the season. The total ranks No. 4 in program history. The WVU record for four+ goal games in one season is eight, set in 2006.
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Several Mountaineers collected individual honors following the team’s victory over the Red Raiders. Price and junior Maggie Bedillion were honored by the Big 12 Conference, winning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week awards, respectively. The honors were the first career recognitions for the duo and marked the first time this season two WVU players were honored in the same week.
Additionally, junior midfielder Amanda Hill was named to the CS360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll. The Washington, Pennsylvania, native assisted on Price’s game-winning goal Friday evening and helped the Mountaineers manage a potent Red Raider offensive attack.
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Big news out of Kansas State this week, as K-State Athletics Director John Currie announced Oct. 13 that the school will add its first-ever intercollegiate women’s soccer program, set to launch in the fall of 2016. The Wildcats are the final team in the 10-school Big 12 Conference to compete in the sport.
The addition of women’s soccer follows the school’s decision to discontinue its sponsorship of equestrian at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season.
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The Mountaineers close out their 2014 regular season with a three-match homestand at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The team first plays host to Oklahoma State on Friday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m., before welcoming Oklahoma on Sunday, Oct. 26, for a 1 p.m. kick. The match against the Sooners is WVU’s annual Pink Game, and the contest will be broadcast by ROOT SPORTS Pittsburgh. All tickets for the game will be $1, courtesy of WVU Healthcare.
WVU closes out its regular season against Baylor on Friday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m.
Let’s Go Mountaineers!
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