Big 12 Honors Women's Soccer Duo
October 21, 2014 03:54 PM | General
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Schwindel and Buchanan helped push the Mountaineers to a 4-0-1 mark in Big 12 play.
Steve Prunty Photo
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the second straight week, a pair of Mountaineers from the No. 8-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team took two of the three Big 12 Conference weekly honors, as senior Kate Schwindel was named the Offensive Player of the Week and sophomore Kadeisha Buchanan was named the Defensive Player of the Week.
The honors are the first of the season for the duo. Today’s recognition is the fifth career Big 12 weekly award for Schwindel, a forward out of Livingston, New Jersey. Buchanan, a center back from Brampton, Ontario, was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in 2013. She finished her rookie season with Big 12 Defensive Player and Newcomer of the Year honors.
“It’s a great honor to be named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week,” said Schwindel. “I think this is a huge reflection of how well the team played this weekend.”
Six different Mountaineers have been honored by the Big 12 Conference this season.
Schwindel’s recognition follows her three-goal output, including two game-winners, in the Mountaineers’ (11-2-2, 4-0-1) 3-0 win at Iowa State on Oct. 17 and 2-0 win at then-No. 9 Kansas on Oct. 19. Schwindel broke scoreless play at ISU with a goal in the 50th minute. Two days later, she put the Mountaineers ahead for good against the Jayhawks 4:31 into the match. She added an insurance goal in the 77th minute for her second two-goal performance of the season and the third of her career. Schwindel is the first player to net two goals against KU this season. She now shows a team-best six goals and 13 points.
Buchanan played a key role in helping the Mountaineers record two road shutouts over the weekend, as she and the WVU defense held opponents to a combined nine shots and four corner kicks. The Mountaineers denied ISU a corner kick opportunity, the first time this season a WVU foe hasn’t earned a corner kick. WVU’s defensive effort over the weekend was especially impressive given that the squad faced the Big 12’s No. 2 (KU’s Liana Salazer) and No. 3 (ISU’s Koree Willer) goal scorers. The Mountaineers have posted four shutouts in Big 12 road matches this season and show eight shutouts on the year.
The duo, along with sophomore defender Carly Black, also was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s Team of the Week. Additionally, Schwindel was named College Sports Madness’ National Offensive Player of the Week.
Two weekly polls also were released today, and the Mountaineers moved up in both.
WVU is up six spots to No. 10 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Continental Tire College Rankings, the squad’s highest position of the season. Today’s ranking is the Mountaineers’ best showing since earning the No. 9 ranking in the Oct. 22, 2013 poll.
Two additional Big 12 teams are ranked, with Kansas (14-3, 4-2) sitting at No. 15 and Texas Tech (12-3-1, 2-3-1) at No. 19.
Defending National Champion UCLA (13-0-2, 5-0-1 Pac-12) ranks No. 1, and Florida State is No. 2 (14-1, 7-0 ACC). Virginia (14-1, 6-1 ACC) and Stanford (12-1-2, 4-1-1 Pac-12) rank No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. North Carolina (10-2-1, 7-0 ACC) is up one spot to No. 6.
Additionally, the Mountaineers rank No. 14 in the Soccer America Top 25, a six-spot move from last week’s ranking and their best position of the year.
The Mountaineers conclude their regular season with a three-match homestand at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The squad opens with Oklahoma State on Friday, Oct. 24, with first kick set for 7 p.m. WVU then plays host to Oklahoma on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ROOT SPORTS Pittsburgh.
The first 100 Mountaineer Maniacs Friday night will receive a special Maniac Pom-Pom to help cheer on the Mountaineers throughout the match. Sunday is the Mountaineers’ “Pink Match” for breast cancer research and awareness, and tickets will be available for $1 each, courtesy of WVU Healthcare. The first 500 fans Sunday will receive a pink rally towel, also courtesy of WVU Healthcare. Additionally, the first 200 fans will receive a women’s soccer wristband. All fans are encouraged to wear pink Sunday, and the team will present a check for $10,374 to the
Betty Puskar Breast Care Center at halftime.
Betty Puskar Breast Care Center at halftime.
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