No. 8 Women's Soccer Set for Home Matches
October 23, 2014 05:23 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 8-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team opens its season-ending homestand at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium this weekend with two key Big 12 Conference matches.
The Mountaineers (11-2-2, 4-0-1) play host to Oklahoma State (9-7-1, 4-1-1) on Friday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. The squad will then kick against Oklahoma (8-5-3, 2-2-1) on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. Sunday’s match will be broadcast on ROOT SPORTS Pittsburgh, with Geoff Coyle on the call and former Mountaineer Caroline Szwed adding color.
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The first 100 Mountaineer Maniacs through the gates Friday night will receive a special Maniac Pom-Pom to help cheer on the Mountaineers. Tickets for the general public are $5 for adults and just $3 for youth and seniors. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $2 each.
Sunday is the Mountaineers’ “Pink Match” for breast cancer research and awareness. All tickets will be available for $1 each, and the first 500 fans will receive a pink rally towel, both 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 Morgantown’s Betty Puskar Breast Care Center at halftime. WVU has raised more than $100,000 over the last 11 years.
“Not only is this team getting its job done in the classroom and on the playing field, but the squad also is making sure it’s giving back to the Morgantown community,” said Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “Our ‘Pink Match’ is always a great time, and we make it our mission to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research.”
Due to an event Sunday evening at the WVU Coliseum, parking for Sunday’s match will be available only in the lower Coliseum lot by the Shell Building/Natatorium.
A free shuttle bus will be available from the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop for an hour leading up to Sunday’s start time. Return service to the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop also will be available for an hour at the conclusion of the match.
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WVU is a combined 5-0 against the teams, boasting a 3-0 mark against OSU and a 2-0 record against OU.
Friday’s contest is a rematch between the 2013 Big 12 Soccer Tournament finalists. The match features the conference’s top-two teams, as the squads are tied for first place with 13 points each. WVU rides a 12-match unbeaten streak into Friday’s showdown, while OSU is unbeaten in 10 of its last 11 matches.
“Friday night is a big game. We respect what Oklahoma State is doing, and I think they’re coming on strong right now, just like us,” Izzo-Brown explained. “They have a lot of confidence going into this match. They’re playing for a Big 12 title, too, and may come out with a chip on their shoulders.”
The Mountaineers have not lost a home conference match since dropping a 3-2 overtime decision to No. 8 Notre Dame on Oct. 2, 2009, for a span of 23 matches.
In their last meeting, the Mountaineers secured their first-ever Big 12 Soccer Tournament title with a 1-0 win over OSU on Nov. 10, 2013, at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City. A free kick from Carly Black set-up Ashley Lawrence’s game-winner in the 72nd minute, while Sara Keane made nine saves for the Mountaineers.
“Motivation comes from all different angles, and OSU is going to want to put its footprint on us because of last year,” said Izzo-Brown. “I think that’s something that will motivate them, but we have a lot to play for, too.”
WVU clinched its second straight Big 12 regular-season title with a 2-1 double-overtime win at Oklahoma on Oct. 26, 2013. The squad’s victory was a comeback effort, as WVU overcame a one-goal deficit in the 80th minute on a score from Frances Silva. Kate Schwindel’s second golden goal of the season in the 102nd minute sealed the victory. WVU finished with a 20-5 shot advantage and a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.
The Mountaineers enter their homestand after closing their Big 12 road slate with two shutouts last weekend, a 3-0 win at Iowa State on Oct. 17 and a 2-0 victory at No. 9 Kansas on Oct. 19. WVU finished 3-0-1 on the road in Big 12 play this season and did not allow a goal, marking the first time in program history the Mountaineers posted a shutout in each of their road league matches. Additionally, WVU’s win over the Jayhawks gave the Mountaineers at least one win against a top-10 team in each of the last 10 straight seasons.
Schwindel, a senior forward out of Livingston, New Jersey, doubled her season goal output last weekend with three goals, including both game-winners. The reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, she was the first opponent to put two goals past KU this season. Freshman forward Michaela Abam and junior midfielder Amanda Hill also added scores against the Cyclones, while junior Hannah Steadman made four saves on the weekend. For her efforts in helping the team push its season shutout total to eight, sophomore Kadeisha Buchanan was named the Big 12 Defender of the Week.
The Mountaineers rank No. 1 in the conference, No. 16 nationally, with 2.40 goals per game. The squad also is tops in the Big 12, No. 14 nationally, in points per game (7.00).
Schwindel (6 G, 1 A) and Lawrence (4 G, 5 A) pace the Mountaineers with 13 points each, the ninth-best total in the Big 12. Schwindel’s goal total ranks No. 1 on the team, No. 5 in the conference, while Lawrence and junior forward Kailey Utley each show a team-best five assists and rank No. 3 in the Big 12.
Since earning its first win of the season on Sept. 12, a 2-1 victory over Cal Poly, OSU has gone unbeaten in 10 of its last 11 matches, with its only loss a 2-1 defeat at No. 16 Kansas on Oct. 3. The team’s four conference victories are the most by an OSU squad since winning six in 2011. Most recently, the Cowgirls defeated Oklahoma, 2-1 in overtime, on Oct. 17. Junior forward Allie Stephenson paces with 13 points (5 G, 3 A), and senior Rosa Medina shows a 1.20 goals-against average.
The Sooners enter the weekend searching for their first win in three games. OU has not allowed more than two goals in a match this season, but the team is 0-4-0 when an opponent nets two scores. Junior forward Devin Barrett paces with 11 points (5 G, 1 A), and sophomore Kaitlyn Fahrner shows a 0.85 goals-against average. OU will face Texas in Norman Friday night before traveling to Morgantown.
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