MORGANTOWN, W.Va. –The No. 13-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team looks to push its win streak to five with two matches at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium this weekend.
The Mountaineers (4-2) renew a rivalry with No. 16 Georgetown on Friday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m., and welcome Duquesne on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 1 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for adults and just $3 for youth and seniors. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $2 each.
The first 200 Mountaineer Maniacs who attend Friday’s match will receive a women’s soccer fan shirt. All in attendance on Sunday will be able to meet the team for autographs following the competition.
A free WVU 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.
The Hoyas (3-2-1) are the third ranked opponent the Mountaineers have faced in four weeks. WVU is 14-3 all-time against Georgetown, with its last two wins coming in 2011 – a 3-1 victory at Georgetown and a 5-1 win over the Hoyas in Morgantown in the Big East Conference Tournament semifinal.
“Having the opportunity to play another team that is nationally ranked is critical for what we want to do with our season and where we want to be at the end of the year,” said Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “Having seen Georgetown so much when we were in the Big East, we understand how organized that team is and how good they’re going to be. Friday night is shaping up to be a great game – it’s going to be a battle of wills.
“We talk a lot about Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium being a tough place to play for opponents. That Mountaineer magic that our fans bring is so important, and we’ll be counting on their full support Friday night.”
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Sophomore Ashley Lawrence netted two goals last weekend, including her first of the season in the team's 4-0 win over Hofstra on Sept. 5.
Photo by Steve Prunty
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GU limps into Friday’s match, having lost its last two matches, including a 2-0 loss to Wake Forest on Sept. 7. The Hoyas suffered their first defeat on Sept. 5, a 6-1 decision at then-No. 5 Virginia Tech.
Senior forward Vanessa Skrumbis ranks No. 9 nationally with a team-best six goals; she also ranks No. 14 in the NCAA with 13 points. Senior midfielder Daphne Corboz ranks No. 5 nationally with five assists.
“Daphne is their quarterback and generates their attack, and Vanessa scores a lot of goals,” Izzo-Brown said. “We know they’re effective and creative in their attack. We need to be tight and ready for their best shots Friday night.”
WVU and Duquesne have met six times, and the Mountaineers own a 4-0-2 all-time series edge. The teams last played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw in Morgantown on Sept. 6, 2012.
The Dukes enter the weekend having scored only three goals in four matches, with their last coming in a 1-0, double-overtime victory at Pitt on Aug. 24. Most recently, the Dukes played to a 0-0 tie against Niagara on Sept. 5. Duquesne has not given up a goal since the 85th minute of its season-opening loss to Robert Morris (329 minutes), and senior goalkeeper Devon Tabata has posted three straight shutouts.
Duquesne plays host to Youngstown State Friday night.
The Mountaineers are 3-1 at DDSS this season, with the squad posting a shutout in its last three straight victories. WVU has allowed three shots combined in the wins, with only one on-goal. Most recently, the Mountaineers held UNC Greensboro without a shot in their 2-0 victory on Sept. 7; it marked the fourth time in program history an opponent failed to tally a shot against WVU.
Forwards Kate Schwindel and Kelsie Maloney pace the Mountaineers with seven points each, the 10th-best total in the Big 12 Conference. Schwindel owns a team-best three goals and ranks No. 6 in the Big 12, while Maloney owns three assists and ranks No. 4.
