No. 13 Mountaineers Settle for Draw
September 12, 2014 10:31 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Despite a significant advantage in chances, the No. 13-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team could not close the door on a visiting No. 16 Georgetown tonight, as the squads played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The overtime match was the first of the season for the Mountaineers (4-2-1), who dominated in time of possession and outshot the Hoyas (3-2-2) 26-10, including a 13-3 advantage in shots on-goal.
“When you can hold a team like Georgetown to three shots, I think it says a lot about what we’re doing defensively,” said Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “I have all the respect in the world for Georgetown, and I thought (Emma) Newins came up with some huge saves. This is a tough result for us. We had a great crowd behind us, and they did their best to will us to a victory. Walking away from this match – we felt we had this.”
The Hoyas got on the board first, with forward Vanessa Skrumbis tallying her seventh goal of the season in the 24th minute. Forward Jessie Clinton sent the cross to Skrumbis, and with a clear look at the net from 22-yards out, she sent a high kick that grazed Steadman’s hands before going into the far right corner of the net.
The Mountaineers wasted little time matching the score, as sophomore Kadeisha Buchanan knotted the game at 1-1 just three minutes later. The Brampton, Ontario, native corralled the ball inside the box after a touch from sophomore defender Carly Black, and falling down, got a shot off that went to the left corner for her third goal of the season. Junior defender Maggie Bedillion sent a brilliant ball in to jump start the scoring play.
WVU had its best chances for the win throughout the match’s final eight minutes, as the squad tallied seven shots, including two from junior forward Kelsie Maloney within a span of 64 seconds that were saved by Newins. Maloney’s second chance, a straight-forward look from the 12-yard line, was blocked by Newins’ body. Junior midfielder Leah Emaus was in perfect position for the deflection, but her shot sailed wide of the goal.
Redshirt-freshman forward Amandine Pierre-Louis’ eighth and final shot came in the 88th minute, but her attempt from the far left edge of the box skirted the right goal post and went out of play.
Junior Hannah Steadman made two saves in the match, none bigger than her stop in the 101st minute. Just seconds after play began, GU’s Daphne Corboz broke away from the pack and dribbled right into the box. Steadman stood her ground and stopped the shot from close range.
Pierre-Louis served as the team’s sparkplug in her first career start, tallying a game-best five shots on-goal. Maloney followed with two shots on-frame.
“There’s only one choice right now – we’re going to push forward,” said Izzo-Brown. “We’re a team that knows it can finish its chances, and that’s our focus. We’re going to keep creating chances. We need to stay positive, because once we get that piece in place, we’re going to be a tough team to beat.
Corboz paced GU with two shots on-goal.
The Mountaineers finished with a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
This is the first tie between the former Big East Conference foes. The Mountaineers retain a 14-3-1 series advantage.
WVU returns to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Sunday for a 1 p.m. match against Duquesne. All fans in attendance will be able to meet the team for autographs following the match.
Tickets are $5 for adults and just $3 for youth and seniors. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $2 each. All WVU students are admitted for free with a valid WVU student I.D.
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