No. 13 Women's Soccer Draws at TCU
September 27, 2014 12:07 AM | General
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| Sophomore Ashley Lawrence finished with five shots tonight. |
| WVU Athletic Communications |
FORT WORTH – Despite a 29-shot effort, the No. 13-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team had to settle for a 0-0 draw at TCU this evening in its Big 12 Conference season opener at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.
The Mountaineer defense was challenged by a pressing TCU in the final six minutes of the second overtime, including two Horned Frog corner kicks, but WVU got the clears it needed to earn one point in league play.
A heads-up play by WVU sophomore defender Kadeisha Buchanan in the 108th minute helped preserve the draw for the Mountaineers. With junior goalkeeper Hannah Steadman off her line, TCU’s Emma Heckendorn had a clear look at an open net. She sent a chip shot ahead for the golden goal, but Buchanan hustled back and kicked the ball away from line.
Statistically, WVU (7-2-2, 0-0-1 Big 12) was the more dominant team tonight, outshooting TCU 29-6 and earning nine shots on-goal to the Horned Frogs’ (7-3-1, 0-0-1 Big 12) two. The Mountaineers also earned a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.
“It’s disappointing we couldn’t finish our opportunities tonight,” said Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “It was a tough out. TCU had nine players behind the ball tonight. They played a tough system with six back and two in front. We just didn’t finish our chances. Now, we have to regroup and recover for Sunday’s match at Texas.”
WVU’s lone chance in overtime came early, but a floating shot wide of the 18-yard line from junior defender Maggie Bedillion sailed into TCU goalkeeper Vittoria Arnold’s hands.
Tonight’s draw is WVU’s second in Big 12 regular-season play and the first since 2012.
Trying to break the scoreless play, the Mountaineers turned up the heat in the 58th minute, with redshirt-freshman forward Amandine Pierre-Louis leading the charge. Her first shot from close range dinged off the cross bar and bounced back to a waiting Kailey Utley. The junior forward sent a shot wide of the box toward the far right corner, but TCU’s Bobbie Clemmer was waiting to kick the ball away from the frame. Pierre-Louis pounced, but her second shot sailed wide right, resulting in WVU’s fifth corner of the evening. Sophomore defender Carly Black’s header off the kick went right into Arnold’s hands.
TCU’s lone chance in regulation came in the 71st minute on a header from Jill Finnerty inside a crowded box, but a waiting Steadman came off her line and scooped up the ball.
Mountaineer freshman forward Michaela Abam, the reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, nearly gave WVU a one-goal advantage in the 33rd minute. Pierre-Louis fed the ball to Abam, who was waiting near the line, but her shot just grazed the crossbar and went out of play.
Abam’s second first-half look followed in the 41st minute, this time thanks to a feed from sophomore midfielder Ashley Lawrence. Running toward the net, Abam met the ball mid-stride, but Arnold used her outstretch hands to push the chance away from the low right corner, resulting in the Mountaineers’ second corner kick of the match.
Playing off the bench, Abam registered five shots in the first half and finished with a game-high seven, one more than the Horned Frogs’ total. Abam and Utley each finished with two shots on-goal, and Lawrence and Pierre-Louis added five shots each.
“Ashley Lawrence was all over the field tonight. It’s unfortunate that she couldn’t put one away because I thought she had a great game,” Izzo-Brown said.
Tonight marked the second straight overtime match between the Mountaineers and the Horned Frogs, with WVU earning the 3-2 edge in the first overtime in 2013. WVU continues to own a 2-1-1 all-time series advantage.
The Mountaineers continue their Big 12 road trip Sunday at Texas, with kick from Mike A. Myers Stadium & Soccer Field set for 2 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network. The Longhorns earned a 1-0 overtime win over a visiting No. 6 Texas Tech this evening.
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