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No. 4 Mountaineers Move On!
November 13, 2015 09:56 PM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 4-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team punched its ticket to the 2015 NCAA Tournament second round in record-setting fashion, defeating Duquesne, 4-0, tonight in blustery, windy conditions at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The No. 2-seeded Mountaineers (17-2-1, 6-0-1) left little doubt this evening, as sophomore midfielder Carla Portillo tallied the game-winner just 3:29 into the match. The goal was WVU’s first in an NCAA match since a 2-1 first-round defeat to Princeton on Nov. 10, 2012, in Morgantown.
With the win, WVU advances to the NCAA Tournament second round for the first time since 2013 and the 10th time in program history. The Mountaineers will face the winner of No. 23-ranked Washington State – Northwestern on Friday, Nov. 20, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, at a time yet to be determined.
“It was a tremendous game for us, even in these conditions,” said Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown, now three wins short of career victory No. 300. “We played the way that we wanted to play, and we capitalized on the opportunities. We are so excited that we are advancing.”
The Mountaineers recaptured their offensive spark tonight, as the team’s four goals matched an NCAA Tournament program record, last hit in a 4-0 first-round victory over Navy on Nov. 16, 2007, in Morgantown.
WVU now shows 52 goals on the season, three short of matching the program record, first set in 2006.
Not to be outdone, the WVU defense gave the Dukes (12-10-1, 5-5) fits, holding the Atlantic 10 Conference champions to just five shots, all in the second half, and one corner kick.
WVU’s clean sheet is its 14th of the season, matching the program single-season record first set in 2010. The squad is now the second winningest team in the program’s 20-year history, as the Mountaineers sit at 17 wins, one short of the program record.
The Mountaineers finished with a 26-5 edge in shots and forced Duke goalkeeper Vanessa Perdomo into 10 saves. WVU earned a 7-1 edge in corner kicks.
Portillo’s score came on the first shot of the night. Sitting at the top of the box, she received the ball from senior defender Maggie Bedillion, turned, split three Duke defenders and connected on a hard blast that beat Perdomo to the left post. The goal was the Mississauga, Ontario, native’s first game-winner of the year.
“(The goal) was definitely a confidence booster,” said Izzo-Brown. “When you are playing in this type of arena, knowing that the NCAA Tournament is one and done, it is nice for us to have that confidence and put the ball away. It was huge. I think our players felt a little free after that, and they were able to do some things that they would’ve questioned if they didn’t finish that opportunity.”
The Mountaineers controlled the tempo throughout the remainder of the half, earning the much-needed insurance goal with just one minute remaining before the break. Freshman defender Hannah Abraham pounced on a failed Duke clearance, swiping the ball from Haley Yow at the top of the 18-yard box and sending a strong, left-footed shot toward the high right pocket for her fourth score of the season.
Bedillion had a hand in the team’s third goal, too, as she jump-started a scoring attack in the 58th minute. Bedillion sent the ball up the left line to sophomore forward Michaela Abam, and the Houston native one-touched it into the box, where she found classmate Amandine Pierre-Louis. Using her body for momentum, the forward spun before sending her shot toward the far left post. The goal was the fourth of the season for Pierre-Louis, while the two-assist performance was the second of the year for Bedillion.
Freshman forward Nia Gordon iced the game in the 77th minute with her fifth goal of the season. With space at the top of the box, Gordon dribbled left before ripping a shot that sailed between multiple Duke defenders toward the near, upper left pocket.
The Dukes’ best chance of the game came quickly in the second half, as Linnea Faccenda raced down the sideline with the ball in the 48th minute. Junior defender Kadeisha Buchanan gave chase and forced the midfielder into an early shot, which senior Hannah Steadman easily saved, her lone stop of the contest.
Abam and Pierre-Louis paced the field with five shots each.
Tonight’s win was WVU’s second of the season against Duquesne, as the Mountaineers defeated the Dukes, 5-0, on Aug. 30, in Morgantown. WVU owns a 7-0-2 all-time series edge.
The Mountaineers will host second- and third-round games at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium for the first time since the NCAA adjusted the tournament set-up in 2011. The Cougars and the Wildcats kick from Pullman, Washington, at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow night.
WVU also will play host to a second-round contest featuring Minnesota and the winner of No. 3-seed California – Loyola Marymount next Friday. Game times for both second-round matches will be announced later this weekend.
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