Women's Soccer Opens Spring Season
March 13, 2015 12:17 PM | General
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| Utley |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The three-time reigning Big 12 Conference champion West Virginia University women’s soccer team opens its 2015 spring season Saturday, March 14, with a 10:30 a.m. match against the Western New York Flash, at Sahlen Sports Park, in Elma, New York.
A member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the Flash’s preseason roster features U.S. National Team members Abby Wambach (F) and Whitney Engen (D). Additionally, the Mountaineers will face a familiar foe in Jaelene Hinkle (D), a product of the 2015 NWSL College Draft and an All-America at Texas Tech.
“There’s no question that we’re going to see what we need to work on, as we’re facing athletes that play in the world’s top professional league,” said Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “We’re going to understand and recognize where we need to be, team-wise. Tomorrow also will be an eye-opener for our athletes that aspire to play at the next level – they’ll see what they need to do to move on to the professional ranks. This is a tremendous opportunity to see where our team stands early in the spring.”
Saturday’s match is the team’s first of five this spring and its lone March competition. Twenty Mountaineers return from 2014 championship campaign, including rising seniors Maggie Bedillion (D), Leah Emaus (M/D), Amanda Hill (M), Noelle Honeycutt (M), Kelsie Maloney (F), Hannah Steadman (GK) and Kailey Utley (F). Additionally, it will be the first action for NC State transfer Kayla Saager (F) and early enrollees Hannah Abraham (F) and Easther Mayi Kith (D).
“There are holes we need to fill in our roster for this upcoming season; we took a hit with the graduation of Jess Crowder and Kate Schwindel,” explained Izzo-Brown. “I’m excited for our younger girls to step in and see how they measure.”
The Mountaineers return to competition following a 2014 season that saw the squad earn its third straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title and successfully defend its Big 12 Championship title. WVU (16-2-4, 7-0-1) ended the year on a program-record 19-match unbeaten streak and advanced to its 15th straight NCAA Tournament. The Mountaineers were ranked No. 15 in the final NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division I Women’s National Rankings.
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