MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – If West Virginia University women’s soccer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown had her way, she and the No. 10/12-ranked Mountaineers would spend several more weeks “camping” at Dreamswork Field. The 20-year veteran coach always wishes for just a few more days preparing with her players.

 

Senior forward Kailey Utley politely disagrees with her coach. The St. Louis, Missouri, native believes she and her teammates are ready to open the 2015 season at Indiana’s Hoosier Classic this weekend.

 

“It’s a process, and I think we’re ready and excited for our first game,” Utley explained. “We’ll continue to grow and get better every single day. We’re playing in a new place and a new team in SIUE. We’ve seen Virginia Tech before. We’re excited to face both teams, but our focus right now is on SIUE.”

 

Utley is poised for a banner final season following an explosive junior campaign that saw her tally a career-high 15 points (5 G, 5 A), the squad’s second-best total. She started all 22 matches and finished the season with All-Big 12 Second Team accolades.

 

Izzo-Brown is not slow to heap praise upon Utley.

 

“The journey that Kailey has gone on throughout her four years at WVU has really shone light on her hard work and character,” she said. “I think those leadership qualities are very valuable. Kailey really had to work at her game to get it to where it is, and I think that’s a great lesson she can teach this year’s freshmen. She’s been a constant student of the game and is always working to improve. I attribute a lot of her success last year to her work ethic and character. She could have chosen the easy road and not improved, but she chose the hard road instead. I give her tons of credit for that decision.

 

“Kailey simply does her job on the field – she creates chances, and she finishes them. I can count on Kailey. Moving into this season, the confidence I have in Kailey is such a relief for me. I know I can count on my seniors and on Kailey to continue to work hard.”

 

Utley and the Mountaineers kick off against SIUE on Friday, Aug. 21, at 4:30 p.m., at IU’s Armstrong Stadium. WVU will then face No. 11/13 Virginia Tech on Sunday, with kick set for noon. Neither match will be streamed this weekend, but fans can follow along with live scores HERE. Fans also can receive in-game updates by following @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter.

 

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Freshman defender Vanessa Flores has had a busy week! After opening 2015 preseason camp with the Mountaineers on Aug. 5, the Baytown, Texas, native flew from Morgantown to Mexico City late last week for two matches with the Mexican U-20 National Team against the United States U-18 National Team at Mexico’s National Training Center.

 

The squads played to a 1-1 draw on Aug. 13, and Mexico earned a 2-1 victory on Aug. 15. Flores played in both matches.

 

With WVU students reporting to class the morning of Aug. 17, Flores flew back to Morgantown late Sunday and rejoined her Mountaineer teammates.

 

“The coaches were really helpful,” Flores noted when recounting her jet-setting week. “My teammates were really helpful, too, especially the freshmen. They attended all the meetings I couldn’t make and filled me in on everything I missed when I returned.”

 

Flores competed with the Mexican U-20 team at the 2015 U-20 Women’s NTC Invitational. She was a member of the 2014 Mexico U-17 World Cup squad and also captained the 2013 Mexican National Team at the 4 Nations Tournament in Costa Rica. Flores also was named to the CONCACAF All-Star Team following wins over the United States and Canada at the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.

 

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Former Mountaineer assistant coach Jenn (DePrez) Spiker kicked off the season-long celebration of the program’s 20th season with stories from her 11 years at West Virginia.

 

Despite living away from Morgantown, Spiker still keeps an eye on the Mountaineers, and she likes what she sees of the 2015 squad.

 

“I know the ultimate goal each year is to win a National Championship. It’s hard to do. There are so many teams vying for that title every year, and it’s a high level of competitiveness,” the now volunteer coach for Army West Point said. “I know Nikki, though, and I know she can complete the task, no matter the situation. It’s pretty amazing. The players that she has at WVU now – all the resources are there for a deep run. It’s just a matter of time.”

 

Read all that Spiker had to say about her time at WVU HERE.

 

Mountaineer fans’ first chance to cheer for the team in Morgantown is quickly approaching. WVU opens its 2015 home season at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 3 p.m. against Duquesne.

 

For the first time, fans can purchase the new WVU Soccer Scarf ticket package, good for all matches at DDSS this year. The package includes a newly designed WVU soccer scarf and 10 tickets to be used at any men’s or women’s soccer match for the 2015 regular season. Packages are just $30 and are available for a limited time only while supplies last. To order, visit WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or stop by the Mountaineer Ticket Office in the WVU Coliseum.

 

Fans also can now purchase tickets online in advance for any home match by visiting WVUGAME.com and selecting the Print-At-Home or Mobile Delivery options.

 

Let’s Go Mountaineers!