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Lawrence Sparks Mountaineers' Chances
August 28, 2015 08:51 AM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In the weeks and days leading into a new West Virginia University women’s soccer season, a fun guessing game begins to form among the program’s supporters.
Who is going to score the Mountaineers’ first goal?
Sophomore forward Michaela Abam was a candidate, as she led the team in 2014 with eight goals. Seniors Kailey Utley and Leah Emaus each posted five goals last season and were certainly contenders for the squad’s first, while classmate Kelsie Maloney showed a team-best 11 career scores entering the season.
Newcomer Nia Gordon eventually notched WVU’s first score of 2015, connecting on the game winner in the 20th minute in the Mountaineers’ 2-0 victory against SIUE on Aug. 21. The first freshman to score in a WVU season opener since 2008, the forward’s goal may have caught a few by surprise.
There was little shock as to who tallied the assist.
Junior midfielder Ashley Lawrence was the spark fueling the WVU offense throughout the season-opening weekend at Indiana’s Hoosier Classic, displaying the poise, maturity and fire that awed fans at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup throughout the summer.
After leading the No. 11/15 Mountaineers in 2014 with seven assists, the second-best total in the Big 12 Conference, Lawrence quickly added to her career total, sending a ball up-field to a streaking Gordon. The helper was her team-best 12th career assist.
Though she did not register a point in the team’s ensuing 2-1 loss to then-No. 11/13 Virginia Tech on Aug. 23, Lawrence’s play was not lost on Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown.
“Ashley Lawrence was everywhere today,” Izzo-Brown surmised following the match. “She really was just all over the field trying to generate chances.”
Largely due to Lawrence’s play, the Mountaineers finished with an eye-popping statistical edge against the Hokies, earning a 22-9 shot advantage and finishing with nine shots on-goal.
In addition to Gordon, freshman defender Hannah Abraham and Utley also registered goals for WVU last weekend. While it’s guaranteed that several more Mountaineers will notch scores in the coming days, few will be surprised if Lawrence is the spark behind those chances.
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The Mountaineers (1-1) conclude their season-opening road trip at Maryland this evening, with first kick from Ludwig Field set for 7 p.m.
The Terrapins are the second of five first-time opponents WVU will face this year. Last Friday’s meeting with the Cougars was the program’s first, and the Mountaineers still must face Longwood on Sept. 13, Buffalo on Sept. 18 and Florida Gulf Coast on Sept. 20. Those three matches will be played at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
WVU finished 2014 a perfect 3-0 against first-time opponents. The Mountaineers have faced 101 different opponents in the program’s 20-year history.
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WVU happily opens its home season at DDSS on Sunday, playing host to Duquesne at 3 p.m. The contest is the team’s first of three straight in Morgantown. The Mountaineers boast a 12-match unbeaten streak at DDSS and have not dropped a match at home since falling, 2-0, to No. 21 Duke on Aug. 29, 2014.
The Mountaineers have developed a true home-field advantage, going 88-16-13 at DDSS since its opening in August 2004. WVU has not dropped a conference match in Morgantown since losing 3-2 in overtime to then-No. 8 Notre Dame on Oct. 2, 2009, a span of 26 matches.
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Sunday’s home opener is a “Dollar Day,” with all tickets and select concessions available for $1 each. New this season, fans can now purchase tickets online in advance for any home match this season by visiting WVUGAME.com and selecting the Print-At-Home or Mobile Delivery option.
Sunday also marks the official celebration kickoff of the program’s 20th season. To mark the occasion, special giveaways will be awarded to 20 fans at each of the team’s 10 home regular-season matches. The first giveaway is a WVU foam finger!
Following Sunday’s match, the Mountaineers will meet with fans and sign autographs. Make sure you pick up the team’s 2015 schedule poster, available inside the DDSS concourse, and stick around to meet the team.
Let’s Go, Mountaineers!
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