MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women’s soccer team opened its 2015 preseason camp today at Dreamswork Field, and for many of the student-athletes and coaches, the morning training session served as a friendly, albeit grueling, welcome mixer.

 

In addition to the 16 returning student-athletes from a 2014 team that won its third straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title and second consecutive Big 12 Championship crown, 12 newcomers also took the field for their first official Mountaineer fall practice.

 

That’s quite a few names for coach Nikki Izzo-Brown to learn, but she welcomes the addition of the three transfers and nine freshmen.

 

“There’s some depth in numbers, and that’s something this team is definitely talking about,” she said between today’s training sessions. “Our roster may be one of my largest in 20 years at WVU. I think the depth on this team is really coming together, and it needs to be unbreakable.”

 

Leading this deep Mountaineer squad are six seniors – Maggie Bedillion, Leah Emaus, Amanda Hill, Kelsie Maloney, Hannah Steadman and Kailey Utley. Under the seniors’ guidance, Izzo-Brown believes No. 12-ranked WVU is prepared to push past perceived “blemishes,” including early exits from the NCAA Tournament.

 

“I know the seniors want that blemish removed, and I know they’re going to do everything they can to make sure we go far in this year’s tournament,” she said. “Pressure is always a privilege. The NCAA Tournament is not our big focus right now, but it’s certainly something we’re going to train for.”  

 

One familiar face stood out among the sea of newcomers today at Dreamswork Field – junior midfielder Ashley Lawrence.

 

The Toronto native returned to Morgantown late Monday evening after a busy summer that saw her start all five matches for Canada at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and also compete at the Toronto Pan American Games. Lawrence’s play was crucial for Canada in both tournaments, particularly in the squad’s 1-1 draw against Netherlands at the World Cup on June 16, as she tallied the team’s lone goal in the 10th minute. Canada earned one point for the draw and advanced out of Group A play to the knockout stage for just the second time in six tries.

 

Lawrence hopes the experience she gained on the game’s biggest stage will help her as a leader with the Mountaineers this season.

 

“It’s preseason, and I’m so excited to be back,” she said today. “I’m looking forward to bonding and connecting with the players, especially the freshmen coming in. I want to build that connection with them. It’s great to have all our newcomers here with us – I really think that their dynamic play will add some excitement for us this year.”

 

Just like her classmate Kadeisha Buchanan, the starting center back for the Canadian National Team and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Best Young Player honoree, Lawrence understands that she must allow her body to recuperate a bit after such a taxing offseason.

 

“It’s about recovery right now because I want to be at 100 percent for this team,” she explained. “When I’m ready, I’ll step back on the field with my team to train and get ready for this year.”

 

Earlier today, Lawrence and Buchanan found their names in the mix for the sport’s most prestigious award, as they were named to the 2015 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List. Buchanan, a 2014 semifinalist, was tabbed for the second straight season, while Lawrence’s placement on the list was the first of her career.

 

WVU, reigning national champion Florida State, Stanford, Florida and Virginia were the only five programs to place two student-athletes on the Watch List.

 

The Mountaineers have now had at least one athlete named to either the first or second Watch List in each of the last five seasons, and 11 different athletes have landed on one of the lists since 2003. WVU has had four semifinalists, including one each of the last two seasons. Chrissie Abbot was named a finalist in 2003.

 

The start of a new season always brings excitement and anticipation, but an extra level of enthusiasm surrounds the Mountaineers this year, as this is the program’s 20th season.

 

The only coach in Mountaineer women’s soccer history, Izzo-Brown has led WVU to 15 straight NCAA Tournament appearances since the squad’s first bid in 2000, the eighth-longest active streak in the nation. She’s guided the team to 13 conference titles, including five in the Big 12 Conference, and coached 18 All-Americans, 16 Academic All-Americans, 16 conference players of the year,15 athletes who went on to play professionally and 14 Hermann Trophy candidates.

 

Stories of success and memories made while sporting the Mountaineer uniform will be shared throughout the 2015 season. Additionally, several fun promotions are in the work for fans attending one of the team’s 10 home matches this year at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

 

Stay tuned!