MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 12-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team will face Wright State in a scrimmage at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 9, at 1 p.m.

 

Admission is free and open to the public.

 

Sunday’s scrimmage is the first of the year for both teams. The squads last met in 2013, with WVU earning a 4-1 victory in Morgantown on Sept. 22.

 

“It’s going to be exciting to see what this team will bring in a competitive setting,” said Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “Playing against your teammates in camp is one thing, and I’m excited to see our mentality on Sunday. I want to see how this team comes together against an opponent.

 

“As always, it will be nice to play at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in a game-day environment.”

 

The scrimmage will follow four days of preseason camp for the Mountaineers, who held their first official practice of 2015 on the morning of Aug. 5 at Dreamswork Field.

 

The three-time reigning Big 12 Conference champions, WVU returns 16 student-athletes from a 2014 team that compiled a 16-2-4 overall record and a program-record 19-match unbeaten streak.

 

Tops among the returners are two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) All-American Kadeisha Buchanan, the two-time reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and two-time NSCAA All-Central Region First Team honoree, midfielder Ashley Lawrence. The duo, starters for Canada at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, were named to the 2015 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List on Aug. 5.

 

Sophomore forward Michaela Abam returns following a rookie campaign that saw her lead the team in points (16), goals (8) and game-winning goals (4). The Houston native capped her freshman season with Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and NSCAA All-Central Region Second Team honors. Lawrence and senior forward Kailey Utley ranked No. 2 on the squad in 2014 with 15 points each; Lawrence contributed a team-best seven assists.

 

In addition to Buchanan, the Mountaineer defense will benefit from the return of junior Carly Black and senior Maggie Bedillion, as well as defensive center midfielder, senior Amanda Hill. Senior Hannah Steadman also returns for her second season in goal. The WVU defense posted 12 shutouts in 2014, including six clean sheets away from Morgantown.

 

Three additional returning Mountaineers also earned at least one starting nod in 2014: seniors Leah Emaus (midfield) and Kelsie Maloney (forward), and sophomore Amandine Pierre-Louis (forward).

 

Twelve newcomers join the Mountaineers this season, including transfers Yulie Lopez (Florida State), Aaran Parry (Tennessee) and Kayla Saager (NC State).

 

Izzo-Brown returns for the team’s 20th season. The only coach in program history, she boasts a 267-98-43 record with the Mountaineers. The three-time reigning Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, Izzo-Brown has led WVU to 15 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the eighth-longest active streak, and 13 conference titles.

 

 Wright State posted a 6-10-1 record in 2014, including a 3-4-1 mark in the Horizon League.