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Women's Soccer

20 Seasons of Memories: Chrissie Abbott

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After just a quick glance at the West Virginia University women’s soccer record book, one name boldly sticks out – Chrissie Abbott.
 
That is what happens when you own or share more than a dozen program records.
 
Abbott is easily the most decorated soccer player to wear the Mountaineer uniform, having earned five All-America honors. She was the first Mountaineer to earn first team All-America honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) and Soccer Buzz in 2002, a breakout year for Abbott and the program. On the strength of her WVU single-season record 20 goals, she led the team to the 2002 Big East Mid-Atlantic Division title, the first of the program’s 13 conference titles. The Mountaineers also scored their first win in the NCAA Tournament that season, a 3-0 victory against Loyola (Md.).
 
The 2003 season proved to be even more exciting for the Mountaineers, as the squad reached the NCAA “Sweet Sixteen” in Abbott’s final year.
 
Though she hung up her Mountaineer uniform 12 seasons ago, Abbott continues to own four of WVU’s top records: career goals (53), career points (125 on 53 G, 19 A), career shots (472) and career game-winning goals (22).
 
Now Chrissie Bolan, she and her husband, Scott, live in Powell, Ohio, with their son, Miles, and she teaches math at a local high school. Recently, the Bolan’s hosted a Mountaineer team dinner prior to the squad’s Sept. 11 match at Ohio State.
 
In conjunction with the celebration surrounding the Mountaineers’ 20th season, Abbott took a moment to reflect on her time at WVU and the joy she now has watching the program soar to new heights.
 
 
On why she chose to attend West Virginia University…
 

Abbott helped the Mountaineers win their first conference title in 2002 and advance to the NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" in 2003.
The coaches were absolutely the reason I chose to play at WVU. They won me over on my recruiting visit. They were so passionate, kind and caring. You could tell that they cared about the program they were building, but most importantly, they cared about each of the athletes. They wanted to make sure that WVU was a good fit for each athlete. They made sure that every athlete saw that every facet of WVU was a good fit for her. I think WVU was the perfect choice for me.
 
The main draw to West Virginia was the passion that (coach) Nikki (Izzo-Brown), Duper [assistant coach Jenn (DePrez) Spiker] and (assistant coach) Nikki (Garzon) Goodenow. They were 110 percent behind this program, and they were destined to make it great.
 
I knew I had a good shot of coming in and playing right away. I wasn’t interested in sitting on the bench and waiting my turn, so it was great to come in and play.
 
On her junior (2002) and senior (2003) seasons at WVU…
 
Those were such special seasons! What was great about my freshman year (2000) was that we broke into the top 25 for the first time. That was so great. The coaching staff was so excited, and the team was, too. It was cool to be a part of that history, but as we moved on each year, it wasn’t just about making the top 25 – we continued to get better every year. We could actually see how good we were getting, and we knew with hard work we would creep into the top 10 eventually, and that’s where we ended up. That was a dream come true.
 
It would have been great to win a National Championship, but I was a part of building a program into what it is today. And what it is today is unbelievable.
 
On winning the program’s first Big East Conference title in 2002…
 
We played against powerhouses like Notre Dame and Connecticut, and I think we opened up the eyes of everyone in the Big East that season, but especially those teams. Our 3-0 win over Notre Dame that season was the greatest game that I can remember, simply because we beat Notre Dame and that was something that hadn’t been done. That was fun!
 
On her greatest memories of her time at WVU…
 
My greatest off-field memories involve the friends I made at WVU. We get together almost once a year. I’ve been the maid of honor at one teammate’s wedding, and I’ve been a bridesmaid at another’s. It’s amazing the friendships you build because of the passion you had for soccer and the Mountaineers. The friendships I had and still have are definitely the best part of being a Mountaineer.
 
As for playing – that Notre Dame win was a big one! Winning at Boston College my freshman year (2-1 overtime victory on Oct. 20, 2000) was huge, too. I’ll never forget the 3-0 win over Ohio State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament my senior year. After the game, Nikki said to us, ‘That is as close to perfect as it gets.’
 
On what it means to her to be the most decorated player in WVU women’s soccer history…
 
I’m surprised. I wanted to be successful in college, but I didn’t realize my potential or what Nikki could get out of me as a player. She did it. She made me everything I was on the field. She encouraged me to be on the field before and after practice. She encouraged me to never give up on myself.
 
I would get frustrated on the field, and Nikki kept me going. My senior year was tougher than my junior year. I was still unknown as a junior, and I struggled a bit as a senior because I wasn’t a surprise anymore. I would get double-teamed, and it was hard for me. I didn’t achieve as much as I would have liked, and I didn’t help my team like I wanted to. Nikki was great through it all. She could see that I was frustrated and that the season was hard on me, but she always built me up. She tried to help me not be frustrated, and that’s not an easy task.
 
I love owning most of the records, but if the team goes and wins a National Championship and someone breaks a record along the way, I don’t care. That’s what I want. I want this program to win a National Championship, and if someone beats one of my records, then good for her! I will be there to cheer her on as soon as it happens. I want the team to get the best players possible and win the NCAA Championship.
 

Abbott hosted the Mountaineer team dinner on Sept. 10. She is pictured here with her son, Miles, coach Nikki Izzo-Brown and former teammates, and current WVU assistant coaches, Marisa Kanela and Lisa Stoia.
On the team’s success over the last 20 seasons…
 
I’m not surprised one bit. I’m not surprised at all that Nikki has turned this program into a national powerhouse. It’s a bummer that we don’t play teams like Notre Dame and UConn anymore, but there are good teams in the Big 12 Conference, too. This team has shown that it doesn’t matter where it plays around the country – they’re still going to beat everyone. The Mountaineers are always going to be dominant.
 
On what she enjoys most about now being a fan of the program…
 
I love seeing this team win. I love seeing them beat the Penn States and other ranked teams. WVU is no longer seen as the underdog, and there aren’t any more questions about the team’s ability. They’re expected to win.
 
There’s a lot of pressure on the athletes now. Back in my day, we weren’t expected to win, and everyone was still surprised when we beat a top 10 or top 25 team. Now, they’re expected to win those matches. WVU is always the better team. It’s fun to see them win and see them reach the goals Nikki has set for the team.
 
 
 
 
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