MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – If sophomore forward Michaela Abam could script each match for the No. 3/4 West Virginia University women’s soccer team, the Mountaineers would score within the first five minutes. If the goal came off her foot – even better.
The Mountaineers (10-1, 1-0) will look for an early goal Friday night, as WVU closes out a five-match homestand at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium against TCU. The Horned Frogs (8-4, 2-0) come into Morgantown hot, having won eight of their last nine matches and outscoring opponents 26-2 in that stretch.
“An early goal would mean a lot to us – we could calm down the game a lot and control it,” she explained. “An early score is always the goal.”
The two teams have always played each other tight, with WVU owning a 3-1-1 all-time series edge. The Mountaineers went 1-0-1 against TCU last season, playing to a 0-0 draw in Fort Worth in September before knocking off the Horned Frogs, 2-1, in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinal in November.
Abam, a Houston native, tallied the game-winner against TCU in Kansas City, connecting on a through pass from midfielder Ashley Lawrence in the 68th minute. WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown says Abam, ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference in goals (7), has the green light to shoot Friday night.
“The one thing I love about Michaela is that she’s understanding her range more,” said Izzo-Brown. “She is really a talent when it comes to striking balls. She really understands her range and her angles more this year, and she knows when to take her shot, and when not to.”
No matter when the goal comes Friday night, Abam understands the Mountaineers need to do what is necessary to continue their unbeaten streak.
“When it comes down to it, we have to get down and grind whenever we need to,” she said.
For the 12th straight year, the WVU women’s soccer program will make a donation to Morgantown’s Betty Puskar Breast Care Center at West Virginia University at halftime of its “Pink Match” this Friday night.
“Bringing awareness to a disease is so important, especially when you have the opportunity to raise funds for research,” Izzo-Brown said. “We represent the great state of West Virginia, and it’s very important that the funds we raise stay in-state. We want to help as much as we can to find a cure.”
The Mountaineers will present a check to Dr. Ginger Layne, Section Chief of Breast Imaging and Medical Director of the Betty Puskar Breast Care Center, for $8,647 this weekend. WVU has raised more than $120,000 for breast cancer research since 2001.
Breast cancer recently struck Abam on a personal level, as her aunt, “Auntie Anita,” passed from the disease last month.
“This game and month are really important to me, as well as some of my other teammates, too,” said Abam. “Getting a win would be significant.”
The 2014 Mountaineers put together a school-record unbeaten streak of 19 matches. The streak extended to 20 this season with WVU’s 2-0 win over SIUE at Indiana’s Hoosier Classic on Aug. 21.
While the squad’s 2-1 loss to No. 11/13 Virginia Tech on Aug. 23 put an abrupt end to the streak, the Mountaineers quickly got back to their winning ways, stringing together nine straight shutouts for a nine-match win streak. WVU needs five more wins to match the program’s longest win streak of 14, set in 2010.
The team’s current nine-match unbeaten streak is the third-longest active unbeaten streak in the nation. No. 1-ranked North Carolina owns an 11-match unbeaten streak, while Cornell, Marshall and No. 15 Texas Tech show 10-match unbeaten streaks.
All told, the Mountaineers are unbeaten in 29 of their last 30 matches. WVU has not lost a home match since dropping a 2-0 decision to No. 21 Duke on Aug. 29, 2014.
WVU pushed its home conference unbeaten streak to 27 with a 2-0 victory over Texas in its Big 12 Conference opener on Sept. 25.
Former Mountaineer All-American Frances Silva will compete alongside her FC Kansas City teammates for the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League title tomorrow night, against Seattle Reign FC, at Providence Park, in Portland, Oregon, at 9:30 p.m. ET. The game will be nationally televised on FOX Sports 1.
It is a rematch of the 2014 championship, with Silva and the Blues looking to repeat as champions. Seattle is the reigning NWSL Shield winner, putting together a 13-3-4 regular-season record. Seattle finished with 43 points and 41 goals scored.
Silva has played in 15 games this season and started three. She ranks second on the team with three assists.
“It’s so incredible for me to think that the WVU women’s soccer program has players playing on the sport’s highest levels,” said Izzo-Brown. “You look at Kadeisha (Buchanan) and Ashley (Lawrence), and they’re impacting the World Cup, and Frances represents the Mountaineers in one of the World’s best professional leagues. It’s so great to see WVU women’s soccer on all levels.
“Good luck, Francine! We’re all cheering for you!”
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All fans are encouraged to wear pink Friday night. The first 300 fans through the gate will receive a pink glow stick.
Friday night also is a “Dollar Night,” and all tickets and select concessions will be available for $1 each. Additionally, the match also is the team’s “Soctoberfest” celebration, and specialty German food and beverage options will be available at the concession stands.
Izzo-Brown is pushing to set a Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium attendance record Friday night. The current record is 3,000+, set in the team’s 1-0 loss to No. 8 USC in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 30, 2007.
Let’s help coach reach her goal! Come out Friday night, and wear pink to support a great cause!
Let’s Go, Mountaineers!
