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Duo Named to Canada Olympic Qualifying Team
January 26, 2016 12:08 PM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University women’s soccer All-Americans Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence have been named to the Canada Soccer Women’s CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship 20-player roster.
The juniors have been fixtures on the Canadian Women’s National Team for several years, most recently starting all five matches at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada, where Buchanan, a defender, was named the Best Young Player and earned a spot on the WWC All-Star Team, and Lawrence, a midfielder, scored a goal in the team’s 1-1 draw with Netherlands in Group A play.
Canada opens play at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship on Thursday, Feb. 11, against Guyana at BBVA Compass Stadium, in Houston. Ranked 11th in the world, Canada will play in Group B at the championship and also will meet Trinidad and Tobago on Feb. 14 and Guatemala on Feb. 16. The squad can secure a spot at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with a win in the semi-final knockout round.
Canada previously qualified for the Olympics through the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in 2008 and 2012. The squad won Bronze at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Last season, Buchanan and Lawrence helped WVU advance to the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, capture the program’s fourth straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title and post a program-best 19 wins. Each was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America First Team and the All-Big 12 First Team.
A native of Brampton, Ontario, Buchanan, the three-time reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, was a finalist for the 2015 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, the first Mountaineer finalist. She helped the WVU defense record a program-record 15 shutouts.
Lawrence, a native of Toronto, finished first on the team with eight assists, and third with 18 points (5 G, 8 A).
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