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Seizing the Moment
November 26, 2016 08:53 AM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - A year of firsts grew longer for the No. 1-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team and junior midfielder Alli Magaletta last Sunday.
The Mountaineers extended their 2016 campaign on Nov. 20, overcoming a 1-1 draw against UCLA in the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 4-2 advantage in penalty kicks, ensuring the squad at least one more week together.
A transfer from Missouri, Magaletta only joined the WVU program in late June, almost seven months to the day after the Mountaineers were eliminated from the 2015 NCAA Tournament in the fourth round by the hands (or feet) of eventual National Champion, Penn State.
The Chesterfield, Missouri, native has never experienced Thanksgiving break with the Mountaineers – a week filled with a few extra hours of sleep, recovery and “family time” at Dreamswork Field, and highlighted by a holiday dinner at coach Nikki Izzo-Brown’s house.
No matter. It didn’t take long for Magaletta to understand the 2016 season would be different than 2015.
“Everyone always talked about the unity of last year’s team and how close everyone was on and off the field, and I feel like that just rolled into this year,” she began. “We all became really close, especially with the freshmen and the transfers. All the momentum, fight, heart and experience they had last year, we brought back this year.
“It’s been cool to watch. Everyone has told me what the team did last year. They’ve learned from their mistakes. Now, we’re going to try and advance further this year and make the final four.”
The top-seeded Mountaineers (21-1-2, 8-0) have certainly faced their share of roadblocks on their journey to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. From roster absences to pesky opponent schemes to late-goals that nearly equaled doom, WVU has had to claw its way to the fourth round. Yet, here the team stands, ready to play host to No. 5-ranked and third-seeded Duke this afternoon, at 3 p.m., at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, for the right to advance to the 2016 College Cup, in San Jose, California.
“I think we’ve overcome a lot this whole year,” Magaletta said. “A prime example was the Big 12 Championship. We were down two goals to a team (TCU) we beat in regular season. We came out in the second half in a different formation – something we’ve never played before – and it showed that we can adjust to situations that we cannot control. We’re rolling right now, and we feel like we can’t be stopped.”
Just how confident do the Mountaineers feel?
“We’ve dealt with being one-goal down, we’ve dealt with refs, we’ve dealt with playing conditions,” Magaletta continued. “Hopefully, there’s nothing that can be thrown in front of us that would throw us off. We’ve dealt with so much already. I think we’re pretty prepared.”
Saturday is not the first meeting this season between the Mountaineers and the Blue Devils (15-4-3, 7-2-1 ACC). WVU traveled to Durham, North Carolina, in the fourth week of the season and left with a 3-1 win on Sept. 9, the team’s first-ever win in the three-match series. The victory legitimized the Mountaineers’ claim as one of the teams to watch in 2016, as they handled the 2015 College Cup runners-up on their home field. Just three days after the win, WVU would ascend to the top of the national polls for the first time in program history.
Magaletta and the Mountaineers know Duke will be out for revenge Saturday afternoon.
“This is a team who is going to play us straight-up,” she explained. “We usually don’t face teams like that – they usually sit-in against us. We’re going to have to play defense Saturday, not just offense, and that’s going to factor huge into how we approach the match. We’re going to have to be disciplined in our actions and take care of the ball.”
Magaletta’s role Saturday will not change much. Pegged by coach Nikki Izzo-Brown as a “hard-working warrior,” she splits her time between the Mountaineer attack and back line. Magaletta has started all 24 matches at defensive center-midfield, a position previously held by four-year starter and All-American Amanda Hill, and shows six points (2 G, 2 A).
“I am that in-between person,” she said. “A lot goes unsaid on how much I do and how much I sacrifice. At the end of the day, it’s a team sport, and we know the person next to us is working just as hard. We all put the same amount of work and heart into the game. It doesn’t matter who is scoring or saving shots – it’s a total team effort.”
Though she is classified as a “newcomer” this season, Magaletta has never felt more at home than she does with her Mountaineer Family. With a ticket to the 2016 College Cup on the line Saturday afternoon, she is thankful for the team’s acceptance and the chance to help the WVU women’s soccer program push through to the next level.
The Mountaineers play host to Duke this afternoon at 3 p.m. at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. Tickets are on sale now at WVUGAME.com and also will be available at the stadium ticket office. The winner will earn the fourth and final ticket to the 2016 NCAA College Cup.
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