MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Rising West Virginia University seniors Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence were nominated today to represent Canada in women’s soccer at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games from Aug. 5-21.
The duo, two of 18 named to the nomination list, are the first Mountaineer women’s soccer student-athletes named to an Olympic roster.
“This is an incredible feat for Ashley and Kadeisha, and I’m happy they again have the opportunity to play soccer on an elite stage,” Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “With only 18 spots available, the Canadian Olympic roster was not an easy roster to make, but both worked so hard and earned this honor. I know Ashley and Keish will represent WVU and make Mountaineer Nation proud.”
Canada, Bronze medalists at the 2012 London Summer Games, will face Australia, Zimbabwe and Germany in Group F in Brazil. Of the 12 qualified nations, eight will advance to the quarterfinal stage. Play begins on Aug. 3 in cities throughout Brazil. The quarterfinals will be held on Aug. 12, and the semi-finals are set for Aug. 16. The Gold and Bronze medal matches will be played on Aug. 19.
Mainstays on the Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team for more than two years, Buchanan, a center back, and Lawrence, a midfielder, most recently helped Canada split a pair of friendlies against Brazil, falling, 2-0, to the Olympic host on June 4, in Toronto, and winning, 1-0, on June 7 in Ottawa. The duo also started all five of Canada’s matches at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with Buchanan earning the tournament’s Best Young Player honor, while Lawrence tallied the squad’s lone goal in a 1-1 tie against Netherlands in group play.
The three-time reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Buchanan, a native of Brampton, Ontario, is the reigning BMO Canadian Player of the Year and a member of the first-ever FIFPro Women’s World XI Team; she was the youngest athlete named to the inaugural team. Collegiately, the three-time NSCAA All-American earned the 2015 Soccer News Net Women’s College Boot Award and was a finalist for the 2015 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy.
Lawrence, a native of Toronto, was a semifinalist for the 2015 MAC Hermann Trophy. The three-time All-Big 12 First Team honoree also is an NSCAA All-America.
