MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 4-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team closes its homestand at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium against No. 19 Ohio State on Sunday, Sept. 4, at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for youths under the age 13 and $2 for groups of 10 or more. WVU students are admitted free with a valid WVU Student ID. Tickets are available now at WVUGAME.com.
Sunday concludes the Mountaineers’ (4-0-1) mini-tour through the Big Ten Conference, as the team played against Purdue Thursday evening and earned a 2-0 victory against the Boilermakers in Morgantown. The victory pushed the Mountaineers’ win streak to four and home unbeaten streak to 28. WVU has not lost at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium since a 2-0 defeat to No. 21 Duke on Aug. 29, 2014.
Sunday’s match against OSU is WVU’s third contest against a ranked opponent in as many weeks. The squad is 1-0-1 against ranked teams in 2016, having earned a 1-1 tie at No. 2 Penn State on Aug. 19 and defeating No. 8 Clemson, 1-0, on Aug. 26. This year marks the first time since 2009 and the third time since 2007 WVU will face one ranked opponent in each of the first three weeks of a season.
The Mountaineers are 4-4-1 all-time against the Buckeyes (5-0) and earned the upper hand in the last meeting, a 2-0 win in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 11, 2015. Senior defender Kadeisha Buchanan netted the game-winner in the 77th minute, and the insurance goal by Kailey Utley followed just 90 seconds later.
“Ohio State qualified for the NCAA Sweet Sixteen last season and returns a ton of great athletes,” Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “It’s going to be a big battle Sunday. I would encourage all our fans to come out tomorrow night and watch two strong teams.”
WVU’s defense flexed its muscles Thursday night, holding the Boilermakers to just one shot. Freshman Rylee Foster earned her second career shutout and was not forced into a save. She shows a 0.25 goals-against average (GAA) on the year.
Junior Heather Kaleiohi netted the game-winner against Purdue, her second of the season, and classmate Michaela Abam added the insurance goal. Both forwards, as well as sophomore forward Sh’Nia Gordon, have tallied a team-best two goals this season; Gordon paces the team with five points (2 G, 1 A).
The Buckeyes handed No. 16 Virginia Tech its first loss of the season with a 2-1 win in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Sept. 1. OSU’s start to 2016 is its best since earning six straight wins to start the 2017 season.
OSU has scored first in all five of its matches this year, and senior forward Lindsay Agnew paces with 8 points (3 G, 2 A).
Senior goalkeeper Jillian McVicker finished with six saves in the win. She has posted one shutout this season and shows a 0.79 GAA.
Of note, Buckeye senior forward Nichelle Prince won Bronze with Canada alongside Mountaineers Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
