MANHANTTAN, Kan. (September 28, 2017) – The No. 9-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team concludes its three-week swing away from Morgantown with a match at Kansas State on Friday, Sept. 29, with kick from K-State Soccer Complex set for 8 p.m. EST.
 
Friday is the first-ever meeting between the Mountaineers (8-3, 1-1) and the Wildcats (5-5-1, 0-2). K-State's first competitive season was in 2016, and the Wildcats officially joined the Big 12 conference this season. Friday is the team's first home Big 12 Conference match.
 
"K-State is going to be tough," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "They are going to be organized and ready. I know their coach is excited to be in the Big 12, and it's going to be a battle."
 
The Wildcats are the 110th different opponent WVU has faced since the program's first season in 1996.
 
WVU enters the match looking to bounce back from its first Big 12 Conference regular-season defeat in three seasons, as the squad dropped a tough, 1-0 decision at No. 10 Texas on Sept. 24. The Mountaineers, the five-time reigning conference champions, opened Big 12 play with a thrilling, 2-1 (OT) victory at Baylor on Sept. 22.
 
WVU is 36-2-3 all-time in Big 12 matches.
 
"We just want to be focused," Izzo-Brown added. "We have to be more focused around the final-third and in our finishing. It's just the little things. We have great senior and captain leadership, and they realize some areas we need to improve. We're all looking forward to Friday night."
 
The Mountaineers opened the week with the nation's No. 1 toughest schedule, as the team's past opposition shows a 0.745 win percentage.
 
WVU shows six clean sheets on the year, and the team enters the weekend ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference, No. 37 nationally, with a 0.545 shutout percentage. Sophomore Rylee Foster has played all 11 matches between the posts and ranks No. 67 nationally with a 0.801 goals-against average (GAA).
 
Forwards Michaela Abam (3 G, 2 A) and Sh'Nia Gordon (2 G, 4 A) pace the team with eight points apiece. All three of Abam's goals have been game-winners, and the senior ranks No. 3 in the conference, No. 17 nationally.
 
K-State opened Big 12 play going 0-2 on the road, falling 3-1 at Texas Tech on Sept. 22, and 1-0 at TCU on Sept. 24.
 
Freshman midfielder Brookelynn Entz paces the team with seven points (3 G, 1 A). Freshman forward Hannah Davis has dished out a team-high four assists.
 
Senior Miranda Larkin has played all 11 matches in goal for K-State and shows a 1.15 GAA, the eighth-best mark in the Big 12. She has allowed 13 goals and made 57 saves en route to four clean sheets.