
Photo by: Jennifer Shephard
Big 12 Championship Run Begins Sunday
October 27, 2018 02:59 PM | Women's Soccer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 13-ranked and second-seeded West Virginia University women's soccer team opens the 2018 Big 12 Soccer Championship against No. 7 seed Oklahoma on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m. EST, at Swope Soccer Village.
Â
Links for a video stream and live stats are available at WVUsports.com.
Â
Sunday's meeting is the second between the teams in as many weeks. The Mountaineers (11-4-3, 7-2) capped their 2018 regular-season road slate with a 4-1 win at Oklahoma (7-9-2, 3-5-1) on Oct. 21.
Â
"Playing Oklahoma, we definitely know how dynamic and dangerous they can be," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "It was a game where we finished our chances, but we know they are very dangerous, too."
Â
The Mountaineers are 10-2-2 in all-time Big 12 Soccer Championship matches and 10-1-2 at Swope Soccer Village. WVU has claimed three championship titles since joining the conference in 2012, with the last coming in 2016.
Â
Sunday is the 500th match in the 23 years of WVU women's soccer program history. All matches have come under Izzo-Brown, who stands one win short of career victory No. 350.
Â
The Mountaineers are 8-0-1 all-time against the Sooners and 2-0 against OU at the Big 12 Championship. In their last meeting in Kansas City, No. 1 ranked and top-seeded WVU earned a 2-0 win over No. 4 seed OU in the championship semifinal on Nov. 4, 2016, en route to its eventual championship win.
Â
In the contest last week, WVU matched its season-high goal total of four in its victory in Norman; the Mountaineers are the only team this season to tally more than three goals against the Sooner defense.
Â
Senior defender Bianca St. Georges put the Mountaineers ahead, 1-0, just 2:50 into the match for WVU's second-fastest goal of the season. She combined with senior forward Hannah Abraham for all four WVU goals. Abraham's game-winner in the 28th minute was her second of the weekend and team-best third of the season.
Â
WVU finished with a 15-10 shot edge against OU, and the Sooners' goal in the 58th minute, by senior midfielder Marissa McMahand, was their lone chance on-frame. OU made three saves, and WVU finished with a 2-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Â
Winners in 10 of their last 12 matches, the Mountaineers ended their regular-season slate with a 1-0 (OT) loss to Kansas on Oct. 25, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown. Junior Rylee Foster made four saves in the loss, her second-best showing of the year.
Â
"We need to understand that anyone in the Big 12 can win," Izzo-Brown added. "We need to make sure we keep our confidence and focus up as we progress through this championship."
Â
The WVU defense has posted eight shutouts this season and ranks No. 2 in the Big 12, No. 22 nationally, with a 0.585 goals-against average (GAA).
Â
The Mountaineer attack sits at No. 4 in the conference with a 1.72 goals/game average. St. Georges paces WVU with six goals and 12 points, a mark matched by sophomore midfielder Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel (5 G, 2 A). St. Georges and Abraham have combined to score WVU's last six goals, and Abraham's three game-winners rank No. 4 in the Big 12.
Â
OU closed its 2018 regular season with a 1-0 loss at No. 10 Baylor, the Big 12 regular-season champion, on Oct. 25, in Waco, Texas. OU was outshot, 11-7, and only placed three shots on-goal. McKinley Crone made four saves for OU, and the Sooners earned a 7-4 edge in corner kicks.
Â
Senior forward Kaylee Dao paces OU with 15 points (6 G, 2 A). Junior forward Ivanna Rivas (5 G, 1 A) and McMahand (2 G, 7 A) each show 11 points.
Â
Crone, a sophomore, has played all 18 matches between the posts and allowed 25 goals for a 1.34 GAA. The Sooners have posted just three blank sheets this season.
Â
Â
Links for a video stream and live stats are available at WVUsports.com.
Â
Sunday's meeting is the second between the teams in as many weeks. The Mountaineers (11-4-3, 7-2) capped their 2018 regular-season road slate with a 4-1 win at Oklahoma (7-9-2, 3-5-1) on Oct. 21.
Â
"Playing Oklahoma, we definitely know how dynamic and dangerous they can be," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "It was a game where we finished our chances, but we know they are very dangerous, too."
Â
The Mountaineers are 10-2-2 in all-time Big 12 Soccer Championship matches and 10-1-2 at Swope Soccer Village. WVU has claimed three championship titles since joining the conference in 2012, with the last coming in 2016.
Â
Sunday is the 500th match in the 23 years of WVU women's soccer program history. All matches have come under Izzo-Brown, who stands one win short of career victory No. 350.
Â
The Mountaineers are 8-0-1 all-time against the Sooners and 2-0 against OU at the Big 12 Championship. In their last meeting in Kansas City, No. 1 ranked and top-seeded WVU earned a 2-0 win over No. 4 seed OU in the championship semifinal on Nov. 4, 2016, en route to its eventual championship win.
Â
In the contest last week, WVU matched its season-high goal total of four in its victory in Norman; the Mountaineers are the only team this season to tally more than three goals against the Sooner defense.
Â
Senior defender Bianca St. Georges put the Mountaineers ahead, 1-0, just 2:50 into the match for WVU's second-fastest goal of the season. She combined with senior forward Hannah Abraham for all four WVU goals. Abraham's game-winner in the 28th minute was her second of the weekend and team-best third of the season.
Â
WVU finished with a 15-10 shot edge against OU, and the Sooners' goal in the 58th minute, by senior midfielder Marissa McMahand, was their lone chance on-frame. OU made three saves, and WVU finished with a 2-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Â
Winners in 10 of their last 12 matches, the Mountaineers ended their regular-season slate with a 1-0 (OT) loss to Kansas on Oct. 25, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown. Junior Rylee Foster made four saves in the loss, her second-best showing of the year.
Â
"We need to understand that anyone in the Big 12 can win," Izzo-Brown added. "We need to make sure we keep our confidence and focus up as we progress through this championship."
Â
The WVU defense has posted eight shutouts this season and ranks No. 2 in the Big 12, No. 22 nationally, with a 0.585 goals-against average (GAA).
Â
The Mountaineer attack sits at No. 4 in the conference with a 1.72 goals/game average. St. Georges paces WVU with six goals and 12 points, a mark matched by sophomore midfielder Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel (5 G, 2 A). St. Georges and Abraham have combined to score WVU's last six goals, and Abraham's three game-winners rank No. 4 in the Big 12.
Â
OU closed its 2018 regular season with a 1-0 loss at No. 10 Baylor, the Big 12 regular-season champion, on Oct. 25, in Waco, Texas. OU was outshot, 11-7, and only placed three shots on-goal. McKinley Crone made four saves for OU, and the Sooners earned a 7-4 edge in corner kicks.
Â
Senior forward Kaylee Dao paces OU with 15 points (6 G, 2 A). Junior forward Ivanna Rivas (5 G, 1 A) and McMahand (2 G, 7 A) each show 11 points.
Â
Crone, a sophomore, has played all 18 matches between the posts and allowed 25 goals for a 1.34 GAA. The Sooners have posted just three blank sheets this season.
Â
Players Mentioned
Monday, October 12
Monday, October 12
Monday, October 12
Saturday, October 10



















