Mountaineers Open 2018 Preseason
August 01, 2018 09:41 AM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's soccer team officially opened its 2018 preseason with a training session on Wednesday morning at Dreamswork Field.
A total of 16 letterwinners, including six starters, return to the Mountaineers this season. The squad is coming off a 16-win campaign in 2017 and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Third Round. WVU has advanced to the tournament's "Sweet 16" for three consecutive seasons and six times in program history.
The five-time Big 12 Conference champion Mountaineers were ranked in the top 10 of the United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer.com polls throughout the season last fall. The team also enters 2018 with a 39-match unbeaten streak in home conference matches.
"I'm really excited to see how this all comes together and what our journey looks like," WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "We're just such a solid group, and we have so many enthusiast personalities. It will be interesting to see what gets behind us and what drives us.
"Having these nine (seniors) and understanding what needs to happen, I think we have a really good group that will make sure that we don't drop off."
Leading the way offensively for WVU is senior forward Sh'nia Gordon. The Ocklawaha, Florida, native scored four goals and added a career single-season-best seven assists to rank second on the team and No. 10 in the Big 12 with 15 points last season. Gordon started all 23 matches for West Virginia in 2017 and ranks as the Mountaineers' top returner in career goals (16) and assists (13).
On the other side of the field, senior defenders Bianca St. Georges, Vanessa Flores and Easther Mayi Kith return to anchor WVU's experienced back line. The trio helped the Mountaineers post 13 shutouts last season, as well as a Big 12-best 16 opponent goals allowed.
St. Georges, a team captain in 2017, earned All-Big 12 First Team accolades last season and was a member of the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team. The St. Felix de Valois, Quebec, native started all 23 matches for the Mountaineers last season, finishing seventh on the team with 10 points (2 G, 6 A). Her 13 career assists are tied for the most among WVU returners.
Additionally, Flores and Mayi Kith earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors last fall.
Also leading the way for the Mountaineer defense is junior goalkeeper Rylee Foster. The three-year member of the Canadian U-20 Women's National Team logged the fifth-most minutes nationally a year ago (2,122:15) and earned credit for 12 of WVU's 13 clean sheets, the most in the Big 12 and No. 8 in the country. Foster, a native of Cambridge, Ontario, made a single-season high 45 saves for West Virginia last season, earning United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team honors. She finished with a 0.64 goals-against average, tops in the Big 12.
Foster also was featured as one of the nation's top-10 goalkeepers by TopDrawerSoccer.com earlier this month.
Additional returners include senior forward Hannah Abraham, senior midfielder/forward Grace Cutler, senior midfielder Patricia Fernandez, sophomore midfielder Stefany Ferrer-VanGinkel, sophomore defender/forward Danielle Gordon, junior forward Jade Gentile, sophomore defender/midfielder Lois Joel, senior defender Amanda Saymon, sophomore forward Lauren Segalla, sophomore defender/midfielder Grace Smith, sophomore goalkeeper Kayla Thompson, sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Triplett and sophomore defender/midfielder Chloe Zamiela.
The Mountaineers are set to welcome 11 newcomers to the program this season.
WVU opens the 2018 season at 2017 NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist Penn State on Friday, Aug. 17, with first kick at Jeffrey Field set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
The WVU soccer scarf ticket package is now on sale. The package includes a scarf and 10 tickets to be used at any women's or men's soccer match during the 2018 regular season. Packages are just $30 and are available while supplies last. To order, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME.
A total of 16 letterwinners, including six starters, return to the Mountaineers this season. The squad is coming off a 16-win campaign in 2017 and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Third Round. WVU has advanced to the tournament's "Sweet 16" for three consecutive seasons and six times in program history.
The five-time Big 12 Conference champion Mountaineers were ranked in the top 10 of the United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer.com polls throughout the season last fall. The team also enters 2018 with a 39-match unbeaten streak in home conference matches.
"I'm really excited to see how this all comes together and what our journey looks like," WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "We're just such a solid group, and we have so many enthusiast personalities. It will be interesting to see what gets behind us and what drives us.
"Having these nine (seniors) and understanding what needs to happen, I think we have a really good group that will make sure that we don't drop off."
Leading the way offensively for WVU is senior forward Sh'nia Gordon. The Ocklawaha, Florida, native scored four goals and added a career single-season-best seven assists to rank second on the team and No. 10 in the Big 12 with 15 points last season. Gordon started all 23 matches for West Virginia in 2017 and ranks as the Mountaineers' top returner in career goals (16) and assists (13).
On the other side of the field, senior defenders Bianca St. Georges, Vanessa Flores and Easther Mayi Kith return to anchor WVU's experienced back line. The trio helped the Mountaineers post 13 shutouts last season, as well as a Big 12-best 16 opponent goals allowed.
St. Georges, a team captain in 2017, earned All-Big 12 First Team accolades last season and was a member of the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team. The St. Felix de Valois, Quebec, native started all 23 matches for the Mountaineers last season, finishing seventh on the team with 10 points (2 G, 6 A). Her 13 career assists are tied for the most among WVU returners.
Additionally, Flores and Mayi Kith earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors last fall.
Also leading the way for the Mountaineer defense is junior goalkeeper Rylee Foster. The three-year member of the Canadian U-20 Women's National Team logged the fifth-most minutes nationally a year ago (2,122:15) and earned credit for 12 of WVU's 13 clean sheets, the most in the Big 12 and No. 8 in the country. Foster, a native of Cambridge, Ontario, made a single-season high 45 saves for West Virginia last season, earning United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team honors. She finished with a 0.64 goals-against average, tops in the Big 12.
Foster also was featured as one of the nation's top-10 goalkeepers by TopDrawerSoccer.com earlier this month.
Additional returners include senior forward Hannah Abraham, senior midfielder/forward Grace Cutler, senior midfielder Patricia Fernandez, sophomore midfielder Stefany Ferrer-VanGinkel, sophomore defender/forward Danielle Gordon, junior forward Jade Gentile, sophomore defender/midfielder Lois Joel, senior defender Amanda Saymon, sophomore forward Lauren Segalla, sophomore defender/midfielder Grace Smith, sophomore goalkeeper Kayla Thompson, sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Triplett and sophomore defender/midfielder Chloe Zamiela.
The Mountaineers are set to welcome 11 newcomers to the program this season.
WVU opens the 2018 season at 2017 NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist Penn State on Friday, Aug. 17, with first kick at Jeffrey Field set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
The WVU soccer scarf ticket package is now on sale. The package includes a scarf and 10 tickets to be used at any women's or men's soccer match during the 2018 regular season. Packages are just $30 and are available while supplies last. To order, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME.
Players Mentioned
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