Izzo-Brown Previews 2018 Season
August 06, 2018 09:42 AM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Each August, in the quiet days before the West Virginia University campus wakes up with the arrival of the fall semester, the Mountaineer women's soccer team gathers at Dreamswork Field for preseason training. A time when the players and coaches can build a solid foundation for the upcoming campaign, these days of training can make or break a season.
Entering her 23rd season with the Mountaineers, coach Nikki Izzo-Brown looks to take her squad, led by nine seniors, to its 19th straight NCAA Tournament, among many other program goals.
Izzo-Brown, who ranks No. 12 nationally among active coaches with a career win percentage of 0.726 (338-112-49), sat down recently to share her thoughts on the upcoming 2018 season.
The WVU women's soccer program has evolved into an annual top-10 team. What does this team have to do in 2018 to build on the success of past teams and to avoid a letdown?
Our main focus has to be on the little things. If we do the little things right, then the big things will come. There are no shortcuts to success. It didn't take one player or one decision I made for all this success to happen. It was all the decisions and contributions from everyone that helped this program reach this high level.
For us to maintain our annual success, everyone has to buy-in and be focused on the little things. Once those are accomplished, we can chase the big goals.
The Big 12 Conference crowns were taken away last season. How does this team come together in August and work toward reclaiming the conference championships?
One of the things we talked a lot about over the offseason was who would have thought one loss and one tie would have dictated the conference championship? I think we are very aware that every game counts – we can't slip up. Championships are on the line each time we play, and I hope that's where our experience will make a difference this season. We have to be super ready for conference play.
The 2018 roster features nine seniors. How will this group influence the team's dynamic, and how will you rely on them for leadership?
Nothing is more valuable than experience. When you have nine seniors, they've been through it all – tough losses, tough overtime matches, a win and a loss on penalty kicks – that's experience you can point to, learn from and reference as we work to get better. Those opportunities are going to be great from a staff standpoint and from a leadership standpoint. These leaders know that they've experienced so much – College Cup matches and conference championship games – and hopefully, they can lead through their experiences.
Despite the loss of Amandine Pierre-Louis, the 2017 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, your backline appears to be one of the most experienced in the nation, as you return three senior defenders as well as your three-year starting goalkeeper in junior Rylee Foster. What are your hopes for this unit?
Throughout our spring season, I reminded Rylee and the other three (seniors Vanessa Flores, Easther Mayi Kith and Bianca St. Georges) that we are going to lead from the back. They each have so much playing experience, including international playing experience, and they have to be the foundation of our 2018 success. Everything must start from this unit. They have a huge opportunity to lead this team this season.
Bianca St. Georges has been a staple at outside back since the first day of her freshman season in 2015. A team captain in 2017 and a CoSIDA Academic All-America, how do you envision her capping her Mountaineer career?
She was voted team captain as a junior, and that speaks volumes as to how high her teammates regard her and how much they want to follow her example. As her head coach, I value Bianca's experience and her leadership qualities.
Forward Michaela Abam paced the attack in goal scoring each of her four seasons at WVU. How do you fill that hole this season?
Anyone who knows Michaela Abam knows there's no way we can ever replace her. From a goal-scoring standpoint, it will be difficult, and there will be a huge expectation on our front line. We could see (sophomore forward) Lauren Segalla, who rotated directly into Michaela's position last year. We also could see (senior forwards) Hannah Abraham and Sh'Nia Gordon work their way in there. Nia has played in a starting role all three seasons, and she will understand that she really needs to contribute to our goal scoring as a senior. We need everyone ready to roll.
Eleven newcomers join the team this season, and six have been on campus since January. How important was it to incorporate these athletes early as you move toward a successful 2018 campaign?
It was huge for us to have a complete spring season with those six newcomers – we really began to understand their general strengths and weaknesses. We could do a lot of things because they added to our numbers, and we also were able to provide those players with better feedback so they could continue to develop over the summer offseason. I think we now know where they'll each be most effective, both individually and for our group.
You enter your ninth season with senior associate head coach Lisa Stoia and associate head coach Marisa Kanela by your side. Combined with volunteer assistant Cristian Materazzi, you have 68 years of coaching on the sideline. What kind of advantage does that give this program?
It all goes back to experience. When you take our collective experience, that's a lot of years of coaching. I think the experience allows us opportunities to approach unique situations differently.
I'm very fortunate that I coached Lisa and Marisa. They really understand the process and what this program can do for our players.
Your athletes are very adaptable, meaning they can be flexible with their on-field positions. Are you looking for this component when recruiting for WVU women's soccer?
Yes. We're very fortunate that we have a lot of versatility. We have really good soccer players at WVU who can play and are willing to play in multiple positions. We had success in moving players around the field in recent years – Amandine moved from forward to backfield, while Michaela could play midfield, too. Same with Ashley Lawrence – we moved her from the midfield to defense when needed. We've always had the luxury of having players who have a lot of versatility and soccer IQ to play multiple positions.
For the first time in program history, the team has advanced to the NCAA Tournament third round three straight seasons. How do you extend the streak, and how do you go further in the tournament this season?
It's our experience. I know these seniors were disappointed not to make it back to the College Cup last season. They weren't happy that we didn't win a conference championship. I think they now realize that those accomplishments don't just happen; you have to make them happen. Everything can be taken away from you very easily, and that will weigh a lot on these seniors' minds.
The 2018 schedule may be one of your toughest yet. You open the season at Penn State, an NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist one year ago. Then in consecutive weeks, you'll face Northwestern on the road, Georgetown at home and Clemson on the road, all before you open Big 12 action with a weekend road trip to Texas Tech and TCU.
You make your schedules difficult for a reason; did a large senior class allow you to make the 2018 slate even more challenging?
I think so. You look at a group, and you say to yourself, 'Can they handle certain challenges?'. Our coaching staff feels this team can handle this schedule. Even if we had doubts, we have to challenge our team early. Challenges in August and September help us avoid letdowns in November. Our goal is always to get better and to play our best soccer by the end of the season. If we can see early where we need to develop, that's the best plan.
Eighty percent of your 2017 senior class is playing professionally. Two seasons ago, you saw Ashley Lawrence and Kadeisha Buchanan, the Missouri Athletic Conference (MAC) Hermann Trophy winner, ink deals with Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, respectively. Whether the Mountaineers play professionally or for their national teams – or both – WVU women's soccer has proven that student-athletes who want to continue their playing careers gain valuable experience in Morgantown. What does that say about this program?
I think consistency is everything in sports, especially in a program. We've won 16 conference titles in 23 years, and that says a lot. We consistently get players to WVU who have played for youth national teams, and they continue their development here and give themselves a chance to make their senior national teams. West Virginia has proven that we can continue to develop your game and push you to the professional and the senior national team level.
I think when recruits come to us, we let them know that they can continue to develop at WVU. We want them to continue to play with their national teams, and we want to set them up so they can play professionally, too.
You stress success in the classroom, and the Mountaineers showed their smarts in the Spring of 2018, as seven student-athletes earned a 4.0 GPA. How does the WVU women's soccer program setup every player who comes through Morgantown for a successful life after soccer?
I think there are layers of success, and everyone needs to be celebrated. For seven student-athletes to get a perfect 4.0 GPA, I know they are working hard. That's not easy. We have players who are in very demanding majors, and it's very difficult to maintain perfection. I think our success in the classroom speaks very highly of this team's mentality and their high standard of excellence.
Entering her 23rd season with the Mountaineers, coach Nikki Izzo-Brown looks to take her squad, led by nine seniors, to its 19th straight NCAA Tournament, among many other program goals.
Izzo-Brown, who ranks No. 12 nationally among active coaches with a career win percentage of 0.726 (338-112-49), sat down recently to share her thoughts on the upcoming 2018 season.
The WVU women's soccer program has evolved into an annual top-10 team. What does this team have to do in 2018 to build on the success of past teams and to avoid a letdown?
Our main focus has to be on the little things. If we do the little things right, then the big things will come. There are no shortcuts to success. It didn't take one player or one decision I made for all this success to happen. It was all the decisions and contributions from everyone that helped this program reach this high level.
For us to maintain our annual success, everyone has to buy-in and be focused on the little things. Once those are accomplished, we can chase the big goals.
The Big 12 Conference crowns were taken away last season. How does this team come together in August and work toward reclaiming the conference championships?
One of the things we talked a lot about over the offseason was who would have thought one loss and one tie would have dictated the conference championship? I think we are very aware that every game counts – we can't slip up. Championships are on the line each time we play, and I hope that's where our experience will make a difference this season. We have to be super ready for conference play.
The 2018 roster features nine seniors. How will this group influence the team's dynamic, and how will you rely on them for leadership?
Nothing is more valuable than experience. When you have nine seniors, they've been through it all – tough losses, tough overtime matches, a win and a loss on penalty kicks – that's experience you can point to, learn from and reference as we work to get better. Those opportunities are going to be great from a staff standpoint and from a leadership standpoint. These leaders know that they've experienced so much – College Cup matches and conference championship games – and hopefully, they can lead through their experiences.
Despite the loss of Amandine Pierre-Louis, the 2017 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, your backline appears to be one of the most experienced in the nation, as you return three senior defenders as well as your three-year starting goalkeeper in junior Rylee Foster. What are your hopes for this unit?
Throughout our spring season, I reminded Rylee and the other three (seniors Vanessa Flores, Easther Mayi Kith and Bianca St. Georges) that we are going to lead from the back. They each have so much playing experience, including international playing experience, and they have to be the foundation of our 2018 success. Everything must start from this unit. They have a huge opportunity to lead this team this season.
Bianca St. Georges has been a staple at outside back since the first day of her freshman season in 2015. A team captain in 2017 and a CoSIDA Academic All-America, how do you envision her capping her Mountaineer career?
She was voted team captain as a junior, and that speaks volumes as to how high her teammates regard her and how much they want to follow her example. As her head coach, I value Bianca's experience and her leadership qualities.
Forward Michaela Abam paced the attack in goal scoring each of her four seasons at WVU. How do you fill that hole this season?
Anyone who knows Michaela Abam knows there's no way we can ever replace her. From a goal-scoring standpoint, it will be difficult, and there will be a huge expectation on our front line. We could see (sophomore forward) Lauren Segalla, who rotated directly into Michaela's position last year. We also could see (senior forwards) Hannah Abraham and Sh'Nia Gordon work their way in there. Nia has played in a starting role all three seasons, and she will understand that she really needs to contribute to our goal scoring as a senior. We need everyone ready to roll.
Eleven newcomers join the team this season, and six have been on campus since January. How important was it to incorporate these athletes early as you move toward a successful 2018 campaign?
It was huge for us to have a complete spring season with those six newcomers – we really began to understand their general strengths and weaknesses. We could do a lot of things because they added to our numbers, and we also were able to provide those players with better feedback so they could continue to develop over the summer offseason. I think we now know where they'll each be most effective, both individually and for our group.
You enter your ninth season with senior associate head coach Lisa Stoia and associate head coach Marisa Kanela by your side. Combined with volunteer assistant Cristian Materazzi, you have 68 years of coaching on the sideline. What kind of advantage does that give this program?
It all goes back to experience. When you take our collective experience, that's a lot of years of coaching. I think the experience allows us opportunities to approach unique situations differently.
I'm very fortunate that I coached Lisa and Marisa. They really understand the process and what this program can do for our players.
Your athletes are very adaptable, meaning they can be flexible with their on-field positions. Are you looking for this component when recruiting for WVU women's soccer?
Yes. We're very fortunate that we have a lot of versatility. We have really good soccer players at WVU who can play and are willing to play in multiple positions. We had success in moving players around the field in recent years – Amandine moved from forward to backfield, while Michaela could play midfield, too. Same with Ashley Lawrence – we moved her from the midfield to defense when needed. We've always had the luxury of having players who have a lot of versatility and soccer IQ to play multiple positions.
For the first time in program history, the team has advanced to the NCAA Tournament third round three straight seasons. How do you extend the streak, and how do you go further in the tournament this season?
It's our experience. I know these seniors were disappointed not to make it back to the College Cup last season. They weren't happy that we didn't win a conference championship. I think they now realize that those accomplishments don't just happen; you have to make them happen. Everything can be taken away from you very easily, and that will weigh a lot on these seniors' minds.
The 2018 schedule may be one of your toughest yet. You open the season at Penn State, an NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist one year ago. Then in consecutive weeks, you'll face Northwestern on the road, Georgetown at home and Clemson on the road, all before you open Big 12 action with a weekend road trip to Texas Tech and TCU.
You make your schedules difficult for a reason; did a large senior class allow you to make the 2018 slate even more challenging?
I think so. You look at a group, and you say to yourself, 'Can they handle certain challenges?'. Our coaching staff feels this team can handle this schedule. Even if we had doubts, we have to challenge our team early. Challenges in August and September help us avoid letdowns in November. Our goal is always to get better and to play our best soccer by the end of the season. If we can see early where we need to develop, that's the best plan.
Eighty percent of your 2017 senior class is playing professionally. Two seasons ago, you saw Ashley Lawrence and Kadeisha Buchanan, the Missouri Athletic Conference (MAC) Hermann Trophy winner, ink deals with Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, respectively. Whether the Mountaineers play professionally or for their national teams – or both – WVU women's soccer has proven that student-athletes who want to continue their playing careers gain valuable experience in Morgantown. What does that say about this program?
I think consistency is everything in sports, especially in a program. We've won 16 conference titles in 23 years, and that says a lot. We consistently get players to WVU who have played for youth national teams, and they continue their development here and give themselves a chance to make their senior national teams. West Virginia has proven that we can continue to develop your game and push you to the professional and the senior national team level.
I think when recruits come to us, we let them know that they can continue to develop at WVU. We want them to continue to play with their national teams, and we want to set them up so they can play professionally, too.
You stress success in the classroom, and the Mountaineers showed their smarts in the Spring of 2018, as seven student-athletes earned a 4.0 GPA. How does the WVU women's soccer program setup every player who comes through Morgantown for a successful life after soccer?
I think there are layers of success, and everyone needs to be celebrated. For seven student-athletes to get a perfect 4.0 GPA, I know they are working hard. That's not easy. We have players who are in very demanding majors, and it's very difficult to maintain perfection. I think our success in the classroom speaks very highly of this team's mentality and their high standard of excellence.
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