Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's soccer team scored two goals in the first half and the defense recorded its fifth clean sheet of the season to defeat Iowa State, 2-0, in the first game of conference play on Friday at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

The win came in front of 1,812 fans marking the fourth crowd of at least 1,800 at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium this season.

"It was a big crowd tonight. I'd like to thank the crowd for coming out," Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "Mountaineer Nation was definitely behind us tonight and we appreciate that."
 
With the win, WVU moved to 6-3-1 (1-0-0) on the year and 7-0-1 in Big 12 Conference openers. The Mountaineers improved to 8-0-0 all-time against the Iowa State and have denied the Cyclones a goal in seven consecutive matches. West Virginia has outscored ISU, 22-2, since the series began in 2012.

"We've talked all year about us being a young team, so we knew there was going to be a lot of emotion in the first game of league play because points are so critical," Izzo-Brown continued. "We're thrilled that we got the points and we are moving on. You have to give Iowa State credit, they disrupted us and had a couple good looks."
 
The Mountaineers took just one shot before finding the back of the net in the ninth minute, as senior midfielder Jessica Lisi took a cross from classmate Jade Gentile inside the box and snuck a ball just inside the right post to give the Mountaineers an early, 1-0, lead. The score marked Lisi's second of the season, while Gentile was credited with her second assist of the year.
 
West Virginia's offensive attack continued to pressure the Iowa State defense, earning four more shots in the next 15 minutes. Junior Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel doubled the Mountaineer lead in the 27th minute as she sent a header into the right side of the net to earn her first goal of the campaign. Sophomore Lizzie Mayfield registered the assist, giving her a team-leading three dishes in 2019.
 
WVU entered the half with a 6-4 advantage in shots and a 3-1 edge in corner kicks.
 
West Virginia's offense continued its good form in the second half as the offense recorded five shots through the first eight minutes of play. The Cyclones responded with an offensive attack of their own, producing four solid chances, but the Mountaineer defense kept the ball out of the net to earn its third consecutive clean sheet.
 
Senior goalkeeper Rylee Foster moved into a tie with Lana Bannerman (2003-06) on the career shutouts list at WVU after registering the 36th clean sheet of her career. Foster also moved into second on the career shutouts list amongst active Division I players in with the performance. She leads the Big 12 with five shutouts this season. Foster tied a season-high in saves against the Cyclones, with six.
 
WVU outshot its counterparts 14-11 in the contest while holding an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks. The Mountaineers have registered 7.4 corner kicks per game this season, which ranks first in the Big 12 through competition on Friday.
 
Nine Mountaineers registered a shot in the match, led by freshman forward Enzi Broussard with three. Ferrar-vanGinkel paced the squad with three shots on goal in the contest.
 
West Virginia continues its conference slate with a swing through the Lone Star State, as the Mountaineers take on Baylor on Thursday, Oct. 3, and Texas on Sunday, Oct. 6. Thursday's match will kick at 8 p.m. ET and will be aired on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, while Sunday's contest is slated to begin at 2 p.m. on the Longhorn Network. Fans with questions about the Big 12 Now on ESPN+ can click here to find answers to the most common questions about the new platform.