WVU Opens 2022 with Scoreless Draw

Thursday, August 18

Morgantown, W.Va.

7 p.m.

West Virginia University

0-0-1, 0-0-0

Indiana

0-0-1, 0-0-0

Indiana

West Virginia

Photo by: Logan Adams

August 18, 2022 10:14 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score Season Stats

By: Olivia Sneed

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's soccer team opened the 2022 campaign with a 0-0 draw against first-time opponent Indiana at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown, on Thursday night.

The Mountaineers (0-0-1, 0-0 Big 12) dominated possession throughout the match, creating several chances in the final 15 minutes, but couldn't put all the pieces together to find the back of the net. West Virginia outshot Indiana 7-1 in the second half, with four of those shots taking place with under 20 minutes remaining in the contest.

WVU's attackers started pressing the Hoosier defense early, as sophomore forward Dilary Heredia-Beltran and senior defender Julianne Vallerand placed a pair of shots on frame before the 20-minute mark. Vallerand's look came off a well-placed free kick from fifth-year senior defender Jordan Brewster, but her rocket of a header was grabbed by IU keeper Jamie Gerstenberg.

Following the first two early shots from Heredia-Beltran and Vallerand, the Mountaineer offense quieted a bit, tallying just three more shots, all of which were off-frame, before the halftime buzzer sounded. Out of the half, the two sides became aggressive, with 13 fouls and three yellow cards whistled in the second half, compared to just eight fouls and one card in the first.

As the clock ticked down, WVU's offense became desperate, pressuring the Hoosiers and dominating possession of the ball. With just over 15 minutes to play, junior midfielder Chloe Adler and freshman forward Emily Thompson got an open look in front of the net, but they passed the ball one too many times as Adler's shot was read well by Gerstenberg to make the save.

In the waning minutes, senior midfielder Aaliyah Scott got two great looks at goal, but both shots went off target and the Mountaineers ended their season opener in a draw.

The final stats showed the Mountaineers outshooting Indiana 12-3, while the Hoosiers edged out WVU, 4-2, in corner kicks. IU keeper Gerstenberg made four game-saving grabs, while senior goalie Kayza Massey was only tested by Indiana one time.

With Thursday night's starting nod, Brewster tallied her 80th start in a WVU uniform. Four Mountaineers also earned their first career action for West Virginia on Thursday, as senior midfielder/defender Maddie Moreau, junior midfielder Isabel Loza and freshmen Emily Thompson and Taylor White took the field for the first time in Gold and Blue. Moreau, Loza and Thompson also earned their first starting nods for the squad.

Additionally, Indiana became West Virginia's 117th different opponent all time Thursday night, as WVU moved to 5-1-2 against first-time opponents over the last five years.

Of note, new NCAA rules for soccer this season have eliminated overtime in regular-season contests. If a match is tied after 90 minutes, it will end in a draw.

Up next, the Mountaineers conclude their two-game, opening-weekend homestand against Saint Joseph's on Sunday, August 21, at 1 p.m. The match is the team's annual Pups on the Pitch game, and fans are invited to bring their dogs out to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.