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BIG 12 WOMEN’S SOCCER CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
The Big 12 sent six teams to last year’s NCAA tournament so there’s quality going pretty deep into the
table, but probably not enough to say it’s anybody’s to win. West Virginia is the hands-down favorite to
repeat as Big 12 champs, which wouldn’t be anything new. The Mountaineers have been regular season
conference champs three straight years and won back-to-back Big 12 tourneys. They have their leading
scorer back in Michaela Abam and conference defensive player of the year Kadeisha Buchanan returns.
But the top of the Big 12 will provide some game competition for the Mountaineers, with Texas Tech, and Texas, in particular poised to challenge.
While Tech,UT, Kansas, Oklahoma, and OK State, all joined West Virginia in last year’s national
tournament, only Texas Tech and Texas survived the first round, with the Mountaineers losers on PKs in
the first round to Georgetown. Texas Tech had a great year-end, making it to the third round of the NCAA for the first time before losing to Florida. The Red Raiders may have the best chance to challenge West Virginia for conference supremacy this year.
WEST VIRGINIA (MOUNTAINEERS)
LOCATION:
Morgantown (W. Va.)
COACH:
Nikki Izzo-Brown (20th year, 267-98-43 at school)
2014 RECORD:
16-2-4
2014 CONF. RECORD:
7-0-1 (1st in Big 12)
2014 POSTSEASON:
Won Big 12 tournament title over Oklahoma, lost in NCAAs first round on penalty kicks to Georgetown.
THE CORNERSTONE:
Jr./D Kadeisha Buchanan (2014 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy semifinalist and two-time reigning Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year; Starter for Canadian senior women’s team, defensive MVP of Big 12 tournament).
NEXT BEST:
So./F Michaela Abam (Big 12 Newcomer of the Year last year; led ‘Eers in goals (8) fourth in conference, All Big 12 tournament team).
NEWCOMER TO WATCH:
Fr./D Vanessa Flores (member of Mexican national U20 team, captained Mexico U17 team at U17 World Cup, made CONCACAF U17 championship all-star team in 2013).
OUTLOOK:
The three-time reigning Big 12 regular-season champions and two-time reigning conference tournament champs ran off 19 straight wins last year before losing on PKs in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The key players return, including leading scorer Abam and Buchanan, who won the Hyundai Young Player Award at the women’s World Cup after playing all 90 minutes in each of Canada’s five matches. Buchanan, just a junior for the Mountaineers, will be one of the top defenders not just in the Big 12, but in the nation. Coach Izzo-Brown has added several top quality newcomers and another Mountaineer, Ashley Lawrence, also started all five of Canada’s World Cup matches at midfield and netted the team’s lone goal in a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. Lawrence was the offensive MVP of the Big 12 tournament. The team remains loaded, and is the favorite to repeat as league champs.
BIG 12 WOMEN’S SOCCER CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
The Big 12 sent six teams to last year’s NCAA tournament so there’s quality going pretty deep into the
table, but probably not enough to say it’s anybody’s to win. West Virginia is the hands-down favorite to
repeat as Big 12 champs, which wouldn’t be anything new. The Mountaineers have been regular season
conference champs three straight years and won back-to-back Big 12 tourneys. They have their leading
scorer back in Michaela Abam and conference defensive player of the year Kadeisha Buchanan returns.
But the top of the Big 12 will provide some game competition for the Mountaineers, with Texas Tech, and Texas, in particular poised to challenge.
While Tech,UT, Kansas, Oklahoma, and OK State, all joined West Virginia in last year’s national
tournament, only Texas Tech and Texas survived the first round, with the Mountaineers losers on PKs in
the first round to Georgetown. Texas Tech had a great year-end, making it to the third round of the NCAA for the first time before losing to Florida. The Red Raiders may have the best chance to challenge West Virginia for conference supremacy this year.
WEST VIRGINIA (MOUNTAINEERS)
LOCATION:
Morgantown (W. Va.)
COACH:
Nikki Izzo-Brown (20th year, 267-98-43 at school)
2014 RECORD:
16-2-4
2014 CONF. RECORD:
7-0-1 (1st in Big 12)
2014 POSTSEASON:
Won Big 12 tournament title over Oklahoma, lost in NCAAs first round on penalty kicks to Georgetown.
THE CORNERSTONE:
Jr./D Kadeisha Buchanan (2014 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy semifinalist and two-time reigning Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year; Starter for Canadian senior women’s team, defensive MVP of Big 12 tournament).
NEXT BEST:
So./F Michaela Abam (Big 12 Newcomer of the Year last year; led ‘Eers in goals (8) fourth in conference, All Big 12 tournament team).
NEWCOMER TO WATCH:
Fr./D Vanessa Flores (member of Mexican national U20 team, captained Mexico U17 team at U17 World Cup, made CONCACAF U17 championship all-star team in 2013).
OUTLOOK:
The three-time reigning Big 12 regular-season champions and two-time reigning conference tournament champs ran off 19 straight wins last year before losing on PKs in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The key players return, including leading scorer Abam and Buchanan, who won the Hyundai Young Player Award at the women’s World Cup after playing all 90 minutes in each of Canada’s five matches. Buchanan, just a junior for the Mountaineers, will be one of the top defenders not just in the Big 12, but in the nation. Coach Izzo-Brown has added several top quality newcomers and another Mountaineer, Ashley Lawrence, also started all five of Canada’s World Cup matches at midfield and netted the team’s lone goal in a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. Lawrence was the offensive MVP of the Big 12 tournament. The team remains loaded, and is the favorite to repeat as league champs.
