Lyons Announces 2015 Women’s Soccer Slate
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (April 22, 2015) – West Virginia University Director of Athletics Shane Lyons announced today the 2015 women’s soccer schedule, highlighted by 10 matches against 2014 NCAA Tournament opponents.
“We want to get better every match, so having a strong nonconference schedule is important and will help us when we move into the Big 12 portion of our season,” said Nikki Izzo-Brown. “The Big 12 Conference was the second-strongest league last season, so we absolutely must be prepared for each of those matches.”
In the program’s 20th season of competition, the Mountaineers will compete at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium 10 times, including a showdown with Penn State, a 2014 NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist, on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m.
“Our home schedule features some of the best programs in the country, and it will be so important for our fans to be behind us each weekend at Dick Dlesk Stadium,” said Izzo-Brown. “We always lean on our fans, and it will be great for them to be our extra support behind us each match.”
The three-time reigning Big 12 Conference regular-season champions and two-time reigning conference tournament champions, the Mountaineers open their conference slate against Texas on Friday, Sept. 25. The squad closes its Big 12 season with matches at Oklahoma State and at Baylor.
“I’m expecting another challenge from each of our Big 12 opponents in 2015. They all have great athletes returning,” Izzo-Brown explained. “I fully believe that the Big 12 will be even better and stronger this fall, and we will have to prepare for that.”
The Mountaineers open the season on the road for the third straight year, as the squad will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, Aug. 21-23 for the Indiana Tournament. WVU kicks off 2015 against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Friday, Aug. 21. SIUE, one of five first-time opponents WVU will face in the fall, qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season. WVU concludes the season-opening tournament against Virginia Tech on Aug. 23; the Mountaineers and the Hokies last met in 2013, a 1-0 victory for VT in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
“My goal every year is to prepare this team every chance I can so we can ensure that we’re better by the end of the season, and the Indiana Tournament is a great early-season challenge,” said Izzo-Brown. “SIUE and Virginia Tech are quality opponents. To be the best, you have to play teams that have achieved success, and that weekend will give us an early look at where this team stands.”
Following the first-ever meeting between WVU and Maryland in College Park, Maryland, on Aug. 28, the Mountaineers will open their home season against Duquesne on Aug. 30. The squad opens Labor Day weekend with the aforementioned match against PSU on Sept. 4, and closes against Villanova, a former Big East opponent, on Sept. 6.
A trip to Ohio State on Sept. 11 precedes a five-match homestand. WVU will face first-time opponents Longwood, Buffalo and Florida Gulf Coast before opening its Big 12 season against the Longhorns on Sept. 25. The Mountaineers are 3-1-1 all-time against UT. The squad closes its homestand against TCU on Oct. 2.
Matches at Oklahoma and Texas Tech follow on October 9 and 11, respectively. Both 2014 NCAA Tournament opponents, WVU defeated OU twice last season to clinch the conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Mountaineers are 2-1 against TTU; the Red Raiders are the only Big 12 team to defeat WVU in a regular-season match.
WVU returns to DDSS Oct. 16-18 to close its home slate against Kansas and Iowa State before traveling to Oklahoma State on Oct. 23. The Mountaineers conclude their regular season at Baylor on Oct. 30.
The 2015 Big 12 Soccer Championship begins with quarterfinal play on Nov. 4, with the semifinals and final following on Nov. 6 and Nov. 8. For the third straight season, all matches will be played at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.
The first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament will begin on Nov. 13-15, with all matches held at campus sites. The 2015 Women’s College Cup will be held Dec. 4-6 at WakeMed Soccer Park, in Cary, North Carolina.
2015 WVU Women’s Soccer Schedule
Day Date Opponent Time
Sunday August 9 Wright State (scrimmage) 1 p.m.
Friday August 14 Navy (scrimmage) 1 p.m.
Friday August 21 SIUE % 4:30 p.m.
Sunday August 23 Virginia Tech % Noon
Friday August 28 at Maryland 7 p.m.
Sunday August 30 Duquesne 3 p.m.
Friday September 4 Penn State 7 p.m.
Sunday September 6 Villanova 1 p.m.
Friday September 11 at Ohio State 7 p.m.
Sunday September 13 Longwood 1 p.m.
Friday September 18 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Sunday September 20 Florida Golf Coast 1 p.m.
Friday September 25 Texas* 7 p.m.
Friday October 2 TCU* 7 p.m.
Friday October 9 at Oklahoma* 8 p.m.
Sunday October 11 at Texas Tech* 2 p.m.
Friday October 16 Kansas* 7 p.m.
Sunday October 18 Iowa State* 1 p.m.
Friday October 23 at Oklahoma State* 8 p.m.
Friday October 30 at Baylor* 8 p.m.
Wednesday November 4 Big 12 Soccer Championship Quarterfinal ! TBA
Friday November 6 Big 12 Soccer Championship Semifinal ! TBA
Sunday November 8 Big 12 Soccer Championship Final ! TBA
% - Indiana Tournament
* - Big 12 Conference Match
! – Big 12 Soccer Championship at Swope Soccer Village, Kansas City, Missouri
All times Eastern and subject to change
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (April 22, 2015) – West Virginia University Director of Athletics Shane Lyons announced today the 2015 women’s soccer schedule, highlighted by 10 matches against 2014 NCAA Tournament opponents.
“We want to get better every match, so having a strong nonconference schedule is important and will help us when we move into the Big 12 portion of our season,” said Nikki Izzo-Brown. “The Big 12 Conference was the second-strongest league last season, so we absolutely must be prepared for each of those matches.”
In the program’s 20th season of competition, the Mountaineers will compete at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium 10 times, including a showdown with Penn State, a 2014 NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist, on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m.
“Our home schedule features some of the best programs in the country, and it will be so important for our fans to be behind us each weekend at Dick Dlesk Stadium,” said Izzo-Brown. “We always lean on our fans, and it will be great for them to be our extra support behind us each match.”
The three-time reigning Big 12 Conference regular-season champions and two-time reigning conference tournament champions, the Mountaineers open their conference slate against Texas on Friday, Sept. 25. The squad closes its Big 12 season with matches at Oklahoma State and at Baylor.
“I’m expecting another challenge from each of our Big 12 opponents in 2015. They all have great athletes returning,” Izzo-Brown explained. “I fully believe that the Big 12 will be even better and stronger this fall, and we will have to prepare for that.”
The Mountaineers open the season on the road for the third straight year, as the squad will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, Aug. 21-23 for the Indiana Tournament. WVU kicks off 2015 against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Friday, Aug. 21. SIUE, one of five first-time opponents WVU will face in the fall, qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season. WVU concludes the season-opening tournament against Virginia Tech on Aug. 23; the Mountaineers and the Hokies last met in 2013, a 1-0 victory for VT in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
“My goal every year is to prepare this team every chance I can so we can ensure that we’re better by the end of the season, and the Indiana Tournament is a great early-season challenge,” said Izzo-Brown. “SIUE and Virginia Tech are quality opponents. To be the best, you have to play teams that have achieved success, and that weekend will give us an early look at where this team stands.”
Following the first-ever meeting between WVU and Maryland in College Park, Maryland, on Aug. 28, the Mountaineers will open their home season against Duquesne on Aug. 30. The squad opens Labor Day weekend with the aforementioned match against PSU on Sept. 4, and closes against Villanova, a former Big East opponent, on Sept. 6.
A trip to Ohio State on Sept. 11 precedes a five-match homestand. WVU will face first-time opponents Longwood, Buffalo and Florida Gulf Coast before opening its Big 12 season against the Longhorns on Sept. 25. The Mountaineers are 3-1-1 all-time against UT. The squad closes its homestand against TCU on Oct. 2.
Matches at Oklahoma and Texas Tech follow on October 9 and 11, respectively. Both 2014 NCAA Tournament opponents, WVU defeated OU twice last season to clinch the conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Mountaineers are 2-1 against TTU; the Red Raiders are the only Big 12 team to defeat WVU in a regular-season match.
WVU returns to DDSS Oct. 16-18 to close its home slate against Kansas and Iowa State before traveling to Oklahoma State on Oct. 23. The Mountaineers conclude their regular season at Baylor on Oct. 30.
The 2015 Big 12 Soccer Championship begins with quarterfinal play on Nov. 4, with the semifinals and final following on Nov. 6 and Nov. 8. For the third straight season, all matches will be played at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.
The first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament will begin on Nov. 13-15, with all matches held at campus sites. The 2015 Women’s College Cup will be held Dec. 4-6 at WakeMed Soccer Park, in Cary, North Carolina.
2015 WVU Women’s Soccer Schedule
Day Date Opponent Time
Sunday August 9 Wright State (scrimmage) 1 p.m.
Friday August 14 Navy (scrimmage) 1 p.m.
Friday August 21 SIUE % 4:30 p.m.
Sunday August 23 Virginia Tech % Noon
Friday August 28 at Maryland 7 p.m.
Sunday August 30 Duquesne 3 p.m.
Friday September 4 Penn State 7 p.m.
Sunday September 6 Villanova 1 p.m.
Friday September 11 at Ohio State 7 p.m.
Sunday September 13 Longwood 1 p.m.
Friday September 18 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Sunday September 20 Florida Golf Coast 1 p.m.
Friday September 25 Texas* 7 p.m.
Friday October 2 TCU* 7 p.m.
Friday October 9 at Oklahoma* 8 p.m.
Sunday October 11 at Texas Tech* 2 p.m.
Friday October 16 Kansas* 7 p.m.
Sunday October 18 Iowa State* 1 p.m.
Friday October 23 at Oklahoma State* 8 p.m.
Friday October 30 at Baylor* 8 p.m.
Wednesday November 4 Big 12 Soccer Championship Quarterfinal ! TBA
Friday November 6 Big 12 Soccer Championship Semifinal ! TBA
Sunday November 8 Big 12 Soccer Championship Final ! TBA
% - Indiana Tournament
* - Big 12 Conference Match
! – Big 12 Soccer Championship at Swope Soccer Village, Kansas City, Missouri
All times Eastern and subject to change
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter.
