No. 11/12 Mountaineers Blank No. 5/7 Nittany Lions
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (September 5, 2015) – Neither weather nor a surging Nittany Lion offense could thwart a determined Mountaineer side late tonight, as the No. 11/12 West Virginia University women’s soccer team earned a thrilling 1-0 victory over No. 5/7 Penn State at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in front of 1,445 fans.
The much anticipated match between the two regional rivals was delayed 98 minutes by lightening in the Morgantown area. The Mountaineers (4-1) made the most of the late start, scoring off their second corner kick in the eighth minute and handing their third straight opponent its first loss of the season.
Senior midfielder Amanda Hill netted her first score of the year, heading in a serve from Bianca St. Georges in front of the net and beating PSU’s Britt Eckerstrom to the left corner.
“That was a great ball by Bianca. Carly (Black) and Amanda got in the mix, and Amanda was able to find the ball with her head,” Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “She did what a senior captain should do - find a way to win the tough matches.”
The match was whistled dead seconds after the score at 8:46 p.m. Play resumed again at 9:30 p.m. without further interruption.
“You can’t control the weather. Both teams really wanted to play tonight, and I’m glad we were able to get the game in,” Izzo-Brown said. “Obviously, we have a ton of respect for Penn State, or we wouldn’t have reacted the way we did after beating them. We beat a very good team tonight. Penn State is going to keep winning, so this was a great win for us. Every single player contributed to this win.”
WVU’s win is its first against the Nittany Lions (3-1-1) since a 2-1 victory in Morgantown on Nov. 14, 2010, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tonight’s win evens the all-time series at 6-6-1.
“Our fans were so loyal tonight, and we heard them loud and proud,” Izzo-Brown said of the ninth-largest crowd to witness a WVU women’s soccer match at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. “I wouldn’t have blamed them if they left early, but I sure am thankful they stuck it out and cheered us on to the win.”
With the shutout victory, the team’s fourth clean sheet in five games, the Mountaineers have now defeated at least one top-10 team in each of the last 11 seasons. WVU is 13-10-2 all-time against top-10 teams.
The WVU defense was again brilliant, neutralizing PSU’s top threat, senior forward Mallory Weber, and holding the Nittany Lions to eight shots and four corner kicks. Senior Hannah Steadman made two saves for her third shutout of the year.
“The defense played incredible tonight. From Hannah up to our top four, everyone was incredible in the box tonight,” said Izzo-Brown.
Conversely, the Mountaineer offense proved to be the more lethal attack, totaling four shots and forcing Eckerstrom into five saves. Sophomore forward Amandine Pierre-Louis paced the field with five shots, placing two on-goal, a mark matched by senior forward Kailey Utley. The Mountaineers finished with five corner kicks.
Hill’s goal followed strong early play from the Mountaineers. In addition to two earned corners, WVU displayed solid defense, as St. Georges won a challenge on the baseline and Ashley Lawrence stole the ball just over midfield.
The teams exchanged possession following the second delay, with the Mountaineers holding ground as PSU turned up pressure in an attempt to erase the deficit.
Pierre-Louis provided a spark in the waning 10 minutes of the first half, tallying three shots, including a hard, long shot in the final seconds that sailed toward the net from 25-yards out. Eckerstrom made a last-ditch move to her right for the save.
PSU’s best chance came off a free kick in the 51st minute. Sophomore midfielder Emily Ogle lined up for the kick outside the top left corner of the 18-yard box. While she had the leg, Steadman was able to meet the bending shot near the left post.
Utley nearly put the match at 2-0 four minutes later, as she displayed excellent ball control, beating multiple PSU defenders with her feet before taking a driving shot just inside the 18-yard box, but Eckerstrom was there for the save.
Junior center back Carly Black made a goal-saving play in the 73rd minute, squaring up with a driving Weber on the right side of the box and making a sliding tackle for an easy steal.
The Nittany Lions got one last solid look in the 81st minute. Senior midfielder Raquel Rodriguez lined up for a shot inside the 18-yard line, but her drive slammed off the cross bar and back into play.
“Our goal is to get better every game. This was a great win,” said Izzo-Brown. “You can never get too high or too low in college athletics. We’ll understand the importance of protecting this win when we come back out Sunday.”
The Mountaineers return to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium this Sunday for a 1 p.m. match against Villanova. It’s “Youth Jersey Day,” and fans 13 and under can wear their youth league soccer jersey for free admission. The first 20 youth fans through the gate will receive a free red hair braid. Additionally, the Mountaineers will meet with fans and sign autographs following the match.
A free shuttle bus will be available from the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop for an hour leading up to Sunday’s start time. Return service to the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop also will be available for an hour at the conclusion of the match.
Fans can now purchase tickets online in advance for all home matches this season by visiting WVUGAME.com and selecting the Print-At-Home or Mobile Delivery option.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (September 5, 2015) – Neither weather nor a surging Nittany Lion offense could thwart a determined Mountaineer side late tonight, as the No. 11/12 West Virginia University women’s soccer team earned a thrilling 1-0 victory over No. 5/7 Penn State at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in front of 1,445 fans.
The much anticipated match between the two regional rivals was delayed 98 minutes by lightening in the Morgantown area. The Mountaineers (4-1) made the most of the late start, scoring off their second corner kick in the eighth minute and handing their third straight opponent its first loss of the season.
Senior midfielder Amanda Hill netted her first score of the year, heading in a serve from Bianca St. Georges in front of the net and beating PSU’s Britt Eckerstrom to the left corner.
“That was a great ball by Bianca. Carly (Black) and Amanda got in the mix, and Amanda was able to find the ball with her head,” Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “She did what a senior captain should do - find a way to win the tough matches.”
The match was whistled dead seconds after the score at 8:46 p.m. Play resumed again at 9:30 p.m. without further interruption.
“You can’t control the weather. Both teams really wanted to play tonight, and I’m glad we were able to get the game in,” Izzo-Brown said. “Obviously, we have a ton of respect for Penn State, or we wouldn’t have reacted the way we did after beating them. We beat a very good team tonight. Penn State is going to keep winning, so this was a great win for us. Every single player contributed to this win.”
WVU’s win is its first against the Nittany Lions (3-1-1) since a 2-1 victory in Morgantown on Nov. 14, 2010, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tonight’s win evens the all-time series at 6-6-1.
“Our fans were so loyal tonight, and we heard them loud and proud,” Izzo-Brown said of the ninth-largest crowd to witness a WVU women’s soccer match at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. “I wouldn’t have blamed them if they left early, but I sure am thankful they stuck it out and cheered us on to the win.”
With the shutout victory, the team’s fourth clean sheet in five games, the Mountaineers have now defeated at least one top-10 team in each of the last 11 seasons. WVU is 13-10-2 all-time against top-10 teams.
The WVU defense was again brilliant, neutralizing PSU’s top threat, senior forward Mallory Weber, and holding the Nittany Lions to eight shots and four corner kicks. Senior Hannah Steadman made two saves for her third shutout of the year.
“The defense played incredible tonight. From Hannah up to our top four, everyone was incredible in the box tonight,” said Izzo-Brown.
Conversely, the Mountaineer offense proved to be the more lethal attack, totaling four shots and forcing Eckerstrom into five saves. Sophomore forward Amandine Pierre-Louis paced the field with five shots, placing two on-goal, a mark matched by senior forward Kailey Utley. The Mountaineers finished with five corner kicks.
Hill’s goal followed strong early play from the Mountaineers. In addition to two earned corners, WVU displayed solid defense, as St. Georges won a challenge on the baseline and Ashley Lawrence stole the ball just over midfield.
The teams exchanged possession following the second delay, with the Mountaineers holding ground as PSU turned up pressure in an attempt to erase the deficit.
Pierre-Louis provided a spark in the waning 10 minutes of the first half, tallying three shots, including a hard, long shot in the final seconds that sailed toward the net from 25-yards out. Eckerstrom made a last-ditch move to her right for the save.
PSU’s best chance came off a free kick in the 51st minute. Sophomore midfielder Emily Ogle lined up for the kick outside the top left corner of the 18-yard box. While she had the leg, Steadman was able to meet the bending shot near the left post.
Utley nearly put the match at 2-0 four minutes later, as she displayed excellent ball control, beating multiple PSU defenders with her feet before taking a driving shot just inside the 18-yard box, but Eckerstrom was there for the save.
Junior center back Carly Black made a goal-saving play in the 73rd minute, squaring up with a driving Weber on the right side of the box and making a sliding tackle for an easy steal.
The Nittany Lions got one last solid look in the 81st minute. Senior midfielder Raquel Rodriguez lined up for a shot inside the 18-yard line, but her drive slammed off the cross bar and back into play.
“Our goal is to get better every game. This was a great win,” said Izzo-Brown. “You can never get too high or too low in college athletics. We’ll understand the importance of protecting this win when we come back out Sunday.”
The Mountaineers return to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium this Sunday for a 1 p.m. match against Villanova. It’s “Youth Jersey Day,” and fans 13 and under can wear their youth league soccer jersey for free admission. The first 20 youth fans through the gate will receive a free red hair braid. Additionally, the Mountaineers will meet with fans and sign autographs following the match.
A free shuttle bus will be available from the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop for an hour leading up to Sunday’s start time. Return service to the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop also will be available for an hour at the conclusion of the match.
Fans can now purchase tickets online in advance for all home matches this season by visiting WVUGAME.com and selecting the Print-At-Home or Mobile Delivery option.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter.
