No. 11/15 Mountaineers Out-Muscle Duquesne
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 30, 2015) – Four first-half goals helped the No. 11/15 West Virginia University women’s soccer team open its 2015 home season with a bang, as the Mountaineers knocked off Duquesne 5-0, today, in front of 1,378 fans at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The Mountaineers (3-1) never hesitated in shooting today, tallying a season-high 38 shots, the fifth-most in program history and the team’s top total since finishing with 41 against the Dukes in a 1-1 double-overtime draw on Sept. 6, 2012. WVU placed 17 shots on-goal, the squad’s highest total since placing 17 on-frame in a 4-0 win against Navy on Nov. 16, 2007.
“Today’s win was a total team effort. I felt we came in right away and set the tone for the match, and we maintained that pressure all game,” said Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “We were able to create great chances today. Finishing with so many scorers is important in our attack.”
The five goals are the team’s highest output since a 6-0 win over High Point at DDSS on Sept. 16, 2012.
As dominating as the Mountaineer offense was, the WVU defense was just as strong, earning its third shutout of the season and limiting the Dukes (2-1) to just one shot each half. DU failed to place a shot on-frame, marking the second time this season WVU has held an opponent without a shot on-goal. Senior goalkeeper Hannah Steadman earned credit for the shutout.
DU’s Vanessa Perdomo took the loss, allowing four first-half goals while making three saves. Kyra Murphy finished with nine saves in the second half.
WVU finished with a 6-1 edge in corner kicks.
“This was a great performance in front of awesome, tenacious fans,” said Izzo-Brown of the 12th-largest crowd to witness a women’s soccer game at DDSS. “Those fans cheered loudly the whole game, and they proved just how tough they are by sticking with us through the rain. We’re so thankful for their support.”
Three Mountaineers finished with three points today, as senior forward Kailey Utley, junior midfielder Ashley Lawrence and freshman forward Nia Gordon each tallied a goal and an assist in the win. Utley, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, finished the weekend with five points, having notched the game-winner in WVU’s 1-0 win at Maryland on Friday night. The score was the first of the season for Lawrence, while the helper was Gordon’s first career assist.
Sophomore forward Michaela Abam led all with eight shots today, putting her four-game total at 22. She also finished with a game-high four shots on-goal and netted her first score, finishing a chance in the 22nd minute. Lawrence and Gordon placed all three of their shots on-net.
The Mountaineers wasted little time getting on the board, as Utley scored her third goal in as many games in the third minute. She put the ball past Perdomo 2:47 into the game, giving her the 10th-quickest score in Mountaineer history. Lawrence assisted on the goal, feeding the ball into the box and allowing Utley to finish with a low shot.
Gordon, the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Week, made it a 2-0 game less than one minute later, also scoring inside the box. Gordon’s goal came at 3:32, tying her with Katie Barnes (vs. Virginia Tech, Sept. 14, 1999) for the 15th-fastest goal in program history. Sophomore Carla Portillo earned the assist on the score, her first point of the season.
Abam’s first goal of the year put the score to 3-0 in the 22nd minute. Utley played a big role in the score, as she pushed the ball up the left side of the field before finding Abam inside the box. The Houston native took a shot from inside the penalty-kick line that easily beat Perdomo to the left post.
Just six minutes later, sophomore forward Amandine Pierre-Louis netted her first goal of the season in nearly identical form to WVU’s first two scores. Sophomore midfielder Yulie Lopez played a great ball up field and found Pierre-Louis inside the 18-yard box. She buried her shot from inside the penalty-kick line.
Lawrence added the team’s elusive fifth goal in the 51st minute. Gordon found Lawrence near the right post, and the Toronto native turned with the ball and placed her close-range shot perfectly, beating Murphy to the near post.
While WVU stifled the Dukes for the majority of the match, a quick-thinking freshman preserved the shutout, as defender Easther Mayi Kith thwarted DU’s best chance in the 63rd minute. With Steadman out of position after challenging a charging DU player, Mayi Kith raced to the goal line and slid toward the left post, pushing the ball out of play with her toe and giving DU its lone corner of the match.
The Mountaineers return to DDSS on Friday, Sept. 4, for a showdown with No. 4/6 Penn State, with first kick set for 7 p.m. The match is a “Gold Rush,” and all fans are encouraged to wear gold. The first 200 Mountaineer Maniacs also will receive a women’s soccer t-shirt. Additionally, the team will celebrate its 20th season with a special pre-game presentation.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 30, 2015) – Four first-half goals helped the No. 11/15 West Virginia University women’s soccer team open its 2015 home season with a bang, as the Mountaineers knocked off Duquesne 5-0, today, in front of 1,378 fans at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The Mountaineers (3-1) never hesitated in shooting today, tallying a season-high 38 shots, the fifth-most in program history and the team’s top total since finishing with 41 against the Dukes in a 1-1 double-overtime draw on Sept. 6, 2012. WVU placed 17 shots on-goal, the squad’s highest total since placing 17 on-frame in a 4-0 win against Navy on Nov. 16, 2007.
“Today’s win was a total team effort. I felt we came in right away and set the tone for the match, and we maintained that pressure all game,” said Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “We were able to create great chances today. Finishing with so many scorers is important in our attack.”
The five goals are the team’s highest output since a 6-0 win over High Point at DDSS on Sept. 16, 2012.
As dominating as the Mountaineer offense was, the WVU defense was just as strong, earning its third shutout of the season and limiting the Dukes (2-1) to just one shot each half. DU failed to place a shot on-frame, marking the second time this season WVU has held an opponent without a shot on-goal. Senior goalkeeper Hannah Steadman earned credit for the shutout.
DU’s Vanessa Perdomo took the loss, allowing four first-half goals while making three saves. Kyra Murphy finished with nine saves in the second half.
WVU finished with a 6-1 edge in corner kicks.
“This was a great performance in front of awesome, tenacious fans,” said Izzo-Brown of the 12th-largest crowd to witness a women’s soccer game at DDSS. “Those fans cheered loudly the whole game, and they proved just how tough they are by sticking with us through the rain. We’re so thankful for their support.”
Three Mountaineers finished with three points today, as senior forward Kailey Utley, junior midfielder Ashley Lawrence and freshman forward Nia Gordon each tallied a goal and an assist in the win. Utley, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, finished the weekend with five points, having notched the game-winner in WVU’s 1-0 win at Maryland on Friday night. The score was the first of the season for Lawrence, while the helper was Gordon’s first career assist.
Sophomore forward Michaela Abam led all with eight shots today, putting her four-game total at 22. She also finished with a game-high four shots on-goal and netted her first score, finishing a chance in the 22nd minute. Lawrence and Gordon placed all three of their shots on-net.
The Mountaineers wasted little time getting on the board, as Utley scored her third goal in as many games in the third minute. She put the ball past Perdomo 2:47 into the game, giving her the 10th-quickest score in Mountaineer history. Lawrence assisted on the goal, feeding the ball into the box and allowing Utley to finish with a low shot.
Gordon, the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Week, made it a 2-0 game less than one minute later, also scoring inside the box. Gordon’s goal came at 3:32, tying her with Katie Barnes (vs. Virginia Tech, Sept. 14, 1999) for the 15th-fastest goal in program history. Sophomore Carla Portillo earned the assist on the score, her first point of the season.
Abam’s first goal of the year put the score to 3-0 in the 22nd minute. Utley played a big role in the score, as she pushed the ball up the left side of the field before finding Abam inside the box. The Houston native took a shot from inside the penalty-kick line that easily beat Perdomo to the left post.
Just six minutes later, sophomore forward Amandine Pierre-Louis netted her first goal of the season in nearly identical form to WVU’s first two scores. Sophomore midfielder Yulie Lopez played a great ball up field and found Pierre-Louis inside the 18-yard box. She buried her shot from inside the penalty-kick line.
Lawrence added the team’s elusive fifth goal in the 51st minute. Gordon found Lawrence near the right post, and the Toronto native turned with the ball and placed her close-range shot perfectly, beating Murphy to the near post.
While WVU stifled the Dukes for the majority of the match, a quick-thinking freshman preserved the shutout, as defender Easther Mayi Kith thwarted DU’s best chance in the 63rd minute. With Steadman out of position after challenging a charging DU player, Mayi Kith raced to the goal line and slid toward the left post, pushing the ball out of play with her toe and giving DU its lone corner of the match.
The Mountaineers return to DDSS on Friday, Sept. 4, for a showdown with No. 4/6 Penn State, with first kick set for 7 p.m. The match is a “Gold Rush,” and all fans are encouraged to wear gold. The first 200 Mountaineer Maniacs also will receive a women’s soccer t-shirt. Additionally, the team will celebrate its 20th season with a special pre-game presentation.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter.
