Izzo-Brown ‘100 percent’ believes WVU women’s soccer should be ranked

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia women’s soccer (8-2-2, 4-0-1 Big 12) has arrived at the midway point in its conference season. Through five games, WVU is undefeated in Big 12 play and in a three-way tie for first place.

Picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll, few predicted the Mountaineers to be in this position.

Nikki Izzo-Brown’s team has gone over a month since its last loss. WVU has scored first in all eight matches since its defeat in State College and is undefeated and outscoring its opponents 15-6 over that stretch.

The Mountaineers are turning heads in the Big 12. Should they be ranked nationally when the new poll is released Tuesday?

“I think we’ve done enough thus far to put ourselves in that Top 25, I 100 percent believe that,” Izzo-Brown said.

West Virginia remained outside the Top 25 in the latest rankings from TopDrawerSoccer. The United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll, the sport’s official poll of record, will be released Tuesday afternoon.

Statistically, the Mountaineers have not been dominant but they have been solid.

Izzo-Brown’s team is among the five best teams in the Big 12 in scoring average, goals, assists, and fewest shots on goal allowed. Only one team in the conference, Colorado (10-1-1, 4-0-1 Big 12), has scored first at a higher rate than the Mountaineers.

Individually, Ajanae Respass and her team-leading six goals are tied for fifth in the league in that statistic. Respass and Lilly McCarthy are among the conference leaders in assists with four apiece.

If West Virginia remains unranked this week, the upcoming schedule will give this group plenty of chances to show what it’s made of. WVU will face three of the top four teams in the Big 12 over a four-game, 10-day stretch from Oct. 10-20. Fortunately for the Mountaineers, two of those contests are at home.

A veteran coach, Izzo-Brown knows things like national rankings take care of themselves, especially if West Virginia can keep stacking victories.

“At the end of the day, It’s really just important for us to focus on UCF. And, most important, is that we’re finishing at the end of the year in that Top 25 if not number one.”

WVU returns to action at home against UCT (3-2-4, 1-1-2 Big 12) on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. That game is West Virginia’s annual “Pack it Pink” match in conjunction with WVU Medicine.

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