No. 16 WVU ready to take on No. 20 Baylor

No. 16 West Virginia women’s soccer team returns home after success on the road to compete against No. 20 Baylor tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium

Both teams are undefeated in Big 12 Conference play.

West Virginia is now on a seven-match winning streak, with wins last weekend against Kansas and Iowa State.

"(Baylor) is a very good team. They lead the Big 12 in every statistic, from fouls, to goals, to goals against," said head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. "We’re seeing a team with an RPI of 15 and we’re at 27, so we definitely have our hands full."

"They’re a good team, very physical," said sophomore forward Kate Schwindel. "We have to be mentally and physically tough, and I think we’re prepared."

Tonight’s game will acknowledge the talents of the WVU seniors for senior night. Mountaineer fans can catch one of 50 WVU women’s soccer scarves that will be tossed into the stands at halftime.

The 2012 seniors
include two defenders, one midfielder, one forward, one goalkeeper and one team manager. Together they have combined for 261 games played with a record of 54-21-10 under the direction of Izzo-Brown.

The 54 wins rank as the No. 24 best mark in the country during the last four seasons.

Forwards Frances Silva and Kate Schwindel lead the offense with a combined 18 goals and nine assists.

Schwindel was named NSCAA National Player of the Week and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after her five-point weekend.

"That duet is tough to deal with," Izzo-Brown said. "I’m confident in them and I believe in them and I’m glad they’re on my team."

The Mountaineer defense has recorded six shutouts this season and WVU has held 10 of 15 opponents to five shots on-goal or less.

Baylor currently leads the Big 12 in every offensive statistical category: points (103, 7.36), goals (37), assists (29) and shots (316, 22.57). Defensively, the Bears led the Big 12 with nine shutouts in 14 games, giving them a shutout percentage of .643.

Head coach Marci Jobson is in her fifth season with Baylor. Jobson lead her 2011 team to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1999 and its first ever tournament victory.

Baylor has been unbeaten in its last 10 matches, since its double-overtime loss against Long Beach State, 2-1.

The Bears have a 2-0-1 record in the Big 12, the first time Baylor has been unbeaten in its opening three league games since 1998.

Forward Dana Larsen leads the Bears in team points with 18, including seven goals and four assists. Midfielder Lisa Sliwinski has scored four goals in the last five games.

The Bears have tallied nine shutouts in 14 games. Sophomore goalkeeper Michelle Kloss has allowed seven goals in 14 matches for a 0.51 goals-against average.

Admission is free for WVU students with a valid student ID, $5 for adults, and $3 for youths, 18 and under, and seniors. Tickets are $2 per person for groups of 10 or more.

"I hope people pay tribute to support our unbeaten streak but also to support our seniors," Izzo-Brown said. "I want us to lead the Big 12 in attendance, and hopefully we can do that (tonight)."