MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia women’s soccer team’s winning streak came to a controversial end Monday night.
WVU (7-7-4, 5-3-2 Big 12) and Cincinnati (3-7-7, 2-3-5 Big 12) tied 1-1 in each team’s regular-season finale at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown.
Before the game, WVU honored seniors Mackenzie Aunkst, Maya McCutcheon, Kayza Massey, Maddie Moreau, Lisa Schöppl, Chloe Adler and Julianne Vallerand for what is likely their final game at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
“[It is great] any time that you have players that have given blood, sweat and tears for the program,” WVU head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “They just mean so much [as] part of the West Virginia family. It’s been a great ride with a lot of them.”
Izzo-Brown was also recognized for achieving her 400th career win, a mark she hit in WVU’s 4-0 win over Oklahoma earlier this month.
Defense dominated for both teams in the first half, and the score was 0-0 at the halfway point. Massey and Cincinnati keeper Anna Rexford each recorded one save in the first half.
In the 65th minute, things started to heat up for the WVU attack. First, Dilary Heredia-Beltran raced up the right alley and provided a near-perfect cross to forward Jordyn Wilson. Before Wilson could make a play on the ball, Anna Rexford was able to clear the pass out of the scoring zone.
On its very next possession, WVU found twine.
McCutcheon dribbled up the same attack lane as Heredia-Beltran before setting up a cross to Wilson of her own. This time, a Cincinnati defender got a piece of the ball, but she deflected it into her own goal for a 1-0 WVU lead.
The goal was immediately called off for an offsides violation on Wilson, but after deliberation, the officials ruled it a good goal.
The Mountaineers put two shots on goal on a serious of three corner kicks on their next possession, but Rexford handled the kicks masterfully.
WVU dominated possession for most of the second half, but Cincinnati took advantage of one of its few scoring opportunities of the night. On the Bearcats’ first – and only – corner kick, Fran Stables delivered a perfect ball that was perfectly headed into the back of the net by Laura Zemberyova for the 1-1 equalizer.
The broadcast angle of Cincinnati’s goal appeared to show the ball placed well in front of the corner arc as Stables made contact with the ball.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about it, but it wasn’t a corner kick,” Izzo-Brown said. “I can tell you that right now. We had replay, but they’ll have to adjust to that.”
Heredia-Beltran delivered one final scoring chance in the final minutes on a strong strike from just inside the line, but Rexford knocked the ball over the net for her fifth save of the night.
Massey recorded two saves Monday.
WVU will now enter the Big 12 Tournament as either the No. 4 or the No. 5 seed. First-round play begins Saturday in Round Rock, Texas.
