WVU Women’s Soccer proved its dedication to consistency with another successful campaign. The Mountaineers finished the 2025 season with a 14-3-4 overall record and appeared in the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments, respectively. Read more: Season in review: WVU Women’s Soccer makes it to second round of NCAA Tournament
The 30th season of WVU Women’s Soccer came to a close heartbreakingly at the hands of the Georgetown Hoyas. The second round match went to penalty kicks, and the Mountaineers were a crossbar away from staying alive.
Despite the loss and a lackluster run in the Big 12 tournament a week prior, it was a bountiful season of footy in Morgantown.
Early adversity
WVU’s season did not get off to an ideal start. Two of its first three contests were against top-15 opponents, including one on the road.
The season began with a 2-1 home loss to the Virginia Cavaliers, a defensive bout that broke open late. WVU bounced back a week later with a 3-0 clean sheet against Akron.
Penn State posed the first road test for WVU, a challenge too steep for a Mountaineer squad still figuring itself out. The Nittany Lions picked apart WVU’s defense on its way to a 3-1 victory.
Sitting at 1-2, WVU needed a change. One change that was made featured a permanent switch to Bailey Herfurth in the net, as she shared time in the first three games with Mackenzie Smith.
On a streak
The Mountaineers became a brand new team after falling to Penn State. WVU managed to rattle off 16 straight matches without a loss between Aug. 28 and Oct. 30.
Nine of the 16 matches during the streak were shutouts, courtesy of a rampant WVU defensive front and consistent goalkeeping. The team often doubled opponents in corners and total shots, too, a season-long trend.
WVU outshot its 2025 opponents, 320 to 168. Pair that statistic with a 42-19 scoring advantage, and the old gold and blue had a recipe for success.
The unbeaten run included the entirety of the Mountaineers’ conference slate, setting the team up with the No. 2 seed in the tournament. TCU held tight to the top spot going into the tourney.
Shocker in Big 12 postseason play
Hours after top-seeded TCU was upset by the No. 8 seed, WVU found itself on the ropes against No. 7-seeded Kansas. The Mountaineers were beaten by their own game, as the Jayhawks outshot and overwhelmed WVU bell-to-bell.
The early exit was a wake-up call for the Mountaineers.
The national stage
The bright lights of NCAA Tournament action are no strangers to WVU HC Nikki Izzo-Brown and her Mountaineers. After all, the program has remained a frequent participant in the postseason for three decades now.
WVU pulled Wagner for the first round of the single-elimination tournament and made sure the Mountaineers did not go one-and-done this time. Five WVU goals and a clean sheet punched the Mountaineers’ ticket to Georgetown.
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Late-match drama in regulation was not enough to settle the score between WVU and Georgetown. Neither was overtime (or even double overtime).
The two squads exchanged blows in PKs until a fatal mistake on an open shot gave the Hoyas a victory. As heads hung low in the old gold and blue, the curtain closed on another season of WVU Women’s Soccer.
Statistical leaders
- Taylor White: The senior led the team in both goals and assists with 10 of each. White was the surefire leader of the Mountaineers’ offensive onslaught.
- Bailey Herfurth: The aforementioned star goalkeeper took over permanently after the loss to Penn State. She recorded 46 saves and finished with a 13-1-4 record.
Final wrap
Despite the loss, WVU clocked another successful season on the pitch. The 2025 WVU Women’s Soccer team was scrappy and persistent, fitting of the identity of the athletic department and the people of the state.
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