The #25 West Virginia Mountaineers (9-2-2, 4-0-2) erased a one-goal deficit in the final 10 minutes to take down the Houston Cougars (6-3-4, 1-3-2) on Friday. A brace from Taylor White powered WVU to another crucial win in Big 12 Conference action. Read more: WVU Women’s Soccer Collects 3-2 Win Over Houston
First Half
A crowd of 742 filed into Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown on Friday evening to witness the third all-time meeting between the two programs, and the first in Morgantown. The series was split heading into Friday’s match.
The first 40 minutes of the match allowed minimal opportunity for either squad to get an upper hand offensively. It wasn’t until the 43rd minute that Houston struck first to break the stalemate.
Sabrina Taber tallied the unassisted goal for the Cougars, placing the ball in the bottom right portion of the net. The score was Taber’s first of the season, getting past WVU goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth.
Houston would take the 1-0 advantage going into halftime, putting the pressure on a Mountaineer team that has not lost outright since August 24.
The typically shot-friendly Mountaineers only notched two shots in the first half, one less than Houston. Cougar goalkeeper Maggie Manning stopped the lone shot that came her way in the frame.
Related: WVU QB Nicco Marchiol Expected to Enter Transfer Portal After Medical Redshirt
Second Half
With an unbeaten streak on the line, WVU came alive in the second half. Taylor White and Maddie Levy combined for three goals, with White’s brace coming in the final 11 minutes of the match.
In the 56th minute, Maddie Levy capitalized on a touch from Ava Arnold and tallied the equalizer. Levy’s sixth goal of the year evened the playing field for over 20 minutes of match time.
In the 80th minute, Friday’s match was flipped on its head. In a matter of seconds, Houston took the lead off thanks to a Samira Minor score. Enter Taylor White.
White answered back with an equalizer of her own, evening the match at two goals apiece. She was assisted by Ava Arnold as well, who was responsible for both WVU assists on Friday.
In the 83rd minute, “White lightning”, as I’ll call it, struck again. The unassisted goal rolled into the bottom right of net to solidify a late lead.
Houston was unable to respond.
Final Wrap
With the win, WVU cements itself once more as a true contender in the Big 12. The top 25 squad has earned its ranking thus far, but the long road to success continues.
Mountaineer goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth allowed two goals but made several key saves. No clean sheet tonight for the WVU defense, but the performance was enough to end up in the win column.
West Virginia is back in action on October 16 in Lawrence, Kansas. The Mountaineers and Jayhawks will battle it out on ESPN+, with first touch scheduled for 7 P.M. EST.
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