No. 23 West Virginia scored three goals in seven minutes during a second-half onslaught and cruised to a 4-0 victory over Kansas State on Friday night in women’s soccer.
By beating the Wildcats, who were making their first-ever trip to Morgantown, the Mountaineers’ (7-2-3, 3-0) won their sixth straight. The shutout was West Virginia’s fifth in a row.
“I think it’s confidence and great leadership from our nine seniors,” Mountaineers coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “It starts from the back. We can call out different senior leaders. It’s all about huge confidence and our current team mentality.”
Kansas State (4-6-2) has lost three straight.
Sophomore forward Lauren Segalla jumpstarted the Mountaineers’ attack with a goal in the 48th minute.
“That was a shot in the arm for everyone, but especially for Lauren. She struggled early on (this season) to finish, but her grind mentality and hard work is paying off,” Izzo-Brown said. “She’s staying focused, on-task and in her routine.”
Hannah Abraham’s cross led to Segalla’s goal, and Abraham added two more assists, setting up goals for Sh’Nia Gordon and Nadya Gill in the 51st and 52nd minutes.
The Mountaineers dominated Kansas State with a 31-7 shots advantage and a 14-1 edge in corner kicks.
The last goal came in the 85th minute when Alina Stahl scored off an assist from Lizzie Mayfield.
“Going on the road it was tough, especially when they found separation,” K-State coach Mike Dibbini said. “They are a really solid team.”
