NORMAN, Okla. — No. 3 West Virginia couldn’t capitalize on a 33-7 edge in shots thanks to stellar goalkeeping by Oklahoma’s Kassidie Stade, and the sides settled for a scoreless draw Friday night in women’s soccer action.
The Mountaineers (11-1-1, 2-0-1) saw their win streak snapped at 10 though they out-possessed the Sooners (8-4-2, 1-0-2) and enjoyed a 15-0 advantage in corner kicks. But Stade was impenetrable with a career-best 16 saves.
WVU has not allowed a goal in its last five Big 12 road matches.
Mountaineers sophomore Michaela Abam fired eight shots, with only one landing on frame. Junior midfielder Ashley Lawrence and sophomore forward Amandine Pierre-Louis each placed three shots on goal.
WVU’s best chance in overtime came in the 107th minute, when Pierre-Louis received the ball just outside the box and took a sailing on-point shot. Stade stopped the ball for her 16th save, but almost allowed it to bounce over her head and into the net.
Oklahoma had a chance at the end of the first overtime when Kaylee Dao, the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Week, received the ball at the top of the box and managed a low shot between two WVU defenders. Hannah Steadman made her third and final save at the line.
WVU 1, Western Michigan 0 (men): Jamie Merriam’s goal in the 84th minute lifted the Mountaineers to a win in their Mid-American Conference opener Friday night in Morgantown.
WVU (5-6, 1-0) had seven shots on goal, while the Broncos (6-2-2, 0-1 MAC) had four.
“The boys finally got a result that we deserve and we had to grind, but we were pretty good grinding, too,” WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “They cleared one off the line somehow, hit the crossbar on another, their keeper makes an unbelievable save in the first half, tipped one over the crossbar. We grinded but we had quality on our attacks and really put them under pressure.”
Merriam’s fourth goal of the season came at 83:24, less than two minutes after subbing back in, Merriam scored the game winner. Joey Piatczyc and Tucker Stephenson earned assists, Piatczyc’s nation-leading 11th of the season.
WVU freshman goaltender Alec Boerner made two crucial saves in the 62nd and 67th minute.