MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The largest regular-season crowd in program history waited 82 minutes but West Virginia’s Hannah Abraham came off the bench to deliver another game-winning goal and the top-ranked Mountaineers edged Texas Tech 1-0 on Friday night in women’s soccer action.
Abraham launched her stunning goal from 20 yards out, curving it off the mitts of Tech goalkeeper Lauren Watson and into the upper-right corner of the net.
“I was just trying to get a shot off,” the sophomore said. “I didn’t even see it go in. I don’t know how it went it.”
All four of Abraham’s goals this season have given her team the lead.
West Virginia (13-1-1, 5-0), playing in front of 2,068 fans at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, extended its home conference unbeaten streak to 33 matches while avenging last season’s Big 12 tournament loss to the Red Raiders (8-5-2, 1-4) in Kansas City.
“This is a new team but most of our returners understand the disappointment we felt last year losing in the Big 12 Championship,” WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said.
Dominant throughout but with nothing to show for it much of the match, the Mountaineers enjoyed an overwhelming 29-5 edge in shots and forced Watson into eight saves. Abraham hit the crossbar in the 37th minute before Ashley Lawrence did the same in the second half after working herself into position for a shot inside the box.
During one flurry, West Virginia’s Kadeisha Buchanan headed in a corner kick that was blocked. Then midfielder Alli Magaletta pounced on the rebound only to have immediate shot blocked. Michaela Abam finished the series with a long shot that sailed over the net.
“We hit two crossbars tonight. There were so many opportunities,” Izzo-Brown said. “In the game of soccer, there’s always a sense that maybe you’re going to have to buy one. I think everyone was happy Hannah was able to put one away.
“All the credit to Texas Tech – they had a game plan, and they tried to disrupt us. They put a lot of numbers behind the ball, and it was tough to find space.”
Texas Tech placed one shot on-goal, a 33rd-minute attempt by Cassie Boren that was easily saved by Rylee Foster, the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Week, who delivered West Virginia’s ninth shutout of the season.
The Mountaineers haven’t allowed a goal in more than 484 minutes, dating back to a penalty kick at Richmond in a 4-1 win on Sept. 23.
The shutout streak nearly ended in the opening minutes when Texas Tech freshman Jade King took a cross in the box but sent a point-blank shot over the net.
“If that chance goes in from King, things would’ve gotten very interesting with the lead,” said Red Raiders coach Tom Stone. “Quite frankly, we did not have the quality in the final third to turn geography into real scoring chance besides the first chance in the opening moments of the game.
‘It’s great that the top team is in the Big 12, but we don’t have moral victories here.”
Foster improved to 10-1-1 on the year, with no Big 12 opponent registering more than two shots on-goal in five matches.
Watson came up big to keep Texas Tech even in the 68th minute, pushing away a shot by Amandine Pierre-Louis at the left post. A minute later, Watson stood her ground and saved a lofting floater by Buchanan.
Following Abraham’s goal, Lawrence looked to add an insurance score in the 85th minute, but her attempt from outside the box was scooped up by Watson.
West Virgina returns to the road at TCU on Friday.