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West Virginia University

West Virginia University Morgantown, WV 26507
Division 1 West Virginia Northeast
Public Very Large National competitor

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Nikki Izzo-Brown

Entering her 28th season as the only coach in Mountaineer women’s soccer history, Nikki Izzo-Brown has built a one-time infant program into one of the nation’s elite teams.


In 27 seasons, Izzo-Brown has coached 34 players who went on to play professionally, 25 different players to 60 total All-America honors, 17 different players to 30 total Academic and Scholar All-America accolades, 24 conference players of the year and 23 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy candidates. She also coached the 2016 Hermann Trophy award winner, the 2016 espnW National Player of the Year, a pair of Olympic Gold and Bronze Medalists and FIFA Women’s World Cup participants, as well as a FIFA Women’s World Cup Best Young Player honoree.


The 2016 season remains the team’s best-ever campaign, as the squad made its first NCAA College Cup appearance and finished as the NCAA National Runner-Up. WVU has appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 22 of last 23 seasons, including a 21-year streak from 2000-20.


To date, Izzo-Brown has led the Mountaineers to an impressive 383-132-68 overall record and a 160-50-30 conference mark that includes 10 regular-season titles and eight tournament championships, including most recently the 2022 Big 12 Soccer Championship title. The Mountaineers won the conference regular-season title in each of their first five years as members of the Big 12 (2012-16), and a title sweep in 2016 was the third time the squad earned both championships.


Women’s soccer won the school’s first Big 12 championship in 2013 and was the only WVU program to win multiple Big East Tournament titles.


Izzo-Brown’s teams have been a consistent force in the national rankings and reached new levels in 2016, as the program earned its first national No. 1 ranking. WVU spent eight weeks ranked No. 1 nationally and was never ranked lower than No. 7. Additionally, WVU has defeated at least one top-10 opponent in 15 of the last 17 seasons.


In addition to the success she has enjoyed with the Mountaineers, Izzo-Brown has several years of experience with U.S. Women’s National Teams, including serving as an assistant at the teams’ 2012 training camps with the U.S. U-18, U-20 and U-23 squads. She also served as a scout for the 2017 U.S. U-20 squad.


Izzo-Brown has never had a losing season as a head coach and has led WVU to 23 consecutive 10-plus win seasons. Additionally, she has earned 13 combined conference and regional coach of the year awards since 2000.


2022 Season

After a nearly four-year stretch without a trophy, Izzo-Brown’s Mountaineers ended their drought as the 2022 Big 12 Conference Tournament champions. WVU claimed its 10th league title and 18th conference championship all-time with a 1-0, double overtime win over TCU in the Big 12 Championship final on Nov. 6, in Round Rock, Texas.


West Virginia worked its way through a tough nonconference slate with just a 3-3-3 record, leading many to question its position moving into league play. However, the Mountaineers only lost one match in conference competition, finishing with a 4-1-4 mark in the league. WVU entered the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 4 seed, defeating No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 1 Texas and No. 2 TCU in the final to depart Round Rock as the 2022 Big 12 Champions and earn the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. WVU earned a No. 7 seed heading into the national tournament and made its 22nd appearance all time.


A pair of records were broken at season’s end, as WVU’s star “super seniors” Lauren Segalla and Jordan Brewster etched their names in the top of the record books before departing the program. Segalla became the new program leader in career games played, finishing her time in Gold and Blue with 104 career appearances. Brewster finished her career with 101 starts, breaking the program record in the category.


Once again, the Mountaineer defense showed its dominance throughout the season. The squad collected 10 shutouts on the year, two of which came in the Big 12 Championship. Star goalkeeper Kayza Massey added to her impressive resume, tallying three career-high tying seven-save performances to lead to a season save total of 77. At season’s end, Massey was named the Big 12 Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, becoming Izzo-Brown’s first-ever netminder to earn a conference player of the year award.


Massey and Brewster led the way on the All-Big 12 First Team, while Gabrielle Robinson, AJ Rodriguez and Dilary Heredia-Beltran were named to the Second Team. Brewster, Massey and Rodriguez also received All-Midwest Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches, as Brewster went on to earn her third consecutive All-America honor from the organization.


Brewster and Massey moved Izzo-Brown’s all-time professional players number to 33 as the pair signed professional contracts at season’s end. With the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft by the Kansas City Current, Robinson became the sixth Mountaineer to be selected in the NWSL Draft all time. Brewster signed a professional contract with Kristianstads DFF in Sweden.


Academically, six Mountaineers were named Academic All-District selections by the College Sports Communicators, headlinged by Brewster who went on to be named a CSC Academic All-American. West Virginia placed 13 student-athletes on the Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team, and Brewster also was named the Big 12 Conference Women's Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year.


2021 Season

The 2021 campaign saw a return to normalcy following the COVID-19 pandemic, as Izzo-Brown and the Mountaineers once again played a full, non-conference slate before diving head-first into Big 12 Conference play. Ranking as high as No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll, West Virginia finished the campaign with a 10-5-5 overall mark to extend its streak of at least 10 wins or more to 22 straight seasons.


On the pitch, WVU showed off the defensive prowess for which it has become known over the years. The Mountaineer defense recorded 11 shutouts on the year, including a pair of clean sheets in the Big 12 Championship. WVU’s nine shutouts in the regular season marked the most since 2017, while the squad’s 11 total clean sheets were the most since 2018. Goalkeeper Kayza Massey became a force to be reckoned with between the posts, tallying eight solo shutouts and 52 saves.


Izzo-Brown coached star defender Jordan Brewster to another successful campaign in 2021. Not only did she play every minute of the season and aid in each of the team’s 11 shutouts, but she was an All-America Third Team selection by United Soccer Coaches, her second All-America honor in as many seasons. Brewster became one of just 14 Mountaineers coached by Izzo-Brown to earn a pair of All-America accolades in her career. Additionally, Brewster was named a candidate for the 2021 Women’s Soccer Senior CLASS Award, WVU’s first honoree since 2018.


Four Mountaineers earned a spot on the 2021 All-Big 12 Teams, including Brewster on the first team, Nicole Payne and Massey on the second team and Dilary Heredia-Beltran on the all-freshman team. At season’s end, Isabella Sibley signed a professional contract with Crystal Palace FC in London, England, to become Izzo-Brown’s 31st Mountaineer to go on to play professionally.


Academically, Brewster, Julianne Vallerand and Lilly McCarthy were named Academic All-District selections by CoSIDA, while a program-best 15 student-athletes were honored on the Academic All-Big 12 Soccer Teams.


2020-21 Season

Despite navigating one of the most unusual seasons in the program’s history due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Izzo-Brown’s Mountaineers once again reached national prominence in 2020-21. The squad played a two-part season, with Big 12 Conference action taking place in the fall and nonconference competition being held off until the spring. West Virginia beat seven of its nine Big 12 opponents and used an undefeated spring slate, as well as a pair of wins over top-10 foes, to earn the No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. WVU extended its streak to 21 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament, which is the fifth-longest in the country.


The Mountaineers finished the year 10-3-1 overall, including 7-2 in conference play, surpassing the 10-win threshold for the 21st straight season.


West Virginia ranked as high as No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, and the squad extended its win streak over top-10 foes to 15 of the last 16 seasons. Izzo-Brown coached the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the fifth time in the last six seasons, as Jordan Brewster garnered her first career conference player of the year award.


Brewster, Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel and Alina Stahl were selected to the All-Big 12 First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Team, while Brewster was honored as a United Soccer Coaches All-American. Brewster also appeared on the Missouri Athletic Conference (MAC) Hermann Trophy Award Watch List.


Following the conclusion of the season, Ferrer-vanGinkel signed a professional contract with Tigres UANL Feminil, a member of Liga MX, the top tier of the Mexican women’s soccer league. Ferrer-vanGinkel became Izzo-Brown’s 30th professional player at West Virginia.


In the classroom, 13 Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team. Brewster and Stahl were named to the Academic All-District First Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), before Brewster moved on to be honored as an Academic All-American.


2019 Season

Izzo-Brown led West Virginia to its 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament in 2019. The Mountaineers advanced to the NCAA Third Round for the fourth time in five years by taking down No. 25 Georgetown, 2-0, on the road, before posting a 106th-minute goal to top Central Connecticut State in the second round. WVU eventually fell to Washington State in the third round of play.


The Mountaineers, who once again logged one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, finished 12-8-2 on the season, including a 5-3-1 mark in Big 12 play.


WVU ranked as high as No. 11 during the course of the season. Playing with a big group of promising up-and-comers infused with several key veterans, two Mountaineers – Jordan Brewster and Rylee Foster – were named to the All-Big 12 Second Team at season’s end, while freshmen Enzi Broussard and Nicole Payne landed on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Additionally, Brewster and Foster were named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Second Team, while Foster also appeared on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List for the second consecutive season.


In the classroom, nine players were named to the 2019 Academic All-Big 12 Team, including six on the first team.


West Virginia took on 10 opponents which reached the NCAA Tournament and nine that appeared in the top 25, including eventual National Champion, Stanford. The squad’s victory over TCU in the regular-season finale marked the program’s 350th victory.


2018 Season

The Mountaineers returned to the top of the Big 12 Conference in 2018, winning their ninth league title with a 3-0 victory over No. 9 Baylor in the Big 12 Championship final on Nov. 4, at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.


WVU found itself in an unfamiliar position at the onset of the season, despite entering the campaign ranked No. 9 nationally, as the squad went 0-1-3 through its first three matches. With Izzo-Brown’s guidance, the Mountaineers finished their regular-season slate at 4-1 before opening conference play with a pair of 2-0 road wins at No. 22 Texas Tech and at No. 21 TCU. WVU would go on to also defeat No. 13 Texas, 2-1, and re-enter the national rankings at No. 16 following five weeks away before concluding the Big 12 campaign at 7-2.


The Mountaineers earned a No. 2 regional seed in the NCAA Tournament, their 19th consecutive appearance, the fifth-longest active streak. WVU bowed out in the second round following a 2-2 draw (5-6 PKs) to Wake Forest. WVU spent eight weeks ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and finished the season at No. 14. Additionally, the Mountaineer backline posted 12 shutouts and allowed 12 opponents goals for a 0.541 goals-against average (GAA), the 11th-best mark nationally.


Senior defender Bianca St. Georges was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, extending WVU’s streak to seven seasons with a Mountaineer claiming the honor. A conference-best eight Mountaineers claimed All-Big 12 honors, including first-team recognitions for St. Georges, goalkeeper Rylee Foster, forward Sh’Nia Gordon and defender Easther Mayi Kith. Gordon was named the Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Offensive Player, and Mayi Kith was named the Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Defensive Player.


At season’s end, St. Georges and Foster, WVU’s 11th and 12th Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy candidates, were named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America Second and Third Teams, respectively. Foster’s honor was the first for a WVU netminder. St. Georges also was named to the Senior CLASS Award All-America First Team and won the Google Cloud Academic All-America of the Year Award for Division I women’s soccer, the second Mountaineer since 2013 to earn the nation’s highest academic honor. She also was named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America First Team, while Mayi Kith landed on the third team.


Four Mountaineer seniors signed professional contracts following their time at WVU. St. Georges and midfielder Grace Cutler were drafted No. 20 and No. 22 at the 2019 NWSL College Draft, while Mayi Kith signed with Montpellier HSC and Gordon signed with FC Metz.


2017 Season

Following the most successful season in program history, Izzo-Brown and the Mountaineers entered the 2017 campaign ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, WVU’s first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking.


The 2017 season also marked the first time in program history the Mountaineers beat the nation’s top team in Morgantown, as WVU defeated No. 1 Penn State, 2-1, on Sept. 2, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. With the victory, the Mountaineers improved to 2-2 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams. Midway through the season, the Mountaineers’ strength of schedule was rightfully ranked No. 1 nationally, as WVU faced at least one ranked opponent in each of the first six weeks of the campaign, a program first. WVU finished with multiple wins (2) against top-10 teams in back-to-back years for the first time in 22 years.


The Mountaineers ranked within the top 10 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll each week in 2017 and within the top 5 for four weeks. WVU ended the year ranked No. 10.


WVU finished at 16-4-3 and 7-1-1 in the Big 12 Conference. The Mountaineers earned a No. 2 regional seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the third round for the third consecutive season. WVU’s backline posted 13 shutouts and ranked No. 20 nationally with a 0.565 shutout percentage.


For the sixth consecutive year, a Mountaineer claimed the Big 12’s top defensive honor, as Amandine Pierre-Louis was named the co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, a conference-best eight players claimed All-Big 12 honors, including first-team recognitions for Pierre-Louis, St. Georges and forward Michaela Abam.


The 10th Mountaineer named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, Abam was named a semifinalist for the prestigious award, WVU’s ninth since 2003. Along with Pierre-Louis, she also was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team. Abam was the fifth Mountaineer in four years to be named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award before landing on the Senior CLASS Award All-America Second Team.


St. Georges led the way in the classroom, as she was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, as well as the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Second Team. Midfielder Alli Magaletta was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team, marking the third straight season the Mountaineers earned Academic All-America accolades.


Izzo-Brown’s 22nd season as the Mountaineers’ head coach concluded with another first, as Abam and Pierre-Louis were drafted No. 4 and No. 6 overall, respectively, by Sky Blue FC at the 2018 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft, marking the first time in program history two Mountaineers were drafted in the same year.


2015-16 Seasons – A Program Turns 20 and Reaches New Heights

Izzo-Brown led the Mountaineers to the NCAA College Cup for the first time in 2016. After defeating North Carolina, 1-0, in the semifinal, WVU fell, 3-1, to USC in the final to finish as the NCAA National Runner-Up. The tournament appearance was the team’s 17th straight and first as a regional No. 1 seed.


WVU’s run to the NCAA College Cup final included a 3-0-1 mark in tournament matches at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, including 1-0 wins over No. 5 Duke in the quarterfinal and Ohio State in a thrilling overtime match in the second round.


Simply put, the 2016 Mountaineer squad was special. In addition to reaching the national final, WVU swept the Big 12 Conference titles, winning its fifth straight regular-season crown and third postseason title. The Mountaineers reached as high as No. 1 in the national polls, a position they held for eight weeks, and set program records for wins (23) and shutouts (18).


Unbelievably, WVU did all this by utilizing 10 different starting lineups. Regardless of personnel, WVU claimed wins over four top-10 teams, its best single-season output. The Mountaineers finished with a 23-2-2 record and an 8-0 mark in the Big 12 Conference, the squad’s fourth undefeated season in five years. The team’s two defeats matched the program’s season low.


Led by senior center back Kadeisha Buchanan, the program’s first MAC Hermann Trophy winner, the Honda Sport Award winner for soccer and the espnW National Player of the Year, the Mountaineer defense shut out 18 opponents, tops in the NCAA, and allowed just 12 opponent goals, none to a Big 12 opponent, posting the conference’s first-ever shut-out season. WVU finished the season ranked No. 5 nationally in shutout percentage (.667) and No. 8 in goals-against average (.432).


The Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year for a record-setting fifth straight season, Izzo-Brown coached three NSCAA All-Americans, a program high. Buchanan, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, earned her third straight first-team award and fourth career honor, becoming the first Mountaineer to earn All-America status in each season at WVU. Senior midfielder Ashley Lawrence, a Hermann Trophy semifinalist for the second straight season, was named to the first team for the second straight season, while Abam, the co-Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, was named to the second team. Buchanan and Lawrence also were named to the Senior CLASS Award All-America First and Second Teams, respectively.


Senior defender Carly Black and St. Georges collected CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, with Black named to the second team and St. Georges landing on the third team. Additionally, six Mountaineers collected a conference-best seven All-Big 12 honors.


At season’s end, Buchanan and Lawrence inked professional contracts in France, with Buchanan signing with Olympique Lyonnais and Lawrence signing with Paris Saint-Germain.


Izzo-Brown made sure the Mountaineers’ 20th season in 2015 was a year to remember, as she led WVU back to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, the squad’s second appearance and first since 2007.


In addition to their run through the NCAA Tournament, the Mountaineers also captured their fourth straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title with a 6-0-1 mark.


The Mountaineers finished the season at 19-3-1. WVU was ranked in the top 10 of the NSCAA Poll the last 15 weeks of the season and peaked at No. 2, a position the squad held for two weeks. The Mountaineers finished the year ranked No. 7.


Led by Izzo-Brown, the WVU defense posted 15 shutouts, the third-best mark in the NCAA, and allowed just 11 goals and 44 corner kicks all year. WVU ended the season ranked No. 5 nationally in goals-against average (0.471) and shutout percentage (0.652). The 11 goals allowed were the fewest in program history. The Mountaineer offense also was spectacular, setting a program record with 61 goals.


Named the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, Izzo-Brown saw Buchanan become the program’s first-ever MAC Hermann Trophy finalist. The Best Young Player at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Buchanan and Lawrence, a Hermann Trophy semifinalist, were named to the NSCAA All-America First Team, marking the first time in program history two Mountaineers were selected as semifinalists for the Hermann Trophy and garnered All-America First Team honors.


Senior midfielder Amanda Hill pushed WVU’s All-America count to three, as she was named to the Senior CLASS All-America Second Team. Hill also was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, and classmate Kailey Utley landed on the NSCAA Scholar All-America Third Team.


Buchanan secured her third straight Big 12 Defender of the Year honor, and St. Georges was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Additionally, 10 of the 11 WVU starters earned a combined 11 All-Big 12 honors, a league-best mark and a program record.


2012-14 Seasons

In their first three seasons as members of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountaineers staked their claim as the team to beat, winning five conference titles, including three straight regular-season crowns, and six player of the year awards.


Izzo-Brown led the Mountaineers to two Big 12 Conference titles in 2014, as WVU successfully defended its regular-season and championship titles. The Mountaineers ended the season on a 19-match unbeaten streak, a program record, and went unbeaten in Big 12 play for the second time in three seasons.


WVU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 15th straight season and earned a 16-2-4 record. The squad finished the year ranked No. 15 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire College Rankings. The Mountaineer defense posted 12 shutouts, including five in Big 12 regular-season play, with four coming on the road. The four conference road shutouts marked the first time in program history WVU denied each conference opponent a goal in its home arena.


Izzo-Brown earned her third straight Big 12 Coach of the Year honor, while Buchanan scored her second consecutive Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honor and Abam was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. WVU collected a conference-best nine All-Big 12 honors.


For the second straight season, Izzo-Brown watched two student-athletes collect All-America honors, as Buchanan was named to the NSCAA/Continental Tire All-America First Team, becoming the program’s first sophomore to earn a first team award. Buchanan also was named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy. Additionally, senior forward Kate Schwindel was named to the Senior CLASS All-America Second Team, the program’s first Senior CLASS Award finalist.


Izzo-Brown capped the season with her second straight NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year award, her fifth career honor.


The Mountaineers secured seven straight victories in conference play in 2013 to earn their second straight Big 12 title with a 7-1 record. The team continued its stronghold on its conference opponents with three shut-out victories at the 2013 Big 12 Soccer Tournament en route to the Mountaineers’ first Big 12 Conference Championship title, also the first for any WVU team at a Big 12 Conference Championship.


With the win, WVU earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, its 14th consecutive appearance. The Mountaineers advanced to the second round for the ninth time in program history, the first time since 2010, and finished the year at 16-4-3 and ranked No. 12 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire College Rankings and No. 8 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Top 25 Rankings.


WVU swept the conference awards, as Frances Silva was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and Buchanan was the Big 12 Defender and Newcomer of the Year; the Mountaineers became the first team to win the offensive and defensive awards in the same season. Additionally, Izzo-Brown earned her second straight Big 12 Coach of the Year honor, and six student-athletes scored eight All-Big 12 awards.


The successful season ended with the trio scoring several major awards, including NSCAA/Continental Tire All-America Second Team honors for Silva and Buchanan and NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year accolades for Izzo-Brown. Additionally, Silva, a Hermann Trophy semifinalist, was named an NSCAA College Scholar All-American and the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year.


In its inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference in 2012, WVU won the regular-season championship with a 7-0-1 record. Seven student-athletes were named All-Big 12, including senior Bry McCarthy, who was chosen as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Izzo-Brown was named the conference coach of the year.


The 2012 Mountaineers scored an upset win over No. 1-ranked Stanford, 1-0, on Aug. 26 at the Penn State Invitational. The win snapped Stanford’s 64-match regular-season unbeaten streak.


West Virginia defeated visiting Texas Tech, 3-2, on Sept. 21 to give women’s soccer, and WVU athletics, its first victory as members of the Big 12 Conference.


To end their careers, McCarthy earned All-America honors and midfielder Bri Rodriguez was named a NSCAA College Scholar All-American.


2010-11 Seasons

The 2010-11 seasons marked the end of an era as the Mountaineers won back-to-back Big East Championships before departing for membership in the Big 12 Conference. It also marked the third conference title in a five-season span.


West Virginia finished the 2011 season with a 17-5-0 record, and a 10-1-0 mark in league play, to win its division for the fifth time. The 10 wins marked a school record, making WVU one of only four Big East schools to ever win 10 league contests in a season.

The Mountaineers finished the season ranked No. 9 by Soccer America and won 15 of their last 17 matches to close the season.


The 2010 season was a record-breaking one as the team won its second Big East Championship while advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. WVU had its then-school record 14-match win streak end in the NCAA Tournament against College Cup participant Boston College, giving the Mountaineers a final record of 18-5-1.


WVU’s 1-0 win over fifth-ranked Virginia matched the then-highest-ranked opponent defeated in school history, and the team’s 3-0 shutout against Georgetown marked the program’s 200th win.


West Virginia’s defense set the then-single-season record for shutouts at 14, while goalkeeper Kerri Butler also broke the school record for career shutouts, finishing with 44.


2005-09 Seasons

From 2005-09, the program reached new heights with consecutive NCAA appearances in every season and won its first Big East Championship. Izzo-Brown was named NSCAA/adidas and Soccer Buzz Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year in 2007 as WVU was ranked every week throughout the season and tied a then-school record for wins (18).


The 2007 squad advanced to the program’s first NCAA Elite Eight while establishing an attendance record with more than 3,000 fans for the NCAA Elite Eight contest against USC. Three players earned All-America status and six were named All-Big East. Forward Ashley Banks added to Izzo-Brown’s collection of major award winners as the 2007 Big East Offensive Player of the Year and a Hermann Trophy semifinalist.


WVU won Big East division titles in three straight seasons (2006-08) and at least one Mountaineer earned All-America honors from 2006-09. Carolyn Blank added the title of Big East Midfielder of the Year to her resume in 2008, a team that tied the then-school record for fewest losses in a season with just three defeats.


Twelve seasons ago, Izzo-Brown took her high-powered offense to the 2006 NCAA Tournament as WVU scored a then-school-record 55 goals in 21 games. Forward Deana Everrett had a breakout sophomore season to earn All-America Third Team honors from Soccer Buzz. The 2006 Mountaineers also displayed a stingy defense that shut out 13 opponents over the course of the season, including eight Big East foes.


2000-04 Seasons

Led by All-Americans Chrissie Abbott and Lisa Stoia, the 2003 Mountaineers made history, going 17-4-2 to give West Virginia its first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. The senior-led squad logged nine straight wins at one point during the season and had its first-ever Hermann Trophy nominee in Abbott, who graduated as WVU’s all-time leader in goals scored, points and shots, while Stoia established the school’s then-all-time assist record.


Izzo-Brown directed West Virginia to an 18-3-1 record, at the time the most wins in school history, and the program’s first Big East division title in 2002. The Mountaineers also received their third consecutive invitation to the NCAA Tournament after putting together an 18-match unbeaten streak. Abbott was the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and a first team All-American, while Stoia earned Big East Midfielder of the Year honors. Izzo-Brown was the Big East and regional coach of the year.


A youthful Mountaineer squad played to a fifth straight 15-win season in 2004 and saw Izzo-Brown’s fourth All-America develop as forward Laura Kane earned the nod from the NSCAA after an eight goal, nine assist senior season.


West Virginia was nationally ranked for the first time in 2000, a regional coach of the year season for Izzo-Brown’s first-ever NCAA Tournament team. Four team members landed spots on Big East all-conference teams, including Big East Offensive Player of the Year Katie Barnes and co-Big East Rookie of the Year Stoia. In that season, Barnes became WVU’s first All-American.


The Early Years

Izzo-Brown accepted perhaps her greatest challenge on Aug. 3, 1995, when then-WVU Director of Athletics Ed Pastilong named her the first head coach of West Virginia's women's soccer program.


In WVU’s inaugural season, Izzo-Brown led a young team to an amazing 10-7-2 record and a 4-4-1 Big East mark. WVU finished fifth in the conference, surprising Big East coaches, whose preseason prediction picked the fledgling Mountaineers to finish last. Soccer Buzz ranked West Virginia as the eighth-best “new program” in the nation. Additionally, Izzo-Brown's first season at WVU produced a Big East All-Rookie Team member in defender Stacey Sollmann. Only two years later, West Virginia made its first Big East Tournament with a team that won 11 matches in 1998. Stacey Adams was the program’s first Big East Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year winner, and Sollmann earned second team all-region accolades.


Izzo-Brown led the Mountaineers to an 11-6-2 record in 1997, and two years later, they finished 9-9-1. With trust, hard work and sacrifice, the foundation had been laid for a breakout season in 2000.


Academic Success

Graduation is a must for Izzo-Brown-coached players, who are asked to challenge themselves academically while at WVU. Her teams consistently hold one of the program’s highest GPAs on campus with their serious commitment to academics.


The women’s soccer team received public recognition in the spring of 2017 for the fourth time in nine years by the NCAA for its multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. The team posted a multi-year APR in the top-10 percent of all squads in each sport. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.


Izzo-Brown has coached 17 different players to 30 total academic and scholar All-American honors. Additionally, the United Soccer Coaches honors her squad year after year with the Team Academic Award for its work in the classroom.


Bianca St. Georges was named the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-America of the Year, giving WVU two honors in six seasons. She also was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team. Ten different WVU women’s soccer student-athletes have earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, including 15 honors since 2001.


Player Development

With tremendous experience and knowledge of the game, Izzo-Brown has built a reputation for getting the most out of her student-athletes. The veteran coach maximizes the performance of her players by providing opportunities to process information in multiple ways in order to find success for each individual.


Paving the way for the success of recent Mountaineers, Katie Barnes was the first women’s soccer player to be named an All-American and captured two straight Big East Offensive Player of the Year awards. In all, Izzo-Brown has guided 25 different players to earn 60 All-America honors, as well as 24 conference player of the year honors. Barnes was drafted with the first pick of the second round (ninth overall) of the 2002 Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) Draft by the Carolina Courage.


Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence signed professional contracts in France in early 2017, with Buchanan signing with Olympique Lyonnais before departing for Chelsea FC in 2022, while Lawrence continues to play for Paris Saint-Germain. One year later, Michaela Abam and Amandine Pierre-Louis were drafted No. 4 and No. 6 overall by Sky Blue FC at the 2018 NWSL College Draft, marking the first time in program history two Mountaineers were drafted in the same season. In total, 80 percent of the 2017 senior class and 44 percent of the 2018 senior class signed professional contracts. WVU's number of all-time professional players now sits at 34, a sign of Izzo-Brown's commitment to building professional- and world-class athletes.


During the 2012 offseason, Izzo-Brown served as an assistant at U.S. Women’s National Team training camps with the U.S. U-18, U-20 and U-23 squads. In the summer of 2011, she joined April Heinrichs, U.S. Soccer Technical Director, for a week of training with the U-20 team. She also spent time after the 2007 season as an assistant coach with the U-20 National Team under then-head coach Jill Ellis.


During her coaching tenure, more than 40 Mountaineers have participated in the national team scene, with Barnes being selected to the team that won the 2001 Nordic Cup. Former Mountaineer Vanessa Flores was a member of the Mexican Women’s National Team, and Buchanan and Lawrence competed for Canada at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups, where Buchanan was named the Best Young Player in 2015. The duo also helped Canada claim Bronze at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games and Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.


Prior To WVU

As a player, Izzo-Brown attained All-America status at Rochester, where she was a four-year starter from 1989-92. During that span, Izzo-Brown helped the Yellowjackets to a 58-10-9 record and four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. In 1991, as a junior, she led Rochester to a 16-4-2 mark and a spot in the NCAA championship game.


During her career at Rochester, Izzo-Brown also earned All-East, all-region and all-league honors, while meriting Dean's List recognition all four years. Following her senior campaign, she won the prestigious Merle Spurrier Award, which recognizes Rochester's top female athlete based on leadership, academics and athletics.


Izzo-Brown graduated from Rochester in the spring of 1993 with a degree in psychology. That fall, she was named assistant coach at West Virginia Wesleyan, where she continued her winning ways by helping the Bobcats to a 12-7 record. Izzo-Brown was elevated to head coach in 1994 and led Wesleyan to a 13-5 mark and a spot in the NAIA National Tournament.


While coaching at the Buckhannon, West Virginia, school, Izzo-Brown earned her Master of Business Administration degree in 1994.


In the fall of 2010, she was inducted into the University of Rochester Athletic Hall of Fame.


Personal

In addition to her duties at WVU, Izzo-Brown is certified as an advanced national level coach by the NSCAA, has her USSF “B” license and is a Region I senior staff Olympic Development member. She has served on several regional and national ranking committees for the NSCAA. She also is qualified internationally with Brazilian, KNVB and Czech Republic certification.


In May 2010, Izzo-Brown was named to the West Virginia Executive Sports Hall of Fame. Later that fall, she was inducted into the University of Rochester Athletic Hall of Fame for her outstanding achievement in the sport of soccer.


A decade ago, she was named a 2011 Frontier Field Walk of Fame inductee.


In March 2018, Izzo-Brown was inducted as a meritorious member into the West Virginia Soccer Association Hall of Fame.


She and her husband, Joe, have three daughters – Samantha, Gracie and Gabriella.

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Lisa Stoia

With nearly two decades of coaching experience to her name, Lisa Stoia begins her 17th season with the Mountaineer women’s soccer program at her alma mater. An integral cog in the emergence of the Mountaineers’ presence on the national stage, Stoia has helped guide WVU to multiple Big 12 and Big East titles, as well as 14 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2007-20 and the 2016 NCAA College Cup Final.


West Virginia brought home its 10th Big 12 Conference title in 2022, as Stoia and the Mountaineers became the Big 12 Tournament champions after a 1-0 win over TCU in Round Rock, Texas. The title marked WVU’s 18th conference crown, with Stoia playing a role in 17 of those 18 conference championships as either a player or a coach.


Stoia’s guidance on the pitch helped the Mountaineers receive conference, regional and national recognition for its efforts in 2022. Five Mountaineers earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Teams. Kayza Massey and Jordan Brewster led the way on the All-Big 12 First Team, while Gabrielle Robinson, AJ Rodriguez and Dilary Heredia-Beltran were named to the Second Team. Massey also was tabbed the Big 12’s Co-Goalkeeper of the Year.


Brewster, Massey and Rodriguez also received All-Midwest Region honors by the United Soccer Coaches, as Brewster went on to earn her third consecutive All-America honor from the organization.


In keeping with a tradition to build and mold Mountaineers into professional and world-class athletes, Robinson and Brewster signed professional contracts at season’s end to join Stoia on WVU’s all-time list of pro players.


Academically, six Mountaineers were named Academic All-District selections by the College Sports Communicators, headlined by Brewster who went on to be named a CSC Academic All-American. West Virginia placed 13 student-athletes on the Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team, and Brewster also was named the Big 12 Conference Women's Soccer Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year.


The 2021 campaign saw WVU rank as high as No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll and finish 10-5-5 overall to extend its streak of at least 10 wins or more to 22 straight seasons. The Mountaineer defense recorded 11 shutouts on the year, the most since 2018.


Star defender Jordan Brewster earned her second career All-America selection by United Soccer Coaches, becoming the 14th player in program history to earn a pair of All-America accolades in her career. Additionally, Brewster was named a candidate for the 2021 Women’s Soccer Senior CLASS Award, WVU’s first honoree since 2018.


Under Stoia’s guidance, four Mountaineers earned a spot on the 2021 All-Big 12 Teams, including Brewster on the first team, Nicole Payne and Kayza Massey on the second team and Dilary Heredia-Beltran on the all-freshman team.


In 2020-21, Stoia helped the Mountaineer women’s soccer team find success in one of the most unusual seasons in the team’s history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team played a two-part season, split between the fall and spring, and used an undefeated spring slate to earn its 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. The Mountaineers grabbed the No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after finishing the year 10-3-1 and beating a top-10 foe for the 15th time in the last 16 seasons.


West Virginia ranked as high as No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches poll in 2020-21. Jordan Brewster was named the 2020 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, as she became the fifth Mountaineer to collect the award in the last six seasons. Brewster, Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel and Alina Stahl were selected to the All-Big 12 First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Team. Brewster went on to be honored as a United Soccer Coaches All-American and was featured on the Missouri Athletic Conference (MAC) Hermann Trophy Award Watch List.


Under Stoia’s tutelage, West Virginia advanced to the NCAA Tournament Third Round for the fourth time in five years in 2019. The squad finished 12-8-2 on the year, including 5-3-1 inside the Big 12. The Mountaineers once again faced one of the toughest schedules in the country, taking on 10 teams that reached the NCAA Tournament.


Ranked as high as No. 11 in the national polls, Jordan Brewster and Rylee Foster earned All-Big 12 Second Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Second Team honors, while a pair of freshmen – Enzi Broussard and Nicole Payne – were placed on the All-Big 12-Freshman Team.


In 2018, Stoia aided the Mountaineers climb back to champion status, as WVU claimed the Big 12 Soccer Championship title in November with a 3-0 showing at the league tournament, capped by a 3-0 victory over No. 9 Baylor in the title match. The title was the team’s 17th conference championship and ninth in Big 12 play.


WVU finished the season with a 15-4-4 mark and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Nationally ranked seven weeks throughout the season, the Mountaineers peaked at No. 8 and finished the year at No. 14. The Mountaineer offense produced 46 goals and 35 assists in 2018, with midfielder Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel finishing second on the team with 14 points and third on the team with six goals. Midfielder Nadya Gill paced WVU with seven assists.


For the second consecutive season, a conference-best eight Mountaineers grabbed All-Big 12 honors, including a first-team accolade for forward Sh'Nia Gordon and second-team recognition for midfielder Grace Cutler. Midfielder Addison Clark was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Gordon also was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First Team.


Following the 2018 campaign, four Mountaineers made waves in the professional leagues, with Gordon (FC Metz) and defender Easther Mayi Kith (Montpellier) signing professional contracts and defender Bianca St. Georges (Chicago Red Stars) and Cutler (Houston Dash) being drafted in the 2019 NWSL College Draft.


Stoia gained national coaching experience in May 2018, as she assisted with the United States’ U-19 Women’s National Team Training Camp, working with the midfielders while also aiding with the planning of camp sessions and game schematics and holding daily video sessions.


In addition to her on-field coaching assistance, Stoia also heads up the team’s travel throughout the season, as well as the team’s gear and its Nike Elite allotment. She also manages the Mountaineers’ on-campus visitations, recruiting and scouting efforts.


In 2017, Stoia, who was elevated to senior associate head coach prior to the season, helped the Mountaineer attack generate 40 goals and 38 assists en route to a 16-4-3 record and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Third Round, the team’s third consecutive trip. Ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, the program’s first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking, the Mountaineers sat within the top 10 of the poll each week in 2017 and within the top five for four weeks. WVU concluded the season ranked No. 10.


A conference-best eight Mountaineers claimed All-Big 12 honors in 2017, including a first-team accolade for forward Michaela Abam, second-team recognition for midfielder Carla Portillo and an All-Freshman Team honor for forward Lauren Segalla. Abam, a 2017 MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, concluded her career with three All-America honors, including second team recognitions from United Soccer Coaches and the Senior CLASS Award. She ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference in goals (10), No. 2 in points (23) and No. 3 in game-winning goals (4). Additionally, Portillo, who was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Second Team, ranked No. 3 in the conference in assists (7).


Following the 2017 campaign, Abam and defender Amandine Pierre-Louis were drafted No. 4 and No. 6 overall by Sky Blue FC at the 2018 NWSL College Draft.


A program goal that began even before she put on a Mountaineer uniform, Stoia helped WVU advance to its first-ever NCAA College Cup in 2016, where the team finished a program-best No. 2 nationally. Her 10th season as an assistant to coach Nikki Izzo-Brown, the Mountaineers also swept the Big 12 regular-season and championship titles for third time in four years. Additionally, WVU was nationally ranked each week and spent eight weeks at No. 1, the program’s first-ever No. 1 ranking. The Mountaineers finished with a program-record 23 wins, as well as a nation-best and team-record 18 shutouts.


A program-high three Mountaineers collected five All-America honors, including a second consecutive NSCAA First Team honor for midfielder Ashley Lawrence, who also earned a Senior CLASS Award Second Team accolade. Additionally, Abam was named the co-Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, and six Mountaineers earned seven All-Big 12 honors, including first-team recognitions for Lawrence, her fourth straight, and Portillo.


Lawrence, a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy for the second consecutive year, finished the year No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference, No. 19 nationally, with a team-high 10 assists, the third-best total for a WVU senior and the fourth-highest season total in Mountaineer history. She dished out 29 assists throughout her four-year career, the third-best total in school history, and signed a professional contract with Paris Saint-Germain.


Portillo finished second on the team, fourth in the conference, with seven helpers.


Stoia also was integral in the mentoring of four-time NSCAA All-American Kadeisha Buchanan. The defender collected a slew of awards in 2016, including the MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy. She also was named the 2016 espnW and TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Year, won the Honda Cup Award for women’s soccer and was named to the Senior CLASS All-America First Team. She signed a professional contract with Olympique Lyonnais.


At season’s end, Stoia, alongside Izzo-Brown and associate head coach Marisa Kanela, earned the NSCAA Central Regional Staff of the Year award, her fourth career accolade since 2010.


Stoia helped the Mountaineers return to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals in 2015, their first appearance since 2007. Additionally, WVU collected its fourth straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title and spent 15 weeks ranked in the nation’s top 10, peaking at No. 2 in the NSCAA Poll, a position it held for two weeks. The Mountaineers finished the season ranked a then-program-best No. 7.


WVU set a program record for goals (61) and also tallied 19 wins and 15 shutouts. Stoia helped 10 Mountaineers collect a program-best 11 All-Big 12 honors, including recognitions for midfielders Lawrence (first team), Portillo (second team) and Amanda Hill (second team). Lawrence, a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, also earned NSCAA All-America First Team honors, and Hill was named to the Senior CLASS All-America Second Team.


Lawrence pushed the Mountaineers’ attack throughout 2015 and tallied a team-best eight assists, ranking No. 2 in the Big 12 with a 0.36 per-game average.


Stoia capped the season with her second straight NSCAA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year honor.


Five seasons ago, the Mountaineers captured the 2014 Big 12 Conference regular-season and championship titles and ended the year on a program record 19-match unbeaten streak. Lawrence ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 with seven assists and earned NSCAA All-Central Region First Team honors. She also was named to the All-Big 12 First Team. In total, three Mountaineer midfielders earned All-Big 12 recognitions, and the team tallied a Big 12-best nine all-conference honors.


For her efforts all season, Stoia was named the NSCAA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year.


In 2013, Stoia helped the Mountaineers to their fifth conference title in four consecutive seasons, as the squad successfully defended its Big 12 Conference regular-season title and won its first Big 12 Soccer Championship title. Additionally, she aided forward Frances Silva in winning the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors and saw WVU secure eight All-Big 12 awards. Silva ended the season tops in the Big 12 in goals (15), assists (13) and points (43).


Stoia helped WVU win the school’s first Big 12 championship with an unbeaten 2012 regular season. She guided midfielder Bri Rodriguez to All-Big 12 First Team honors, as well as NSCAA College Scholar All-America recognition.


In 2011, Stoia helped the Mountaineers post a 17-5-0 record. She mentored forward Kate Schwindel to a 19-point freshman season and the Big East Rookie of the Year award. Additionally, five Mountaineers were named All-Big East in the team’s final season in the conference.


Stoia, a former conference player of the year, has developed WVU’s midfield and front line, as Carolyn Blank twice earned All-America honors (2008-09). Blank also became the first Mountaineer since Stoia to be named Big East Midfielder of the Year.


With Rodriguez’s All-Big East First Team selection in 2010, it gave WVU a midfielder on the league’s first team five straight seasons. Stoia’s efforts were recognized as she was named NSCAA/Mondo North Atlantic Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.


Ten years ago, Stoia played in the 2009 Women’s Professional Soccer league after being drafted with the 48th overall pick by the Saint Louis Athletica. In the WPS’ inaugural season, Stoia helped the Athletica to a second-place finish and WPS Super Semifinal playoff appearance.


In 2007, WVU advanced deep into postseason play, making a trip to the school’s first NCAA Elite Eight. She also helped midfielder Amanda Cicchini earn All-America honors.


Stoia spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as an assistant coach at Jacksonville, where she helped guide the Dolphins to a 2006 NCAA Tournament berth. The Dolphins posted their first double-digit win total since 2002 and earned their second Atlantic Sun Championship in school history.


She was active in securing the Atlantic Sun’s top recruiting class according to Soccer Buzz magazine, which rated Jacksonville’s 2007 class as best in the conference.


JU players benefited from Stoia’s two seasons of leadership as four Dolphins picked up all-conference recognition, and forward Keri Zwikker earned 2005 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year honors.


In the summer, Stoia competed for two seasons as a midfielder with the Boston Renegades in the Women's United Soccer League. In 2006, she led the team and ranked second in the league with 11 assists. She also ranked fifth in the league with 29 points and finished with nine goals on the season.


Prior to JU, Stoia served as a student assistant coach at WVU in 2004. That season, she helped the program to its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, including a first-round win over SMU.


A four-year letterwinner at West Virginia from 2000-03, Stoia set Mountaineer career records for assists (33) and matches played and started (87). As a senior, she set a program record with 12 assists and was second on the squad with seven goals and 26 points en route to Big East Midfielder of the Year along with NSCAA and Soccer Buzz All-America accolades.


Stoia earned NSCAA and Soccer Buzz Second Team All-America honors, Big East Midfielder of the Year and All-Big East First Team recognition as a junior after finishing with eight goals, 10 assists and 26 points. As a sophomore, she earned Soccer Buzz Honorable Mention All-America, Soccer Buzz First Team All-Region, NSCAA/adidas Second Team All-Region and All-Big East First Team accolades after tallying four goals and five assists. Stoia also earned NSCAA/adidas Third Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region and Big East co-Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman.


Stoia also was a member of the U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team Pool in 2003. A year later, she was named a 2004 National Strength and Conditioning All-American.


In June 2019, Stoia was named to the 29th class of honorees in the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame. She was inducted in September 2019, becoming just the third women’s soccer player to be selected.


In September 2007, she was inducted into William Floyd High’s inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame.


A native of Shirley, New York, Stoia earned her bachelor's degree in sport management from West Virginia in 2005 and her Master of Business Administration from Jacksonville in 2007.

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Marisa Kanela

Marisa Kanela enters her 14th season with the Mountaineer women’s soccer team and her fifth campaign as WVU’s associate head coach.


A former All-Big East midfielder, Kanela has translated her experience on the field to success with the Mountaineers with conference titles in nine of the 13 seasons she has spent on the coaching staff, including five consecutive Big 12 Conference regular-season crowns (2012-16). WVU also qualified for the NCAA Tournament for 11 straight seasons from 2010-20 under Kanela’s guidance. In the last six seasons, the squad has advanced to the NCAA College Cup Final (2016), the NCAA Quarterfinals (2015), the NCAA Third Round (2017, 2019) and the NCAA Second Round (2018, 2020, 2022).


Kanela was part of another conference title in 2022, as the Mountaineers became the Big 12 Tournament champions after a 1-0 win over TCU in Round Rock, Texas. The title marked WVU’s 10th Big 12 title and 18th conference championship overall, with Kanela playing a role in 10 of those conference crowns as either a player or a coach.


West Virginia received numerous conference, regional and national awards for its efforts in 2022, in large part due to Kanela’s expertise on and off the field. Five Mountaineers earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Teams. Kayza Massey and Jordan Brewster led the way on the All-Big 12 First Team, while Gabrielle Robinson, AJ Rodriguez and Dilary Heredia-Beltran were named to the Second Team. Massey also was tabbed the Big 12’s Co-Goalkeeper of the Year.


Brewster, Massey and Rodriguez also received All-Midwest Region honors by the United Soccer Coaches, as Brewster went on to earn her third consecutive All-America honor from the organization. In keeping with a tradition to build and mold Mountaineers into professional and world-class athletes, Robinson and Brewster signed professional contracts at season’s end.


Academically, six Mountaineers were named Academic All-District selections by the College Sports Communicators, headlined by Brewster who went on to be named a CSC Academic All-American. West Virginia placed 13 student-athletes on the Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team, and Brewster also was named the Big 12 Conference Women's Soccer Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year.


In 2021, Kanela helped West Virginia rank as high as No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll and finish with a 10-5-5 mark overall to extend its streak of at least 10 wins or more to 22 straight seasons. The Mountaineer defense recorded 11 shutouts on the year, including a pair of clean sheets in the Big 12 Championship. WVU’s nine shutouts in the regular season marked the most since 2017 (11), while the squad’s 11 total clean sheets were the most since 2018 (12).


Star defender Jordan Brewster earned her second career All-America selection by United Soccer Coaches to become the 14th player in program history to earn a pair of All-America accolades in her career. Four Mountaineers earned a spot on the 2021 All-Big 12 Teams, including Brewster on the first team, Nicole Payne and Kayza Massey on the second team and Dilary Heredia-Beltran on the all-freshman team.


Overcoming adversity in one of the most unusual seasons in the team’s history due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mountaineers battled to a 10-3-1 overall record in 2020-21. The team’s schedule was split between the fall and spring, with conference play taking place in the fall and nonconference contests pushed to the spring. Following an undefeated spring that featured wins over top-10 opponents in No. 5 Duke and No. 10 Virginia, WVU qualified for its 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.


Kanela and the Mountaineers ranked as high as No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, and the squad extended its win streak over top-10 foes to 15 of the last 16 seasons. West Virginia also has now won at least 10 games for 21-straight seasons. Jordan Brewster was named the 2020 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, as she became the fifth Mountaineer to collect the award in the last six seasons. Brewster, Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel and Alina Stahl were selected to the All-Big 12 First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Team, while Brewster went on to be honored as a United Soccer Coaches All-American.


Despite playing one of the nation’s toughest schedules, WVU finished 12-8-2 in 2019. The squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament Third Round, thanks to a 2-0 win at No. 25 Georgetown in the first round and a 106th-minute goal to top Central Connecticut State, 1-0, in the second round. In all, 10 Mountaineer opponents reached the NCAA Tournament. West Virginia eventually bowed out in the third round with a loss to Washington State.


Ranked as high as No. 11 in the national polls, Jordan Brewster and Rylee Foster earned All-Big 12 Second Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Second Team honors, while a pair of freshmen – Enzi Broussard and Nicole Payne – were placed on the All-Big 12-Freshman Team.


Kanela and WVU returned to champion status in 2018, as the Mountaineers claimed the Big 12 Soccer Championship title in November with a 3-0 run through the league tournament, including a 3-0 title-clinching victory over No. 9 Baylor. The championship was the team’s 17th conference title and ninth in Big 12 play.


WVU finished the season with a 15-4-4 mark and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Nationally ranked seven weeks throughout the season, the Mountaineers peaked at No. 8 and finished the year at No. 14.


The Mountaineer offense produced 46 goals and 35 assists in 2018, with forward Sh’Nia Gordon finishing first on the team with 20 points, including a team-high nine goals and four game-winning scores. Forwards Lauren Segalla and Hannah Abraham finished second and third, respectively, with 14 points (5 G, 4 A) and 12 points (4 G, 4 A).


For the second consecutive season, a conference-best eight Mountaineers grabbed All-Big 12 honors, including a first-team accolade for Gordon and second-team recognition for midfielder Grace Cutler. Midfielder Addison Clark was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Gordon also was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First Team.


Following the 2018 campaign, four Mountaineers made waves in the professional leagues, with Gordon (FC Metz) and defender Easther Mayi Kith (Montpellier) signing professional contracts and defender Bianca St. Georges (Chicago Red Stars) and Cutler (Houston Dash) being drafted in the 2019 NWSL College Draft.


In addition to her on-field assistance, Kanela also oversees the academic, audio/video, scouting, compliance, camps and clinics and community service efforts of the team.


A program-record 13 Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Soccer Team in 2018, with all but one of the honorees landing on the Academic All-Big 12 First Team, also a program-best mark. Additionally, Bianca St. Georges was named the Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year for Division I women’s soccer, the second Mountaineer in six seasons to earn the nation’s top academic award. St. Georges also was named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America First Team, while Mayi Kith was named to the third team. WVU has had at least one Academic All-America in each of the last six seasons.


Kanela also steers the program’s vision to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research. WVU women’s soccer has raised more than $140,000 over the last 14 years for the Betty Puskar Breast Cancer Fund.


In 2017, the Mountaineer attack tallied 40 goals and 38 assists en route to a 16-4-3 record and the program’s third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament Third Round. WVU opened the year ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, the program’s first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking, and did not rank lower than No. 10 all year. The Mountaineers spent four weeks within the top five of the poll and ended the season at No. 10.


Forward Michaela Abam paced the Mountaineer attack with 10 goals and 23 points and ended the season ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference, respectively. Abam also ranked No. 3 in game-winning goals (4). Additionally, Gordon ranked No. 3 in the Big 12 in assists (7) and No. 10 in points (15).


A Big 12 Conference First Team honoree and a 2017 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy semifinalist, Abam pushed her career All-America count to three with a pair of second-team honors from the United Soccer Coaches and the Senior CLASS Award. The Mountaineers earned a conference-best eight All-Big 12 honors, including All-Big 12 Freshman Team recognition for Segalla.


Following the 2017 campaign, Abam and defender Amandine Pierre-Louis were drafted No. 4 and No. 6 overall by Sky Blue FC at the 2018 NWSL College Draft.


In 2016, Kanela helped guide the Mountaineers to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament, as her alma mater strung together a program-record 23 wins in its best season to date. The squad swept the Big 12 Conference regular-season and championship titles for the third time in four years and also spent each week nationally ranked, including eight weeks at No. 1, the program’s first-ever No. 1 ranking. Additionally, the Mountaineers posted a nation- and program-best 18 shutouts.


Abam was one of three Mountaineers to collect a combined five All-America honors, as she was named to the NSCAA All-America Second Team. The team’s leading scorer for the third consecutive season with a career-high 33 points (12 G, 9 A), she also was named the co-Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, the second Mountaineer in four seasons to claim the honor. Abam ranked No. 1 in the conference in points, goals and game-winners (5), and No. 2 in assists; she ranked No. 24 nationally in points, No. 25 in game-winning goals, No. 32 in goals and No. 34 in assists.


Including Abam’s first-team award, six Mountaineers earned a combined seven All-Big 12 accolades.


Kanela also was integral in the mentoring of four-time NSCAA All-American Kadeisha Buchanan. The defender collected a slew of awards in 2016, including the MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy. She also was named the 2016 espnW and TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Year, won the Honda Cup Award for women’s soccer and was named to the Senior CLASS All-America First Team. She signed a professional contract with Olympique Lyonnais.


At season’s end, Kanela, alongside head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown and senior associate head coach Lisa Stoia, earned the NSCAA Central Regional Staff of the Year award.


Kanela helped the Mountaineers return to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in 2015. Along the way, WVU secured its fourth consecutive Big 12 Conference regular-season title, collected 19 victories, scored a season-record 61 goals and posted 15 shutouts. The Mountaineers finished the year nationally ranked No. 7 in the NSCAA Poll. Including its final ranking, WVU was ranked within the top 10 the final 15 weeks of the season and peaked at No. 2, a ranking it held for two weeks.


A pair of forwards helped the Mountaineers set the goals record, as Kailey Utley and Abam paced the squad with a career-best 12 goals each, the 10th-best single-season total in program history. The duo was the second pair in program history to score 12 or more goals in one season. Utley finished the year with a team-best 30 points (12 G, 6 A). She also ranked No.1 in the Big 12, No. 4 nationally, in game-winners (7), No. 2 in goals (12) and No. 4 in assists (6).


Utley and Abam landed on the 2015 All-Big 12 First Team, and Gordon was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. In total, WVU earned a conference-best 11 All-Big 12 honors.


WVU pushed its Big 12 title count to five in 2014 and ended the year on a program-record 19-match unbeaten streak. The Mountaineers won the Big 12’s regular season and championship titles and again advanced to the NCAA Tournament.


Under Kanela’s tutelage, Abam was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. She paced the team with 16 points and eight goals, the second-best goal total for a Mountaineer freshman, and finished the season ranked No. 4 in the conference in goals and No. 6 in points. Abam was one of nine Mountaineers to earn an All-Big 12 honor.


Kanela helped guide Frances Silva to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2013; in total, WVU secured eight All-Big 12 awards. Additionally, she oversaw a Mountaineer frontline that tallied a Big 12-best 141 points on 47 goals.


WVU went unbeaten in Big 12 play (7-0-1) in 2012, marking only the sixth time a Big 12 team has won the regular season without a loss. West Virginia’s seven All-Big 12 selections were the most of any conference program, including Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Bry McCarthy.


Kanela helped WVU win back-to-back Big East Championships in its final two seasons in the league. The Mountaineers earned 11 all-conference honors in 2010 and 2011, including 2011 Big East Rookie of the Year Kate Schwindel.


Kanela spent three seasons (2007-09) as a volunteer coach with the Mountaineers, assisting Izzo-Brown and her staff in a variety of roles on and off the field. She witnessed the program’s first Big East Championship title and Elite Eight appearance in 2007 while assisting with administrative tasks, team travel, on-campus visits, game day management, academic tutoring, practice sessions and other duties.


Since 2005, Kanela has been active in the state’s youth soccer programs, coaching U-10 through U-18 MUSC (Mountaineer United Soccer Club) teams. She also worked as the state’s Region 1 coach for the West Virginia Olympic Development Program for four years.


Kanela spent one season with the West Virginia Illusion, a former member of the W-League, as an assistant coach. She also spent time as a player/coach with the Illusion during its inaugural season and worked out at the 2008 Women’s Professional Soccer Combine in Tampa.


She served as a youth soccer coach and personal trainer at Pro Performance Rx in Morgantown from 2006-08. At Pro, Kanela ran private soccer lessons, conducted clinics for players ages 4-12 and instituted a summer soccer camp program.


Kanela holds Level I & II regional and state goalkeeping licenses and National Youth Soccer Association coaching licenses. A member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) since 2007, she has her USSF “C” license.


A four-year letterwinner from 2002-05, Kanela participated in four NCAA Tournaments at WVU while being named an NSCAA Scholar All-American, Big East Academic All-Star, Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll honoree and the Big East Institutional Female Scholar-Athlete.


Upon graduation, she ranked in the school’s top 10 for career goals, assists and points and led the 2004 and 2005 teams in scoring. A two-time NSCAA all-region selection, Kanela earned All-Big East First Team honors in 2005, second team honors in 2004 and was an all-rookie team pick in 2002. The former New York State Gatorade Player of the Year was team captain of the 2005 WVU soccer team.


A native of Wantagh, New York, Kanela earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education/health education from WVU in 2007 and a master’s degree in physical education/teacher education in 2009.

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I have had a profile on SINC Soccer for 4 years, and it helped me to organize my information so that I was ready when the recruiting process started. I had selected some schools using your site when I was 13 and that helped to start the conversation with those schools and find out about their ID camps, and when UNC made an offer I was prepared.
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