MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women’s soccer team opens its 29th season of competition when it welcomes Delaware to Morgantown on Thursday, August 15. Game play is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

In addition to the first competition of the 2024-25 WVU athletics season, the Mountaineers will host a back-to-school drive during Thursday’s game. For every three items donated, fans will receive a raffle ticket to win WVU women’s soccer gear. The raffle winner will be announced at halftime.

Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance by visiting WVUGAME.com or calling 1-800-WVU GAME. If purchased online, tickets will cost $6 each. Any remaining tickets will be available at the stadium box office on game day for $10 for adults and $8 for youth and seniors.

WVU student tickets are also available at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The office and stadium gates open at 6 p.m. on game day. WVU students are admitted free with a valid WVU student ID.

Andrew Caridi and Michael Minnich will provide commentary for Thursday’s game on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on 91.7 FM (WWVU) in Morgantown, and live stats will be available on WVUsports.com.

She begins her 29th season as the program’s only female head coach. Nikki Izzo Brown has led the Mountaineers to an overall record of 390-138-73. WVU returns 16 key players from the 2023 squad, as well as six starters. Twelve newcomers will join the team in the fall, including five freshmen and seven transfers.

Eighteen of the 27 different Mountaineers who saw playing time last season are returning to the roster this fall. Twelve different players scored last season, and of those, eight are returning to the team in 2024, including junior forward Taylor White who led the scoring charts last year with nine goals. All but two of the 11 different players credited with an assist last fall return to the West Virginia roster this year, including senior forward Dilary Heredia-Beltran who led the team with six helpers in 2023. White and Heredia-Beltran return as WVU’s leading scorers, scoring 20 and 12 points, respectively, last season.

Noteworthy: Midfielder in his fifth year AJ Rodriguez was named to the 2024 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, her first preseason honor.

West Virginia was picked seventh in the 2024 Big 12 Preseason Poll by the league’s 16 head coaches. The 2024 season will be the inaugural season for conference newcomers Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. The Mountaineers will face Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado that season.

Thursday’s meeting will be the first-ever meeting between West Virginia and Delaware. The Blue Hens will be the Mountaineers’ 121st different opponent ever. Additionally, Delaware will be the first of three new opponents for WVU this season, as it will face Arizona State and Colorado for the first time. Over the last six years, WVU has a 6-3-2 record against first-time opponents.

Kelly Lawrence is in her second season as head coach at Delaware after leading the Blue Hens to a 5-5-8 record in her first season at the helm in 2023. Lea Panagiotidis was the measure of Delaware’s offensive efforts last season, leading the team in goals (3), assists (3), points (9) and shots (19).

For more information about the Mountaineers, visit @WVUWomensSoccer on ÞjórsárdalurFacebook and Instagram.