Morgantown, WV -- After three years as a starter for the West Virginia University women’s soccer team, senior Ashley Banks hopes to finish her last year of eligibility with a Big East Championship and possibly even a National Championship.

 

Following a successful high school and club career, Banks left her hometown of Annandale, Virginia to join the thriving Mountaineer soccer team.

 

Banks brought versatility to WVU with the ability to play both up front and in the back and was a huge part of the team.

 

However, last season Banks suffered from a MCL sprain in a game against Notre Dame that would cause her to sit out for several games while she recovered.

 

"It happened when I went in for a hard tackle, and we just hit the ball at the same time, but my leg went back and I felt my knee pull," Banks said. "As soon as it happened, I knew something didn’t feel right and that something was wrong."

 

Due to the injury, Banks had to sit out for the next couple of games to rehabilitate her knee, which she did in time for the team’s quarterfinal game against Louisville in last year’s Big East Tournament. With the game coming down to a shootout, Banks scored a clutch goal and the team advanced to the semi-finals.

"It took a couple of weeks to get back into full game mode, but I did everything I could to get back as soon as I could," Banks said. "It was difficult coming back because it didn’t feel 100 percent stable."

 

West Virginia had a successful finish to the 2006 season by winning the Big East American Division and had its seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.

 

Not only did Banks receive numerous soccer awards, including being recognized as a top scorer in the conference, but Banks also had success in the classroom.

 

Banks was named to the 2006 NSCAA/Adidas college women scholar all-region team, her 3.53 GPA in forensics allowed her to be named to the first team.

Banks used her summer to prepare for the 2007 season where she was able to play with the Northern Virginia Magestics, which makes up the United Soccer League.

 

The USL W-League is a high level league that allows collegiate level and other skilled players the opportunity to play at a high level during off-season.

 

According to the Magestics website, Banks was recently named to the 11-member Eastern All-Conference team for her play this season. The selection is voted on by the league’s coaches in choosing the top 33 players. This was Banks’ fourth year playing for the Magestics.

 

"It gave me a great opportunity to play against some of the really great college players in my area," Banks said. "It gave me the chance to get some touches on the ball while staying in shape for the season, and it was a really great experience."

 

Banks is not just a talented player; she is also a strong leader which has made her one of three captains on the Mountaineer’s team. The Mountaineer’s have started their season with a 3-1 record.

 

"Now that we are four games into the season, we definitely learned more about each other as a team. We have grown together and came in and worked really hard," Banks said. "We had a big win Sunday against Penn State where we played really well, but obviously there are still things we need to work on."

 

Banks has set goals for herself and the team, and one of those goals is to win the Big East and get a bid to the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season.

"We just need to keep working hard and keep our mind set on winning each game," Banks said. "We just want to win a Big East Championship."