Izzi Wood arrived in Boone during a hectic 2020 season. The COVID-19 pandemic and a visit from No. 12 Pitt to start the season derailed the beginning of the college soccer career that she dreamed of. Her next season at App State would prove to be even more difficult.
Wood, a graduate student forward, started playing soccer in her hometown of Hickory when she was 5 years old. She was obsessed with the sport from the second she stepped on the pitch.
“I always played for multiple teams, whether they were older or boys,” Wood said. “Anytime I could get on the field, I would play.”
Wood quickly wanted to improve her game and was willing to do anything if it meant a step in the right direction. In middle school, she started playing club soccer for Charlotte Soccer Academy. This meant a 3.5 hour round trip for practices through high school, but she was up to the task.
“I loved it, I wouldn’t change anything,” Wood said. “It’s how I got to play college soccer.”
The decision paid off quickly and Wood was hearing from colleges by eighth grade. Multiple North Carolina schools reached out to her, but she already had a connection with one school in the state.
Growing up in proximity to Boone, she experienced the passion of App State fans by going to football games with her family. They also went on many hikes in the High Country’s beautifully diverse forests. The decision was easy for Wood, and she verbally committed to App State in ninth grade.
Without the pressure of a college decision, she had a stellar high school career under coach Brian Jillings, who still comes to games in Boone to support Wood.
Her success all four years resulted in her being named to numerous regional and All-State teams. She was the top scorer in the North Carolina 3A division her senior year with 53 goals and 14 assists, making her the conference player of the year and putting her in the top 10 in the country.
She also won two state titles with Charlotte Soccer Academy and the Charlotte Golden Boot Award.
After high school, she was beaming with confidence and prepared to report to App State in June 2020. However, the pandemic derailed all college athletics. Wood and the rest of the team were not able to report to camp until August, only one month away from the beginning of the season. The whole team dealt with plenty of restrictions.
“It was hard,” Wood said. “We were getting COVID tested every practice and game. We couldn’t even travel in the same car as our teammates.”
The Mountaineers’ first two games of the year added to the rough welcome. They faced the Pittsburgh Panthers, a powerhouse at the time, and lost the games 4-0 and 7-1. Wood saw plenty of playing time during both games, but it was a change of pace from what she was used to.
Wood eventually found her footing and played the most minutes on the team during her freshman year. She finished the season tied for most goals on the team and second for most points. It still was a rough year for the Mountaineers as they finished 6-11-1, and Wood was hoping for a better 2021.
“I got through it and I got an extra year of eligibility,” she said.
Wood had an even tougher 2021. She did not play a single game her sophomore season as she tore her ACL before the season started. It required two surgeries, an ACL reconstruction and a cleanup, as well as extensive rehab.
“It was hard because it’s very mentally and physically draining,” Wood said. “You have one really good day of progress and the next you’re sore and back to square one.”
A great support system is what got her through such a difficult rehabilitation process. She credited all her therapists, her surgeon and her teammates.
Unable to play, she was forced to take on a new role within the team; just as they supported her, she supported them. She became a vocal leader on the team in only her second year, something that has only strengthened her abilities on the pitch.
Wood came back stronger than ever and finished first on the team in goals and points in 2022 with six goals and 12 points. She also made 18 starts in 19 matches, showcasing how hard she worked to get back to that point.
In 2023, Wood put her best season together. She started all 18 matches, scoring seven goals and 18 points. She also led the Sun Belt with 79 shots and 34 on target. This put her at 4.39 shots per game, good enough to break into the top 10 in the country. It also meant she reached 15 career goals, the ninth most in the program’s history.
At the end of the 2023 season, she was named to the Sun Belt All-Conference second team, the first time a Mountaineer has been recognized with that honor since 2018. The team’s winning percentage has increased every year that she’s been in Boone.
“I credit my teammates,” she said. “They set me up and make me look good. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. The coaches put us in a game plan that’s going to help the team succeed. I’ve just been lucky enough to be on the end of it, but there’s so much work that people don’t get credit for.”
Wood’s legacy is undoubtedly cemented, but she has two more things she wants to take care of.
“I want to win a Sun Belt Championship,” Wood said.
The Mountaineers have never claimed the Sun Belt Conference Championship, but with a player as dynamic as Wood, it is an attainable goal.
The last thing she wants to do is complete her original goal from when she came to App State.
“I want to leave App State better than I found it,” Wood said.
