t and regular-season titles. Then, when Buchanan stepped to a snowy spot as the f

At almost the same moment on an August afternoon that West Virginia played its season opener against Penn State, beginning a journey that now finds it two wins from its first national championship, the teams best player was otherwise occupied winning an Olympic bronze medal a hemisphere away.As the Mountaineers concluded that first week with a game against Buffalo, Kadeisha Buchanan instead soaked in the Olympic closing ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro. She even met Usain Bolt.Which is to say that from the outset this season, Buchanan ran in different circles than your typical college senior.Different circles than even your typical All-American, for that matter.But it is what Buchanan has done since arriving back in Morgantown from Rio that makes the defender espnWs national player of the year. After a tie in their opening game without her, the Mountaineers have gone 21-1-1 with her in the lineup. They shut out the Big 12 for an entire conference season, allowing nary a goal in eight consecutive games. They earned the programs first No. 1 seed and survived both snow and foes to reach their first College Cup.Center backs rarely get to be stars. The position is responsible as much for defusing highlights before they occur as creating them in their own right. But already a World Cup and Olympic veteran for Canada at the age of 21, Buchanan cant help but be the center of attention for West Virginia. Her command of a craft stands out like, well, Bolt sprinting away from the pack in Rio. None of her peers do it as well as she does it.She is a soccer mind, West Virginia coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. Shes commanding. She knows where everyone needs to be. Shes directing, shes orchestrating. Coaches will always tell you that they need great leadership to be successful, and thats exactly what we have in Keisha back there.It is difficult to quantify what makes a defender special, let alone the best player in the nation. Though they may score goals, as Buchanan has three times this season, and make themselves useful on set pieces, compiling statistics isnt a center backs primary work. Beyond the mere eye test, assessing Buchanan is a process of deduction. West Virginia has the second-stingiest defense in the nation. Buchanan is the teams best defender, backed up by an international pedigree that includes being named the best young player in the 2015 World Cup and a member of FIFAs all-star team for that tournament.Someone to whom all that applies, who North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance suggested might be the best center back in the nation -- a few weeks into her freshman season -- must be pretty good, right?Yet no matter how brilliant her soccer mind or impressive her athleticism, a defender will struggle to excel alone. Maybe more than any other position, a center back is dependent on the collective. And it is in that regard that Buchanan has grown from an amazing talent into a world-class player. Gone is the quiet reserve of a 17-year-old freshman who just wanted to play, not speak or lead.When shes telling someone to move, theyre moving, Izzo-Brown said of what she sees now. And people respond so well to her, and understand that she knows the game so well, that she is our fourth coach out there. ...Its like having a coach behind your team coaching.Even if leading from behind isnt exactly what Buchanan hoped for in Morgantown. It may be a myth that a frustrated striker inhabits the soul of every great defender, but Buchanan wont help dispel it. She had already debuted for the senior Canadian national team by the time she arrived at West Virginia, having previously earned a reputation as an up-and-coming defender on youth national teams. So she knew her role in college would likely follow that same route. But with a veteran back line already in place for the Mountaineers, the former striker for her club team hoped she might get some of the goals for herself.Those dreams died very quickly, Buchanan said. I knew coming into West Virginia that I was going to play center back. I kind of wanted to play forward, but Coach didnt let me. I got over it.Her tongue-in-cheek tone made it clear it wasnt an entirely serious lament. Not entirely.But twice this season the Mountaineers have needed Buchanan to revive her old skills.Down 2-0 at halftime against TCU in the Big 12 tournament final, matching the number of goals they conceded in the 12 games immediately preceding that contest, the Mountaineers pushed Buchanan into the attack in the second half. With a little more than a minute remaining in regulation, she scored the tying goal that brought on overtime and teammate Ashley Lawrences eventual winner.That was a game the Mountaineers very much wanted, the opportunity to sweep the conference tournament and regular-season titles. Then, when Buchanan stepped to a snowy spot as the fifth and final Mountaineer in a Sweet 16 penalty shootout against UCLA, a goal was a necessity.In a shootout for the first time since the 2014 tournament, when West Virginia lost to Georgetown, Buchanan lined up an attempt. Izzo-Brown said she asked Buchanan if she wanted to be on the list of takers. Buchanan didnt hesitate. She drilled the ball into the net, turned and leaped into the air as onrushing teammates swarmed her.West Virginia is most comfortable when its season is at her feet.Although she knew of the College Cup growing up -- plenty of Canadian national team players were veterans of NCAA championships in the United States -- it wasnt until a second-round loss against Virginia Tech her freshman year that she fully felt its importance. It is the biggest prize she can win in this uniform.Ive got to get one before I leave, Buchanan recalled thinking.She has since starred in a World Cup on home soil and won a bronze medal in the Olympics.And in her final college season, the best player in the nation has done all she can to give herself a chance at a different trophy. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Ra-Shede-Hageman-Jersey/ .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Takkarist-Mckinley-Jersey/ .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Grady-Jarrett-Jersey/ . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Ty-Sambrailo-Jersey/ . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Laroy-Reynolds-Jersey/ . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mike Mularkey credits Marcus Mariota for why the Tennessee Titans are scoring points at a clip this franchise has never seen before.Having Aaron Rodgers just isnt enough right now for the Green Bay Packers.Mariota threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns Sunday, helping the Titans rout the Packers 47-25 for their second win in three games.Tennessee has scored at least 35 points in three straight games in that span, something this franchise has never done before in a single season even with quarterbacks named George Blanda, Warren Moon or Steve McNair.Hes playing well for us right now, Mularkey said. He knows the things we cant do with the turnovers, but hes the reason we have the chance to put the points up.DeMarco Murray also ran for 123 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown on Tennessees first play from scrimmage. Six different Titans scored a touchdown helping Tennessee (5-5) match its win total of the past two seasons combined.The Packers (4-5) lost their third straight and for the fourth time in five games, falling below .500 at the latest point in the season since 2013 . Injuries are piling up, and it only gets tougher for Green Bay with two more road games before they play at Lambeau Field again.We dug ourselves a huge, huge hole and, frankly, it comes down to the basics of football, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. We werent nearly to the standard that we expect from one another.Here are some things to know about Tennessees big win:STREAKING MARIOTAMariota came into this game tied with Rodgers for the most touchdown passes in the NFL over the previous five weeks at 13. He threw two more than Rodgers to match the franchise record set by Moon in 1987 for most consecutive games with multiple TD passes at six. Mariota also has 21 TD passes this season, making him the first quarterback for this franchise to throw at least 20 in a season since Steve McNair had 24 in 2003. McNair was co-MVP that season with Peyton Manning.Mariota is the first quarterback in league history to have three games with a 70 percent or better completion rate, at least four TD passes and no interceptions during his first two seasons.POTENT TITANSTennessee has scored at least 26 points in each of the past six games, cranking up the offense to 36, 35 and now 47 points against Green Bay.dddddddddddd They also had five plays of at least 32 yards or longer, four of those passes from Mariota. He completed TD passes to four different players.STRUGGLING PACKERSFor the second straight week, the Packers found themselves trailing. This time, they have only themselves to blame after the Titans attempted an onside kick to open the game with the ball going straight to the Packers. With the ball at the Tennessee 49, Green Bay went three-and-out. It took a little bit to get going, Rodgers said.LEWAN EJECTEDThe Titans certainly didnt miss left tackle Taylor Lewan as DeMarco Murray ran for 123 yards and a TD with Tennessee piling up 446 yards of total offense. But Mariota was sacked twice, the first sacks allowed by Tennessee in three games. He was tossed after knocking away back judge Steve Freemans hand at the start of Tennessees second series. Mularkey said he had told his team referee Jeff Triplettes crew already had ejected five players this season. Lewan said he wasnt proud of what happened.INJURIESThe Packers lost two players within the first five minutes to ankle injuries. Both linebacker Jake Ryan and starting right guard T.J. Lang hurt ankles and originally were questionable to return before being ruled out early in the third quarter. Dan Barclay replaced Lang. Then Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari hurt a knee and was replaced by rookie Jason Spriggs late in the third quarter. McCarthy said they had so many injuries in the game he didnt have a list when he talked with reporters after the game or an update on Bakhtiari.QUOTABLEWe knew we had to bring it, or it could have gotten ugly for us, said Titans linebacker Brian Orakpo who had two of Tennessees five sacks.UP NEXT:Packers: Remain on the road, facing the Washington Redskins.Titans: Travel to Indy to face the AFC South rival Colts.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Teresa M. 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