MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia women’s freshman Leah Emaus got a surprise when she arrived at the first day of the Mountaineers’ pre-season camp on Aug. 1.

“I thought I’d hear the words ‘Go in as defensive center-mid,’ but I didn’t,” said Emaus in an interview with Top Drawer Soccer. “I heard right defender. I’d never played there before, but I thought I’ll play anywhere just to play.”

It wasn’t long before Emaus was shifted again when an injury to fellow freshman Carly Black left West Virginia short of central defenders. She has quickly demonstrated her versatility with a string of impressive displays at center-back, particularly during Sunday’s 1-0 win over top-ranked Stanford that ended the Cardinal’s 64-game regular season win streak.

Emaus, a midfielder during her high school career, brings a different skill set to West Virginia’s back line. She is composed on the ball and her passing complements left-back Bry McCarthy’s desire to push forward when the Mountaineers’ defense gains possession. She astutely reads her opponents’ forward runs, and her 5-foot-8-inch frame allows her to win most of her aerial battles.

West Virginia’s defense experienced a few bumps during its opening three games. Seniors McCarthy and Mallory Smith showed some uncharacteristic moments of hesitancy and injuries made the right-back position problematic for Head Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. WVU dropped to a 1-2 record following last Friday’s 2-0 loss to Central Michigan at the Penn State Invitational – a game that saw the Mountaineers struggling to find their passes.

“You could just tell when you looked at Leah on Sunday that nobody was going to get by her,” said West Virginia’s assistant coach Marisa Kanela. “Nothing fazed her.”

Stanford forward Chioma Ubogagu missed Sunday’s clash due to her involvement in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan, and U.S. U-23 player Courtney Verloo sat out following a slight knock picked up during last Friday’s 3-2 win over Penn State. Still, the Cardinal boasted a formidable attacking threat in Sydney Payne, who has been a member of the U.S. national team pool at every level from U-14 to U-20. Emaus and her teammates restricted the reigning national champions to a single shot on target, and junior Frances Silva’s late winner ensured that the Mountaineers returned home to a triumphant welcome.

A hectic summer schedule curtailed Emaus’ appearances for Rochester Ravens during the recent USL W-League season. The Webster, N.Y. native graduated high school on June 24 and arrived in Morgantown one week later. She hasn’t had much spare time to explore her new surroundings. Emaus enrolled in two summer classes in Theater and Games in American Culture to fill her general education curriculum and visited the women’s soccer team’s training facility every day to work out with the strength coach.

The chance to become indoctrinated into West Virginia’s set-up and to form bonds with new teammates countered any lost playing time in the W-League, according to Kanela.

“Leah is one of those types that does whatever it takes, that bit of extra work to get out there and it’s shown for her,” Kanela said. “Here she is in a starting role playing 90 minutes each game as a freshman.

“We knew we could probably put her in anywhere we needed. She’s willing to do any role that comes along. She’s got a great attitude and she’s a great competitor.”

Emaus appeared on West Virginia’s radar while playing club soccer in Rochester, the hometown of Izzo-Brown and former WVU midfielder Erica Henderson. The city’s most famous soccer export is two-time Olympic gold medalist Abby Wambach. Emaus has quickly been recognized for bringing the same gritty, hard-nosed attitude to the Mountaineers’ training sessions as Wambach brings to the U.S. national team.

Whether Emaus’ role stays in the center of defense is an issue for another time. Some strong defenders are lined up to join the program in the 2013 recruiting class, according to Kanela, and that could push Emaus back into more familiar midfield territory. For now, she remains focused on repelling anyone who comes near West Virginia’s penalty area.

“My main thing is just distance, knowing where I have to be behind Bry McCarthy and knowing how close I have to be with Mallory Smith,” Emaus said. “We’re working on it and I think we’re going to do really well going forward.”

Ian Thomson is a freelance soccer reporter and founder of The Soccer Observer Web site. Follow him on Twitter at @SoccerObserver.