Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown Cruises Past Howard Bison

Lucye Rafferty/The Hoya Junior defender Elizabeth Roberti cuts off her opponent. Roberti and the Hoyas tallied nine goals in the team’s Wednesday match at Howard.

Georgetown’s women’s soccer team won its third consecutive game in impressive fashion Wednesday, crushing the Howard Bison 9-1 at Greene Stadium.

Freshman forward Chrissy Skogen and sophomore forward Shara cNeill both had hat tricks, while senior forward Jessie Beers-Altman scored two goals off the bench.

“We needed that game very badly,” head coach Diane Drake said.

The nine goals were the most Georgetown has scored in a game since Sept. 4, 2002, when the Hoyas defeated Howard, 9-5. The win improves Georgetown’s record to 3-5-0, while Howard drops to 1-7-0.

“They’re a very athletic team that is a little unorthodox in their style, in that they attack at all costs,” Drake said. “They don’t have a lot of stock in their defensive presence, and when that happens they’re always going to have an inflated score on one end or the other.”

Georgetown outshot Howard, 29-11, and had 20 shots on goal.

“It could have been 15-0, with as many chances as we missed, because we must have missed at least nine breakaways,” Drake noted.

Georgetown got on the board early in the match, as Skogen scored her first goal, assisted by McNeill, in the sixth minute. Skogen notched her second goal of the game in the 22nd minute, taking a pass from junior forward Casey McCann and putting the Hoyas ahead, 2-0.

Howard closed the gap with a goal in the 29th minute, but Georgetown quickly put an end to the rally. Junior midfielder Nicole DePalma scored on a penalty kick with one minute left in the first half. DePalma’s first goal of the year gave the Hoyas a commanding 3-1 lead at halftime.

After intermission, McNeill single-handedly put the game away for Georgetown, scoring two goals in 21 seconds and earning a complete hat trick in 5:03.

The outburst began at 60:37, when McNeill scored her first goal off an assist from Beers-Altman. Moments later, senior midfielder Courtney Shaub passed ahead to McNeill who beat Bison goalkeeper Lindsay Walton for her second goal of the match.

McNeill closed out her personal goal-scoring streak in the 66th minute, with Georgetown’s second goal on a penalty kick. Her first-ever hat trick gave the Hoyas a 6-1 advantage.

McNeill has five goals and twelve points on the season, leading the team in both categories.

“Shara does things that most women’s soccer players don’t do, at any level,” Drake explained. “When the ball is at her feet, she is one of the most lethal attackers in the country.”

Skogen earned her third goal in the 73rd minute, assisted by senior midfielder Jen Choiniere, for the first hat trick of her Georgetown career.

“Skogen is just getting better and better and better,” Drake said. “From the beginning we always said she’s going to turn heads in our conference and make a statement for herself. She’s put away her chances and has scored some goals, and I’m not surprised by it at all.”

After watching some of the Hoyas’ younger players light up the scoreboard, Beers-Altman came off the bench and scored two quick goals of her own to finish the game. Beers-Altman’s second goal was the 22nd of her career, tying her with Karin Ostrander for second in the program’s history. She and Ostrander are also tied for second in points, with 54. Christina Brunner is at the top of both lists, with 26 goals and 70 points.

“Jessie was phenomenal,” Drake said. “With her play [Wednesday], she’ll be inserted back into the starting lineup. She did everything we’ve been asking her to do that just wasn’t there yet. We need her very badly.”

“Shara and Jessie together, if they’re both on, are one of the most dangerous attacking duos in the country,” Drake added.

The lone bright spot for Howard was junior forward Ranieka Bean, who became the school’s all-time leading scorer in just her second year. Her goal in the 39th minute ended freshman goalkeeper Erin Mazurksy’s chance at a second consecutive shutout.

“She’s a very good player,” Drake said. “She got in on speed, and we didn’t quite cut across and take her out of the play early enough and she just brought it along the back post. It wasn’t a savable goal.”

After losing their first five games, the Hoyas are just two games under .500 and have an opportunity to even their record this weekend. Georgetown plays host to Big East Mid-Atlantic division rival Pittsburgh today, and faces Providence on Sunday.

“These are two must-win games,” Drake said. “We created a little bit of a mountain to climb, and we’re about halfway up the mountain and to getting ourselves to where we want to be. I’m not overconfident, but I know that if my team shows up to play, we’ll be fine.”

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