WOMEN'S SOCCER | Second Half Lifts Hoyas Past Colonials

Although the Hoyas were scoreless on eleven shots in the first half, two good ones after the intermission let Georgetown break open the women’s soccer season opener and defeat George Washington, 2-0.

The Blue and Gray, who saw six seniors graduate from last year’s squad, were not always sharp against the Colonials on a hot afternoon where the mercury reached 91 degrees. But in the end, it was the second-half goals, one from junior forward Colleen Dinn and one from freshman midfielder Marina Paul, which counted.

“The performance was okay. I thought we could have played a bit better, but it's hot and competitive games have more edge than exhibition games. I really can't complain because we weren't really in trouble,” Head Coach Dave Nolan told GUHoyas.com after the game.

Georgetown put up 11 shots and seven corner kicks in the first half, while GW managed to fire off only two shots. But the solid play of the Colonials goalie in the first half, junior Nicole Ulrick, prevented any of those attempts from making it on the scoreboard.

Once Ulrick came out of the game and Georgetown emerged from the locker room, however, it was a different story.

Junior forward Colleen Dinn scored the first goal in the 56th minute off an assist from sophomore forward Jessica Clinton who passed the ball from the top of the box. Sophomore midfielder Daphne Corboz also earned an assist on the play, which she started by getting the ball ahead to Clinton.

Dinn struck again on the second goal, when she sent the ball to freshman midfielder Marina Paul, who earned her first collegiate coal on the Hoyas second and final goal of the game.

Hamstrung by the Blue and Gray’s defense, the Colonials only managed five shots the entire game but redshirt freshman goalie Emma Newins successfully deflected all of them, earning three saves on the afternoon.

“It’s a good game because with winning comes confidence and we do miss a lot, and graduate a lot. This team needs to form its own identity and people need to step up,” Nolan said. “Every time you find a way to win a game it gives kids a little bit more confidence.”

Up next for Georgetown is a road trip to face Delaware on Sunday at 1 p.m. After Friday’s game, Nolan noted that the Blue Hens are a bit fresher than the Hoyas but hoped that cooling temperatures would help left his team Sunday.