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

Women’s Soccer | Corboz Seals NCAA 1st Round Win With Penalty Kick

FILE+PHOTO%3A+NATE+MOULTON%2F+THE+HOYA%0AJunior+defender+Sarah+Adams+has+contributed+to+a+Hoyas+defense+that+has+recorded+11+shutouts%2C+including+one+against+West+Virginia+on+Saturday.
FILE PHOTO: NATE MOULTON/ THE HOYA Junior defender Sarah Adams has contributed to a Hoyas defense that has recorded 11 shutouts, including one against West Virginia on Saturday.
FILE PHOTO: NATE MOULTON/ THE HOYA Junior defender Sarah Adams has contributed to a Hoyas defense that has recorded 11 shutouts, including one against West Virginia on Saturday.
FILE PHOTO: NATE MOULTON/ THE HOYA
Junior defender Sarah Adams has contributed to a Hoyas defense that has recorded 11 shutouts, including one against West Virginia on Saturday.

The Georgetown women’s soccer team (11-3-7, 6-0-3 Big East) upset No. 7 West Virginia (16-2-4, 7-0-1 Big 12) in the first round of the NCAA tournament on a chilly Saturday afternoon in Morgantown W. Va., winning 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 regulation and two scoreless overtimes.

The Hoyas advance to the second round for the third consecutive season and will take on No. 14 Virginia Tech (15-5-0, 5-5-0 ACC) on Friday at Penn State.
Georgetown fell to Virginia 1-0 last season and 2-1 in overtime to Baylor two years ago.

With junior defender Marina Paul injured, freshmen defenders Drew Topor and Liz Wenger both starred in central defense against the Mountaineers, who had just won the Big 12 for the third consecutive season.

Head Coach Dave Nolan said their tremendous performances, along with those of senior defender Jessie Clinton and junior forward and defender Sarah Adams — who played right back Saturday and made a couple strong tackles —proved crucial to the result of the match.

“I was so proud of both [Topor and Wenger],” Nolan said. “It was a tough ask for two freshmen to play center back against the physical toughness and athleticism and mentality that West Virginia have. They get after you. I was concerned going into the game about our ability to deal with corner kicks and free kicks, and could we physically match up with the kids they had up top. And I thought both of them did really well.”

Senior forward Vanessa Skrumbis had the game’s best chance when she found herself alone with the keeper, but West Virginia junior goalkeeper Hannah Steadman made a vital stop for the Mountaineers to send the match to overtime.

Senior midfielder Daphne Corboz clinched the penalty victory for the Hoyas in the fifth and final round of kicks. Freshmen midfielders Rachel Corboz, Taylor Pak and Clinton all clinched their penalty kicks as well, while West Virginia missed its first two in the shootout.

It was Georgetown’s second 4-3 penalty win in nine days. The first came against St. John’s and clinched a spot in the Big East final against DePaul last Sunday.

“It really boils down to who’s going to keep their nerves,” Nolan said. “They missed their first two, which was huge for us. It gave us a little bit of comfort. They shot first, and normally you want to shoot first, but it only works if you score. If you miss, you’re always playing catch up. … And then it was Daphne for the fifth one. … I never had any doubt. When she had the ball, I never had any doubt she was going to score.”

With the clinching penalty, Corboz handed West Virginia its first loss since August. It was the only one of 16 top-four seeded teams in the tournament knocked out in the first round.

The only other Big East team in the tournament, No. 13 DePaul (16-1-4, 7-0-2 Big East), who went undefeated in the regular season and won the Big East, lost 2-0 on a snowy night against No. 9 Wisconsin (19-2-2, 9-2-2 Big Ten).

Senior Hoya goalkeeper and Big East Second Team member Emma Newins made a game-saving stop on a goal-mouth scrum late in regulation and impressed by shutting out a team which had scored three or more goals on eight occasions this season.

“I am very proud of our win over West Virginia this past weekend,” Newins said. “Our defense really stepped up to play especially after losing Marina to injury. Sarah performed well at right back and our freshman center backs, Drew and Liz, played with a lot of confidence.”

Nolan believed that Georgetown certainly did enough in attack to deserve the penalty victory this time around.

“I thought the first game, West Virginia could really walk off the field feeling like they should have got more out of the game,” Nolan said. “This game was different. This was a far more even game. They had us under pressure in the first 10 or 15 minutes. … But even in that 15 minute period, Daphne hit the crossbar and Grace hit a shot that was turned around the post … and after that I feel that the game was pretty even.”

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