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 | GU Secures Big East Regular Season Title

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With a scoreless double-overtime tie on the road against No. 22 Butler on Saturday and a 1-0 victory over Xavier on Thursday, the Georgetown women’s soccer team secured the outright Big East Regular Season Championship.

AMBER GILLETTE FOR THE HOYA
Senior midfielder and team captain Rachel Corboz scored the game-winning goal against Xavier off a free kick on Thursday.

It was the program’s first outright championship and its first regular season championship since 2012.

Georgetown travelled to Indianapolis after a convincing 3-0 win last Thursday against Marquette (11-6-1, 4-4 Big East) to take on the Butler Bulldogs (11-1-5, 4-0-4 Big East), the second-place team in the Big East standings.

Consistent with its other recent ties and defeats, the Blue and Gray held the advantage in shots (14-10) and corner kicks (6-3) but was unable to capitalize on any scoring opportunities to pull ahead.

“Defensively, they have a really good setup. They place a 3-6-1, which is something we haven’t faced,” Head Coach Dave Nolan said. “I don’t think people are giving them enough credit. Us and them are legitimately the best two teams in the conference.”

A shot taken by sophomore midfielder Paula Germino-Watnick from the top of the box hit woodwork in the first half, and a header by freshman defender Kelly Ann Livingstone off a Germino-Watnick cross went just over the crossbar in the second half.

Germino-Watnick had four shots in the contest, and senior midfielder Rachel Corboz led the Hoyas with four of her own, including a pair saved by the Bulldogs’ goalkeeper in regulation.

In overtime, sophomore defender Meaghan Nally struck a low shot on goal and later saved a potential game-winning goal with a slide tackle.

Georgetown senior goalkeeper Arielle Schechtman made four saves in the contest, and was awarded Big East Goalkeeper of the Week for her performance in Sunday’s contest in Thursday’s win over Marquette.

Senior defender Elizabeth Wenger was also awarded Big East Defender of the Week for her efforts in the Hoyas’ pair of shutouts, the fourth time this season she has been honored with the award.

“I’d be really disappointed if [Elizabeth Wenger] didn’t win Big East Defensive Player of the Year this year. She’s been tremendous,” Nolan said.

Wins in only two of their last five, including a disappointing 1-1 tie to Creighton (3-11-3, 1-5-2 Big East) at home, have dropped Georgetown (11-3-3, 5-1-2 Big East) out of the United Soccer Coaches’ College Rankings.

After the Butler game, Nolan said that the team sought the top seed in the Big East tournament to maintain home-field advantage and increase its chances of receiving an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

“That would give us our best chance to win the conference tournament, it’s where we had success last year,” Nolan said. “I think from an NCAA point of view right now, we’re probably right on the bubble.”

Georgetown succeeded in its goal, securing the outright Big East Championship by defeating Xavier (8-6-4, 4-2-2 Big East) 1-0 in its final regular season matchup on Thursday.

“This was one of our goals, we talked about doing something special and we hadn’t done this before,” Nolan said in an interview with guhoyas.

In the win, the Hoyas failed to find the back of the net in the first half despite dominating the possession battle and outshooting the Musketeers 10-0.

Corboz broke the scoreless tie in the 56th minute off a free kick that curved inside the upper corner. The goal was Corboz’s sixth of the season.

The contest also served as Senior Day for the Hoyas, as the team celebrated seven seniors who will be graduating in the spring.

“It’s a great group of kids, first and foremost. They are so much fun to be around; they brought so much to the program on and off the field,” Nolan said of the seniors. “You won’t have success if you don’t have good kids.”

The team will wait to find out its opponent in the Big East Championship semifinal game, which will take place on Thursday at 2 p.m. at Shaw Field.

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