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 | Squad Splits Road Matches

After falling to No. 5 Stanford 4-0, the No. 10 Georgetown women’s soccer team rebounded with a 3-0 defeat of San Jose State to split its pair of road games in San Francisco, Calif., last weekend.

In Friday’s matchup, the Hoyas (4-2-0, Big East) battled not only a talented Cardinal team (3-1-0, Pac-12), but also difficult weather conditions with temperatures at game time hitting a record high of 107 degrees.

Despite these obstacles, Georgetown kept the contest close well into the second half.

After going down a goal in the sixth minute, the Hoyas created a handful of opportunities. Junior forward Caitlin Farrell hit the post in the 11th minute, wasting no time looking for the equalizer. She had a second look again in the 22nd minute, just a minute after Stanford goalkeeper Lauren Rood saved a shot from senior midfielder Rachel Corboz.

“The game itself, I thought we actually played really well,” Head Coach Dave Nolan said. “When you go up and you play those teams on the road, it can be a long day. We set out a specific game plan to try and compact space, to try and make it difficult for them, but also to try and give us opportunities to win the ball in certain parts of the field and counterattack into space.”

Despite creating scoring opportunities, however, the Hoyas failed to find the back of the net.

“We got counterattacks – we got three or four of them in particular in the first half. We probably were unlucky not to have one or two goals,” Nolan said. “It was 1-0 with about 18 minutes to go, and we were just about to change it and start being a little more aggressive, and then they scored the second goal, which kind of nullified that. Once the second goal went in, it was just a matter of needing to get kids off the field because we were playing on Sunday.”

With regard to the challenging matchup on Friday, Nolan noted the importance of competing against high-caliber teams, especially when it comes to preparing for postseason play.

“When you schedule these games, you do it for two reasons: One, you always want to imagine yourself against the best, and typically, if you want to win a national championship or contend for a national championship, at some point the road goes to Stanford,” Nolan said. “You want to measure yourself against the best and see where you are. Two, it’s a great weekend trip for us to go out West and have a team bonding moment on top of having an opportunity to play such a great program.”

Despite a physically and mentally draining game against Stanford, Georgetown did not let Friday’s exhaustion carry over into the next match. The Hoyas dominated the scoreboard, with first-half goals from sophomore defender Meaghan Nally and sophomore midfielder Carson Nizialek.

A few attempts from San Jose State (1-4-0, Mountain West) were followed by a decisive finish from Farrell in the 75th minute, giving the Hoyas a 3-0 win over the Spartans.

Looking ahead, Georgetown will rely upon its senior class, whose members are eager to lead their team to another championship weekend following a successful 2016-17 campaign.

“There’s eight of them, and they all have significant roles for us,” Nolan said of the seniors. “This group is very focused and very determined. Last season was a tremendous season, and they want their senior season to be the best it can possibly be. So every one of them is determined and doing the right thing on and off the field to try and help us get there.”

Georgetown faces Saint Francis (2-3-0, Northeast) on Friday at Shaw Field. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

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