George Mason shut out the GW women’s soccer team 4-0 in Fairfax, Va. Tuesday in a game of experimentation for the Colonials. Because it was not a conference game, head coach Tanya Vogel said her team was not as “pumped up” for the game and used it as a practice to try some new plays and look at new players.

The Colonials are more focused on the six conference games they have coming in the next three weeks. That’s how many games the Colonials (5-7, 2-3 A-10) have remaining to climb from its sixth-place spot to one of the top four Atlantic 10 Conference spots. Only the top four teams in the conference move on to postseason play in the A-10 tournament.

Vogel said at sixth place GW is still on the bubble, especially with weaker teams next on the schedule. Three of the Colonials upcoming opponents, Fordham (0-5), Duquesne (1-2-2) and St. Bonaventure (1-4), rank below GW in the A-10. In their two toughest games remaining, the Colonials will play Massachusetts (5-0) and Rhode Island (2-2-1) at home.

The women are counting on their own determination to gain ground in the A-10 instead of other team’s losses.

“We are in a good position but our future is in our hands,” Vogel said. “We have an opportunity to gain the third or fourth spot. It’s up to us.”

But the Colonials will have to play better than they did Tuesday if they want to move up in the standings, Vogel said.

“If we can take the good things we did in the game and bring them against La Salle we should be fine.”

The Patriots (5-6-1) dominated from the beginning, and GW never got back on track. Senior forward Jayme Beamer posted two assists in the fifth and sixth minutes of the game that immediately put Mason up 2-0. The Patriots had no trouble cruising to the 4-0 victory.

In her first assist, Beamer fed senior midfielder Megan Hawkins whose high shot from about 20 yards out sailed past GW goalkeeper Christine O’Malley to make it 1-0 GM. In her second assist, Beamer fed Erika Webster in front of GW’s goal to give GM the 2-0 lead.

After a GW foul gave the Patriots a free kick opportunity, Junior Katy McGee took the kick and set up freshman Allison Cowan for the goal in the 29th minute. The Patriots added another goal for good measure when Webster scored again off a cross pass from junior midfielder Kerri Beck late in the first half to gain the 4-0 lead.

GW did not create the necessary scoring opportunities The Colonials let up four goals to George Mason without notching a single point of its own. The team took seven shots to GM’s 13, and had half as many corner kicks as GM.

Still, Vogel said she was not disappointed with her team’s play. She said many players who usually do not get regular playing time had an opportunity to showcase their skills in this game, and the coaching staff was impressed with a strong defensive effort in the second half.

GW looks to regroup and start its run to move up in the conference when it plays the first of its six remaining conference matches against La Salle (3-2 A-10) this Friday at home. LaSalle is currently third in the Atlantic 10 behind Massachusetts and Dayton, which are both undefeated in conference play.

“We need to fight the feeling that we’re not as good as this team or that team,” Vogel said. “We’re a great team, we just have to maintain our confidence.”