For the first 39 minutes of the GW women’s soccer team’s game against Georgetown Wednesday, the Colonials’ defense remained solid, pressuring Hoya forwards and generally limiting their scoring chances.
Then, a rare moment of confusion: a cross by Hoya forward Samantha Baker got past GW’s defense, allowing forward Toni Marie Hudson to squeak a shot past sophomore goalkeeper Lindsey Rowe and provide the decisive goal in a 1-0 Georgetown win.
“I thought we were close to perfect on defense,” Rowe said. “We had one small breakdown and they capitalized on it. “
“Overall, I think we played probably our best game defensively,” she added.
For the second straight game, the Colonials (2-2-1) were unable to score despite managing to control the midfield and set the pace for much of the first half with quick passes. Junior Kristen Slack provided the footwork and finesse needed to create openings, but GW failed to take advantage of them, something head coach Tanya Vogel said the team needs to work on.
“I think the difference in soccer is capitalizing on your opportunities and we had opportunities,” she said. “Any time you have opportunities you have to capitalize and that’s what our team will have to learn going into (Atlantic 10) play. When you don’t, a good team will.”
GW started the second half with possession of the ball and quickly got to work offensively, looking to redeem themselves after Georgetown’s late first-half goal. After receiving a short pass from junior Jillian Morgan, senior Brittany Eger crossed the ball to the middle where freshman Moly Bruh was waiting. What looked like a golden opportunity turned into another missed chance for the Colonials, as Bruh’s shot missed just wide of the net.
Minutes later, the Colonials had the ball back in the Georgetown zone. Freshman Kayley Sullivan broke free of the Hoya defense and passed the ball to Slack, who sent the ball out on the right hand side to Eger. Eger crossed the ball into the box, but no one was there to take a shot for the Colonials.
Looking back on GW’s inability to put the ball in the net, Rowe echoed her coach’s comments.
“We just have to finish our opportunities,” she said. “We’ve got the skill. We know we have the skill and we just have to get (our shots) on net. It’s still early in the season. Hopefully by A-10s we’ll have it down pat.”
Despite the loss, Vogel feels the team performed well.
“I’m very proud of my team. I thought they battled,” she said. “We set goals before every game and we wanted to do a much better job battling for the ball and putting instant pressure on Georgetown. I think our team really for the most part did that.”
The Colonials will try to rebound from the loss Friday afternoon when they take on Robert Morris at Mount Vernon Athletic Complex at 4 p.m. Vogel said she hopes her team can continue to improve their play and come out with a win.
“We’re looking to give a consistent effort and play as hard as we can,” she said. “We have to play that hard in every single game if we want to win.”
