After watching her game-winning goal sail past Richmond goalkeeper Melissa Pacheco late Saturday afternoon, sophomore Adriana Moya ran to her teammates, rushing to celebrate GW’s 1-0 win over the Spiders and the overtime goal that had ended the game.

After seven straight wins, it’s a feeling the Colonials and their head coach Tanya Vogel are beginning to get used to.

The goal, which came off an assist from freshman Alex Neal in the 96th minute, also kept the Colonials undefeated in the Atlantic 10. The way Moya scored – off an assist and up close to the net – made the goal especially dramatic and nerve-racking for Vogel.

“She scored from like a yard away, so the first thing I did was look at the A.R., the assistant ref, to make sure she wasn’t offsides,” Vogel said of Moya’s goal. “Then, honestly, it was just elation.”

The low score in Saturday afternoon’s game was indicative of the strong defensive play from both teams. Richmond’s ability to pressure the ball forced the Colonials to respond with pressure of their own. The result was a game with just eight shots on goal, split evenly between the two teams.

“The team did a great job getting numbers behind the ball and maintaining pressure,” Vogel said. “They didn’t allow too many good shots.”

The game was the 11th straight in which GW has held its opponent to one goal or fewer. The Colonials are averaging less than one goal allowed per game this season and are fourth in the A-10 in that category.

GW currently sits in second place in the conference standings behind Dayton.

Vogel was especially pleased with her team’s depth against the Spiders. The head coach pointed to the play of junior defender Janine Rotsides, who replaced freshman Melanie Keer at halftime and played a key role in keeping Richmond off the board. Playing as a cohesive unit, Vogel said, has been a strength for her team of late.

“Different players are coming in and making impacts. It’s not just about the players on the field, we have players like Janine who continue to come in and play in a critical position and make an impact. She did a fantastic job,” Vogel said.

With a pair of road games against speedy opponents coming up on the schedule, the team’s focus during practice will shift this week. The Colonials will take on both Charlotte and Saint Louis on the road this weekend. Both squads are known for their overall team speed, something Vogel said her team is preparing for.

“Both opponents coming up play very quickly,” said Vogel. “So we’re going to be working on our fitness. We’re going to have to quickly get numbers behind the ball and in front of it when we lose possession, and that takes fitness.”

What the team isn’t focused on, Vogel said, is its mounting winning streak. The team will look for its eighth straight victory this Friday against the 49ers, but the players aren’t concerned with protecting their streak.

“There’s no [wining-streak] pressure,” Vogel said. “Just an intense desire to keep winning.”