After a season in which the Georgetown women’s soccer team posted the highest winning percentage in team history and narrowly missed a berth in the NCAA tournament, expectations are higher than ever as the possibility of a first-ever national tournament spot looms large.
The 2002 campaign saw the Hoyas notch an 11-7 record, earning the second Big East tournament spot in team history. Although a preseason coaches poll ranks the Hoyas 5th out of seven teams in the Big East’s Mid-Atlantic division, the team is poised for a breakout year.
“We don’t put much stock in polls,” said head coach Diane Drake, now in her fifth season with the Hoyas. “We are in the toughest division in the toughest conference in the country.” Last year’s performance, which featured a seven-game winning streak and a victory at national powerhouse Notre Dame, ensures the Hoyas will be anything but overlooked this season. Senior co-Captain Lauren Calone echoes that sentiment decisively: “We have a reputation to uphold,” she said.
The Hoyas return top goal scorer and pre-season All-Big East selection Jessie Beers-Altman as well as five of the top six goal scorers from the 2002 season. Second team Big East selection Nicole DePalma and Senior Courtney Shaub shore up a very talented midfield. And on the defensive end, Calone and Senior Co-Captain Jen Choiniere will lead the way with sophomore Louisa Butler in goal.
Butler, who suffered a season ending injury in the first game of last season, will play a huge role in the Hoyas fortunes, and her presence underscores a major need for the team’s success. With an unusually small roster this year, Drake believes the team must stay healthy to gain a spot in the NCAA tournament, the team’s ultimate goal.
While some may view the small roster in an endurance-based sport as a huge problem, Choiniere sees it as an advantage. “We have gotten much closer this year,” she said, ‘by accomplishing our goals we have become a smaller team, but our skill level is much greater.”
Beyond team goals, Beers-Altman, who needs only 26 points and 9 goals to become the Hoyas all-time leader in both categories, will provide an interesting subplot to the season. While hoping for both records, Beers-Altman does not want to dwell on individual success. saying “I don’t want to focus on it,” she said, “but it would be nice.”
Whatever the status of Beers-Altman’s record chase, it is clear the Hoya women possess both the offensive and defensive firepower to take the team to the next level: the NCAA tournament. In a season- opening exhibition the team crushed Virginia Commonwealth 4-2 last thursday, beginning the season in impressive fashion.
The Hoyas open their regular season this Friday at William and Mary.
