The Lady Hoyas soccer team (3-1-3) completed the D.C. sweep on Wednesday afternoon by shutting out American University (4-2) 2-0. This game followed a 3-0 victory over George Washington (4-2) on Sunday. The two results are an improvement over the season’s opening five games when the team went 1-1-3.
“The defense was solid, but the girls were unable to finish their chances on offense,” Head Coach Dave Nolan said of the Hoyas’ games to begin the season.
In search of these elusive game-winning goals, Nolan moved his senior captain center back Alexandra Hardy into the midfield at the start of the game but gained no offensive results.
The closest chances of the half came with just under ten minutes left. A cross from Georgetown’s sophomore forward Brittany Berry got caught up in the wind and sailed over the head of Eagle senior keeper Alison Doyle but bounced off the crossbar and out of play. American immediately countered up the field off the goal kick, and senior Christina Gonzalez’s shot beat junior goalkeeper Jade Higgins but was also rejected by the crossbar.
In the second half, Nolan moved Hardy back to her more comfortable position at the center of the defense. With the solid Georgetown defense now anchored, the midfielders and forwards went to work on AU’s backline. The first breakthrough came ten minutes into the second half as a through-ball by Berry on a Hoya counterattack found junior forward Sarah Fetters in behind the defense. Fetters made no mistake as she tucked the ball into the side-netting for the opening score.
“I played a ball through to Sarah, who was making a run behind the defense,” Berry said of the goal. “This is something the two of us work on all the time.”
It only took the Hoyas few more minutes to give themselves a two-goal cushion. This time, a long offensive buildup culminated in a first-time cross, again from Berry, and a goal off the volley from senior midfielder Chrissy Skogen.
It was the Eagles who needed to come from behind at this point, but onlookers couldn’t tell as the defense, led by Hardy and Higgins, was able to break up every attack that came their way. The Lady Hoyas in front of them continued to play offensively and nearly added to the margin of victory several times. In the end, two goals were more than enough as the final whistle sealed a second straight shutout win.
“I really think we are starting to get into a groove, and it’s nice to see us starting to put together some offensive magic,” Hardy said after the game.
The Lady Hoyas (3-1-3) hope that this groove will continue as they open up Big East Conference play on the road against Villanova (7-0) tomorrow at 4 p.m.
