If there were ever a time to say that football is the best fall sport on campus, it would be now. And by football, we mean fútbol. The women’s soccer team is the top sport on campus this fall, with the best start the program has ever seen.
The team got their seventh non-conference win against Delaware on Sunday afternoon at Kehoe field in an aggressive and well-matched game, with the Hoyas defeating the Blue Hens 3-1.
“We knew they were a really good team, so basically we were just trying to play our game,” Delaware head coach Scott Grzenda said. “It just so happened that we missed a couple of chances in the beginning, and they put the ones in that they needed to.”
The first half was full of head-to-head play but the Hoyas scored the first goal in the 12th minute. Senior Karen Waskewich shot a soaring assist to freshman defender Michaela Buonomo, who knocked in the ball from outside the penalty box.
The Hoyas then worked to keep their advantage. With seven minutes left in the half, however, Delaware forward Amy Pickard took off down the field battling Georgetown junior defender Alex Gargano. Pickard beat Gargano and the Hoya’s freshman goalie Jackie DesJardin, tying the game.
“In the first half, I thought it was a pretty even game, we scored and they scored, and we both had chances,” Georgetown head coach Dave Nolan said. “In the second half, I thought we were excellent. I thought the girls really stepped it up.”
The Hoyas dominated play in the second half, scoring twice. Senior midfielder Sara Jordan put in a key goal from the top of the penalty area to place the Hoyas back in the lead. Finally, with 12 minutes left, freshman forward Daryn Towle took a fast break past the Blue Hens’ defenders and forced Delaware goalie E.J. Goldman away from the goal. Towle was able to kick in an easy ground shot for the game sealing goal.
“Right now we are getting goals from everywhere, which makes you a difficult team to defend because you don’t have just one or two scorers,” Nolan said.
Also making the Hoyas a tough team to play is a 5’2” freshman midfielder from Upper Montclair, N.J.
Ingrid Wells is a starter for the Hoyas, considered one of the top 50 incoming freshmen in the nation by SoccerBuzz.
“There are no secrets about it. Ingrid is a tremendous player,” Nolan enthused. “She’s got a fantastic future ahead of her here at Georgetown.”
Soccer is Wells’s life, and playing at the collegiate level is the realization of her aspirations.
“I’ve always hope to do it,” Wells said. “I am having a lot of fun so far, and I am eager to get into the Big East.”
Wells has already played a tremendous role in helping the Hoyas get to where they stand today. She is one of the team leaders in goals and assists with three each.
“Not only is she a great player herself, but she makes other players around her great players too,” Nolan stated.
For her abilities it’s a shock to see how big of a team player Wells is. She doesn’t let her talent go to her head, nor does she play selfish ball.
“As long as the team scores and I help other people get chances, then that’s fine with me,” Wells said. “I don’t go into games thinking I want to score. If the shots are there I’ll take them, otherwise, not. Sometimes I think I look to set other people up too much, but that’s just my style.”
Even in games when she doesn’t show up in the scoring stats, as on Sunday, Wells continues to display her presence on the field helping facilitate the ball movement. For her entire career, Wells’ focus has been on technical skills; a talent that works well with her height.
“For a freshman to play with the poise and the confidence that she plays with says a lot about her ability. Sometimes I wish the referee would give her a little more protection, but she doesn’t back down from anybody.”
While Wells might be the smallest player on the field no one can forget she’s there. There are times she finds herself squaring off against girls close to a foot taller, but she still schools them with her perfected twists, turns and fake-outs.
“It’s not the size of the dog, I guess, it’s the size of the fight in the dog,” summed up Nolan.
The Hoyas will look to Wells for some great performances not only this season but for the next four years. By the looks of her game, she shouldn’t have a problem living up to the hype.
