The old saying “timing is everything” couldn’t ring more true for the Georgetown men’s soccer team (3-1-1). The Hoyas are on a roll right now as they look to kick off Big East play this weekend, traveling to New York to face St. John’s and Syracuse.
The defense has helped the team to three straight shutout wins, including an impressive 2-0 victory over UCLA, now the twelfth-ranked team in the country. Senior captain Mark Zeman anchors the veteran defense, along with senior Len Coleman and juniors Alex Verdi and Ibu Otegbeye.
“We have a very experienced defensive group and every time we get a zero, it feels like we all scored a hat-trick, it’s unbelievable,” Zeman said.
The Hoyas are going to need more than defense if they want to do well this weekend.
“The Big East is a different animal,” Zeman said. “It’s much more physical and you have to work tremendously hard to get a result against every team.”
To better prepare for the upcoming challenge, fourth-year head coach Brian Wiese tested his team early on this season by scheduling preseason games against traditional powerhouse North Carolina and respected programs like Duke and California.
Although it is not known for its elite soccer program, St. John’s makes for one of the toughest opponents on the Georgetown schedule every year, especially when the game is away.
“I expect the hardest game on Friday against St. John’s,” Wiese said. “For me, it’s one of the hardest venues in the country to get a result in, and I wouldn’t want my livelihood depending on getting a result there.”
Luckily for Wiese, he won’t have to. In Wiese’s three years on the Hilltop, the Hoyas have never beat St. John’s, but he’s hoping the fourth time is a charm.
After facing the Red Storm, the Hoyas’ schedule gets a little easier, when the team travels through the Empire State to face Big East rival Syracuse.
The upcoming games will be a good time for the offense to find itself after improving in the most recent games.
“We’ve been finding our rhythm going forward,” Wiese said. “This past weekend we started looking more fluid in our attack.”
This season the Hoyas scoring attack has been much more balanced than in years past, with juniors Seth C’deBaca, Chandler Diggs, and Jose Colchao each stepping up and putting points on the board.
With no single outstanding player on the team, each player must do his job to win. Georgetown is hoping every piece will fit in the Big East puzzle perfectly.
