Last Saturday, the Georgetown men’s soccer team celebrated on North Kehoe Field as they defeated the No. 6 University of Connecticut Huskies. Not only did the win signal a victory over one of the top teams in the nation, it also meant the Hoyas had clinched the program’s first Big East Blue Division regular season championship since 1994.
Steve Neumann has been the difference in the second half of the season. (Photo courtesy of Sports Information)
However, a few short weeks ago, the division championship seemed far out of reach after the Hoyas lost to Cincinnati 2-0 on Sept. 25. Georgetown had gone five games without a victory and was struggling to turn the season around.
The winless streak was particularly baffling because Georgetown pulled off an exciting win against Northeastern in double overtime, and then handily defeated nationally-ranked Michigan State team 4-0 in the season’s opening weekend.
What followed were tough losses at the hands of New Mexico, Denver, a tie at Princeton, and a loss to UPenn. When Georgetown experienced the loss to Cincinnati, they found themselves at a crossroads in the season.
“We didn’t have a lot of confidence,” head coach Brian Wiese said. “We had to take a real hard look at what we were doing, because we weren’t a cohesive group at the time.”
The Hoyas’ response to this five-game winless streak was nothing short of historic. The squad first defeated Adelphi in the program’s first night game on Multi-Sport Field, then reeled off eight more victories that culminated in the win against UConn.
“The hardest and most important thing was getting that first win against Adelphi,” Wiese said. “That win settled everyone into their roles and we handled ourselves very professionally from there on out.”
The nine-game winning streak was the longest in recent memory, and it featured a collection of nail bitters and blowouts as freshman midfielder Steve Neumann came off the bench and carried the team.
“He fits in really well [with] the guys around him, and now the guys have the belief that Steve can win a game for us,” Wiese said. “And that’s a powerful thing.”
The Hoyas kept rolling thanks in no small part to Neumann’s contributions. After relatively easy victories over Seton Hall and Villanova, the Hoyas again pulled out a tight 1-0 victory on the road at Pittsburgh. The Hoyas then gave Marquette a 6-2 drubbing at home to steamroll into their big match against UConn.
Rain postponed the matchup against UConn for 24 hours, but it was well worth the wait. The Hoyas beat the Huskies 1-0 on—what else— a Steve Neumann goal.
“They’re a frightening team because they’re the total package,” Wiese said. “We did a great job keeping them away from our goal and capitalizing when we had a chance. … It’s a tribute to the boys and their hard work.”
The Hoyas’ success began after playing great defense while being extremely opportunistic on offense. At the heart of the defense was senior goalkeeper Matthew Brutto. With Brutto in net as the team’s last line of defense, the Hoyas had a chance to win any game. On average, Brutto allowed a miniscule 1.13 goals per game and shutout the opposing team six times.
The offense was anchored not only by Neumann but also senior captain and workhorse Jose Colchao. While Neumann lead the team in points with ten goals and seven assists, Colchao’s contributions weren’t measured just by his five goals and four assists alone.
According to Wiese, Colchao’s contributions to the team come in the form of his athleticism and blue-collar work ethic.
While it is hard to ignore some of the individual performances that comprised this special season, the Hoyas know what really counts is their play in the Big East Tournament and beyond. Last year, the Hoyas’ season came to an end with a disappointingly early exit in the conference tournament against DePaul, a fate Wiese doesn’t think this year’s team will fall victim to this year.
“This is a different year and a different team,” Wiese said. “Last year it was a survival game, this year it’s an opportunity to have a special season.”
Although the Hoyas lost their last game of the season at Notre Dame, they still have the top seed in the Blue Division, which gives them an automatic bye into the quarterfinals this Saturday. The Hoyas will also have extra incentive to win this weekend. This year, the semifinals and finals of the Big East Tournament will be played at the beautiful Red Bull Arena in New York.
“It’s a huge motivation for us,” Wiese said. “One of our goals at the beginning of the year was to make it to Red Bull Arena, now it’s right there for us to take.”
The Hoyas will have their chance to punch their ticket to New York this Saturday at North Kehoe Field against Providence at 1 p.m.
