After a rough overtime loss in their Big East opener against Seton Hall, the Georgetown women’s soccer team rediscovered their form with a huge win over Rutgers. Sunday’s 4-1 win, reaffirmed the team’s presence as a top Big East contender, improving their overall record to 7-3.
The team stumbled early when the Scarlet Knights scored in the 16th minute. But the Hoyas answered immediately with a header from sophomore Mary Kroening in the 21st minute and cruised to victory from there. Head coach Dave Nolan couldn’t hide his elation with the resounding win.
“We pretty much hammered a very good team,” he said.
The front line came up big, with senior midfielders Kelly D’Ambrisi and Ingrid Wells combining with forward Samantha Baker for the final three goals. A four-goal performance was needed after a week in which the Hoyas struggled to find the back of the net.
Senior Camille Trujillo also elevated her game, wreaking havoc in the Rutgers defense throughout the match. Despite not claiming a goal for herself, Nolan credited her for the win.
“She terrorized the Rutgers defenders today,” Nolan said. “As I told her: ‘You were the reason we scored four goals today.’ She’s that type of player.”
Though Trujillo put in a brilliant performance, the real star of the day was Baker. The senior from Long Beach, Calif., added two assists in addition to her goal.
Baker leads the team in assists and is second only to team captain Wells in goals scored. But Sunday’s contest was only Baker’s third start this season, despite having appeared in all 10 games.
Baker was nothing but enthusiastic about the opportunity to prove herself against Rutgers, which Nolan has described as the Hoyas “boogey team.”
In the end though, it’s just another game, and to Samantha Baker, the win is clearly paramount to her personal accomplishments.
“We’re finding ways to win it even when the balls aren’t bouncing our way,” she said. “That’s all that matters.”
With many more Big East match-ups to be played, the Hoyas’ final position in the conference standings remains unpredictable. If anything, their defeat of Rutgers demonstrates that anyone can beat anyone in a league with three teams in the top 25 and many more vying for coveted postseason berths.
“That’s Big East soccer,” Nolan said. “Every game is going to be a scrap and every game is going to be a fight.”
The Hoyas won’t get any breaks on their quest for Big East glory. On Friday, the women begin a road trip to New York with a match against Syracuse before meeting St. John’s on Sunday.
