The Georgetown men’s soccer team couldn’t hit net in Tuesday’s marquee matchup against Penn State.
Luckily for the Hoyas, the Nittany Lions were stifled as well, leading to a 0-0 draw. It marked the Hoyas’ first scoreless tie of the season as they get set to ride their good form into Big East play next week.
Despite the lack of scoring, head coach Brian Wiese felt his team controlled the pace of the contest and said the Hoyas were hard-pressed not to come away with more from the game.
“I thought we ran the match the first … sixty minutes,” Wiese said. “We were unlucky not to get the lead on a couple occasions. I think we lacked a little bit of sharpness.”
In addition to the score line, the Hoyas also tied the Nittany Lions in shot attempts. But Georgetown held the edge in shots on goal, taking three while not allowing any in a stalwart defensive performance.
“I thought it was a pretty complete performance,” Wiese said. “I think defensively, the guys were very well organized, they were aggressive.”
Neither team got forward in the first half, setting the tone for the scoreless finish. Nevertheless, Wiese believes the team played extremely well in the first frame, controlling the game despite failing to manufacture chances.
“At halftime they had all the adjustments to make,” Wiese explained. “They were having the problems.”
The second half saw the Hoyas produce three quality chances, but none could reach the back of the goal. The first and second shots came from senior Ben Slingerland and freshman Austin Martz, while sophomore Steve Neumann had an opportunity to score in the game’s final moments.
The second half push left the Hoyas knowing they could have won the game. With their lone loss coming against VCU in the first contest of the year, the Hoyas remain a formidable force as they approach the heart of their Big East schedule.
The men are ready to put Tuesday’s contest behind them and return home. When asked about what to expect on Saturday against DePaul, Wiese responded with little hesitation.
“That’s really the big game of the week,” he said. “Our focus is squarely on the Big East. Big East play trumps everything else, and while it’s good to get results on the road against a top-20 team, everything’s about DePaul. It’s a hatch.”
The Hoyas will take on the Blue Demons in their second Big East matchup of the year. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on North Kehoe Field.
