Anyone who has ever played a competitive sport in a league knows how difficult it can be to play game after game. Regardless of skill level, a team can be on its game one day, and fatigued and jaded the next. Sometimes, it just comes down to momentum.
Thankfully, momentum is just what the Georgetown women’s soccer team has on its side. The Hoyas swept their first four games in conference play, leaving them with an unprecedented 4-0-0 record so far against Big East opponents.
When asked whether he was expecting the team to do so well, Head Coach Dave Nolan replied, “To be honest? No. I really didn’t have any expectations for this team because we’re such a young team. I wasn’t sure what we were capable of because we have as many as eight first-time players.”
The women began their conference play with a home clash against Seton Hall on Sept. 14. The Hoyas had just come off of a 6-0 loss to No. 5 Stanford the weekend prior, and were looking to bounce back against the Pirates.
Rather than bounce, the Hoyas flew back to their winning ways with an 8-0 victory. Sophomore midfielder Daphne Corboz recorded a stunning first hat trick of her Georgetown career.
When they met No. 16-ranked Rutgers two days after the Seton Hall game, the Hoyas would only further stamp their dominance on a tough Big East schedule. The 1-0 score line does not look nearly as impressive, but they controlled every aspect of the game just as well.
Georgetown led the Big East conference in points and goals going into their game against a UConn team which was just trailing them in both categories. What looked to be an intimidating game on paper would eventually be settled by three first-half goals coming from the likes of junior forward Katilin Brenn and Corboz. A second-half strike on behalf of junior forward Colleen Dinn would see the game out. The game would finish 4-0, and the Hoyas would preserve their unbeaten conference streak.
Momentum was still on Georgetown’s side, as Brenn then scored the solitary goal in a tough third-conference game against Providence College. Brenn would be in the right place at the right time as Providence goalkeeper Jessica Goudreault spilled a goal-bound shot. All Brenn had to do was deposit the ball into the net, and the Hoyas were on their way.
The win against Providence brought the Hoyas’ Big East record to 4-0-0, and their overall record to 10-1-1. This is the fastest in the history of the women’s soccer program that the team has reached 10 wins. The win also marks the first time in Hoya history that a women’s soccer team has recorded four wins in its first four Big East games.
Since (and during) the completion of such an impressive feat, a number of Georgetown players have received conference recognition. A day after the game against Providence, junior center defender Emily Menges was named the Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
Nolan spoke highly of Menges when he said, “Hand on heart, I think Emily is the best defender in our conference, and it was good to finally see her get some accolades in the morning.”
Brenn was also recognized for her contributions to the team’s impressive record, as she then made the conference’s weekly honor roll.
The shutout at Providence also means the Hoyas are the only squad in the entire Big East Conference yet to give up a goal in conference play. In fact, the Hoyas have only given up just nine goals over the course of the season, six of which came against Stanford.
The women’s soccer team has looked impressive in the last few games it has played at home. Besides a commanding back line that has provided eight shutouts this season, the Hoyas are also in possession of an intelligent midfield that is not afraid to push forward and attack. Only 10 games into the season, the team has already racked up an impressive 31 goals.
Georgetown will look to continue its scintillating form at their next away match against Pittsburgh on Sept. 30 and Cincinnati on Oct. 5.
