For the No. 3 Georgetown men’s soccer team (14-2-2, 9-0 Big East), the season began with hefty expectations.
After being slated as one of the top contenders to win the national championship, it came as a shock to many around the NCAA soccer world when the Hoyas opened the season with a 0-2-1 road trip. The team saw their ranking dip, but they believed in themselves and remained confident in their ability to live up to expectations. Since that time, the team has yet to lose, and now sits at No. 3 in the national polls, ironically where they sat before the season even started.
The Blue and Gray will have the opportunity to accomplish a goal that has been 24 years in the making when they face second-seeded Creighton (17-2, 7-2 Big East) Sunday afternoon: win the Big East Tournament Championship. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on Shaw Field.
Creighton and Georgetown played one another earlier this season, on Nov. 5, for the right to secure the regular season conference championship. The game ended in a 2-1 victory for Georgetown on Senior Day.
Despite their earlier success against the Blue Jays, the Hoyas are well-aware that they must play at a high level if they want to win again.
“Creighton has some really good pieces,” said Georgetown Head Coach Brian Wiese. “If you have weaknesses they are built to exploit them.”
One of the most dangerous players on Creighton is junior forward Fabian Herbers, who is currently tied for second in the nation in goals scored (15). Herbers is also second in the nation with 12 assists on the season. He scored the lone goal for the Blue Jays in the previous meeting between the teams this year.
But the Georgetown defense has been stellar of late, having only conceded four goals in the past ten games. With all four starting defenders earning all-conference honors, including Defensive Player of the Year Joshua Yaro, the Hoyas will look to contain the Creighton attack as they did the last time these two teams met.
On the offensive end, the Blue and Gray will look to ride the wave of momentum they have generated during their 15 game undefeated streak, in which they have averaged 2.73 goals per game. Senior attacker Brandon Allen, who scored the game winning goal against Xavier, discussed the preparation for Sunday’s game.
“Continuing to study the film of Creighton is crucial,” Allen noted. “Their center backs are very aggressive on the forwards, and we need to take advantage of that by exploiting the gaps.”
If the Hoyas can capitalize on the opportunities presented to them, they may be able to capture the first Big East Tournament Championship in school history.
“This is something we’ve talked about all season,” remarked Coach Wiese. “Sunday is a great chance to finally do it.”
