The No. 15 Georgetown women’s soccer team (2-2-1, Big East) lost 2-0 last night against No. 5 Virginia (5-0-0, ACC) in a tough matchup in Charlottesville. A strong Hoya defensive side was not able to overcome a potent Cavalier offense in a matchup that was closer than the final score indicated.
The first Virginia goal came in the 10th minute inside the box as sophomore forward Rebecca Jarrett dribbled past Hoya junior defender Kelly Ann Livingstone, quickly dumping the ball off to freshman forward Diana Ordoñez, left open as Hoya senior Meaghan Nally rotated over. Ordoñez put the ball past freshman goalkeeper Anna Leat’s sliding effort.
The Hoyas unsuccessfully tried to tie the game late, giving up a goal in the process. In the 85th minute, a Georgetown corner bounced out to Jarrett, who started a Cavalier counterattack. Jarrett brought the ball across the pitch, passing three Hoya defenders before stopping and crossing it in the box to Meghan McCool, who pivoted and shot the ball just past the goalkeeper. Head coach Dave Nolan praised the Hoyas’ effort late in the match.
“I credit our players for executing that plan really well and being down 1-0 with five minutes left, I always felt we could get one, and we almost did,” Nolan said. “As it often happens, we left ourselves exposed when we were chasing the game and they scored their second goal. (Xanax) We now have to get ready for Lafayette on Sunday.”
Senior forward Paula Germino-Watnick was responsible for most of the Hoyas offense, taking 3 shots. However, the Blue and Gray were limited in the final third, recording six shots to Virginia’s eleven. Of six Hoya shots, just one was on goal.
Defensively, the Hoyas allowed the fewest goals that Virginia had scored in a match this season, but it was not enough to overcome their own slow offensive performance.
“This game was always going to be a real test for us. Virginia is a top side with a special player up front. We set out to play in a compact way and tried to counter them when we could,” added Nolan.
Virginia coach Steve Swanson spoke highly of the Hoyas. “We expected a strong challenge tonight from Georgetown and we got it,” he said. “This was a good win against a team that has a lot of experience. We pressed well defensively and I thought that made a big difference for us overall.”
The Hoyas continue their season on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET on Shaw Field against Lafayette (1-2-1, Patriot League). Live stats and a stream are available at guhoyas.com. Follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter for updates and game recaps throughout the women’s soccer season, as well as coverage of other GU sports throughout the year.
