The No. 11 Georgetown women’s soccer team (7-2-1, 1-0 Big East) will take a short trip north to take on Villanova (5-3-2, 1-0 Big East) this afternoon. The Hoyas are on a five-game winning streak, having beaten Marquette (3-7, 0-1 Big East) 3-0 last weekend in their Big East opener. The Wildcats are also coming off their first Big East win, defeating Xavier (7-2-2, 0-1 Big East) on Sunday.
In Sunday’s game, Georgetown dominated from the start. The Hoyas controlled the pace, waiting for an opportunity to arise. In the 18th minute, the Blue and Gray found the back of the net after a goal kick was intercepted and freshman midfielder Julia Leas took a shot from 30 yards out that deflected into the top-right corner of the goal. This did not deter Marquette, who had the next chance, forcing freshman goalie Anna Leat off her line, with senior defender Meghan Nally coming to the rescue, clearing the shot away from goal. Graduate student forward Amanda Carolan added to GU’s lead right after the half as sophomore forward Boo Jackson dribbled down the goal line and lifted a cross towards the net that Carolan poked home. Carolan scored again in the 82nd minute, firing senior defender Meaghan Nally’s rebound into the net. Last weekend’s win was GU’s third straight shutout.
After their performances on Sunday, Carolan and Leat were named Big East Players of the Week on Monday; Nally also earned a spot on the Big East Honor Roll. Carolan scored two goals against the Golden Eagles, bringing her to No. 8 all-time for Georgetown with 72 points and to No. 5 all-time with 30 goals. She is currently third in the conference for points and goals. Monday’s league award is her second in three weeks. Leat’s four saves helped her pick up Freshman of the Week honors. GU’s defense was anchored by Nally, who only let up four shots on target. The Hoyas have had a player recognized by the Big East for six straight weeks.
The Wildcats took on Xavier last Sunday in a game that only had one goal. The first half of play was an even battle with each team recording a shot on target, with Xavier outshooting Nova overall. Things remained the same in the second half, but the Wildcats were able to score in the 57th minute after sophomore midfielder Brice McInroy stole the ball from a defender and dribbled downfield, confusing XU’s goalie before putting away the shot. Nova’s defense held together for the rest of the game, giving the Wildcats their first Big East win of the season.
McInroy leads Villanova in points this season with 11, while graduate student goalie Rebecca Gartner and sophomore goalie Hensley Hancuff have been splitting time in net.
The game is set to begin at 4:00 p.m., ET this afternoon. Live stats are available on guhoyas.com. Follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter for coverage and continuing coverage of fall sports at Georgetown.
