The No. 11 Georgetown women’s soccer team finished a gritty, physical game against the Butler Bulldogs in a 0-0 draw on Sunday. The Hoyas improved their undefeated streak to 10 games with the tie, and have not been beaten in their last 18 regular season conference matches. Senior forward Paula Germino-Watnick was the star player for the Hoyas, but they couldn’t grab any goals against their two-time Big East finals opponent.
The first half began with a few scares for Georgetown (10-2-3, 4-0-2 Big East), as Butler (8-4-3, 3-1-2 Big East) nearly converted against a disoriented Hoyas defense after a corner kick. The next ten minutes, though, were marked by complete offensive pressure from the Hoyas. The Blue & Gray failed to make good with a throw-in that landed in front of the net, and junior forward Jenna Menta passed out to Germino-Watnick for a clean shot on goal, but was stifled by a defender and rolled out wide left. Georgetown freshman midfielder Julia Leas had a skillful body block against one of the first shots by Butler, from sophomore midfielder Katie Soderstrom, in the 23rd minute.
Soderstrom, last week’s Big East Offensive Player of the Week, had an open look on a breakaway in the 30th minute but the shot was saved by GU freshman goalkeeper Anna Leat. The physicality of the game began to ramp up as Georgetown sophomore forward Boo Jackson wiped out Butler senior forward Macy Miller in a no-call that the Butler coaching staff was clearly unhappy about. With eight fouls and multiple no-call collisions already occurring early in the game, the match quickly became tense. In the last real offensive push by the Bulldogs of the first half, Germino-Watnick had another great block in the 33rd. Another collision from Leas led sophomore defender Jenna Royson to take a free kick that led to a scoring opportunity for Germino-Watnick, but the shot came out wide left.
Butler looked much stronger in the second half. Bulldog senior forward Macy Miller started the period with an open drive and passed it out to Soderstrom, but the shot was saved by Leat. Soon after, a boot from outside the box by Butler’s sophomore forward Anja Savish barely missed the top left corner, with not enough English on the kick. The game became gritty as Hoya senior defender Meghan Nally knocked over a Bulldog offensive player. It certainly felt like a high stakes game; if Georgetown were to win, it would be Butler’s first home loss since October 2017. The physicality culminated in another collision in which Hoyas graduate forward Amanda Carolan was injured. Shortly after, Butler’s redshirt junior defender Amanda Kowalski came off the pitch after jamming her leg in a defensive scuffle.
The tension on the field grew as regulation time wound down. A Georgetown throw-in led to another chance for Germino-Watnick but the Butler defensive line managed to stop it, having been much stronger in this second half. Menta had another offensive opportunity that was rebutted by the Butler defense,and called a goal kick as it left the field of play, frustrating coach Dave Nolan. The last real drive of the second period was a two-on-two drive by the Hoyas that ended with a tackle from Butler’s sophomore midfielder Morgan Kloosterman. A wild attempt was made in the final seconds of the half by Miller, but the Hoyas aggressive defense contained it with ease, and the game went into overtime scoreless.
Butler took control in the first overtime, nearly putting the game to bed. A free kick from Kowalski led to Butler’s sophomore midfielder Celia Gaynor shooting just feet from the net, but the shot bounced off the crossbar. Once the Hoyas got back in control, Rosyon had an opportunity but her shot missed wide as the game went into double OT.
Each team’s offense was clearly fatigued by the second overtime. Three minutes in, the Hoyas already had four corner kicks but couldn’t convert their pressure into the W.
The Hoyas’ next game is Thursday, October 24th at DePaul. The game will be available on the Big East Digital Network. Live stats are available at guhoyas.com. Follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter for coverage and continuing coverage of fall sports at Georgetown.
