Every week, the Voice will supplement our daily soccer coverage with a wrap-up that includes news, notes, and observations on the men’s and women’s soccer teams. This week covers August 30-September 6.
WSOC Game Recaps
1-1 vs Dartmouth on September 2
- The first half was scoreless, but Georgetown looked dangerous on the counter, specifically when the ball was at graduate defender Kelly Ann Livingstone’s foot
- After a turnover in the 58th minute, transfer goalkeeper Allie Augur was left 1 on 1 with a Dartmouth attacker who smashed a shot that went bar down and just over the line to give the Big Green the lead
- Minutes after hitting a post of her own, junior forward Gia Vicari scored her third on the season off a feed from freshman attacker Cyanne Doyle in the 68th minute
- In overtime, a Dartmouth defender was called for a handball in the box, giving Georgetown a penalty shot. Senior midfielder Maya Fernandez-Powell took the pen, but it went off the post (the shot likely would have been stopped even if it did not hit the post, as there was not enough pace and goalie guessed correctly)
1-1 vs Princeton on September 5
- Despite leaving with a draw, Georgetown was outplayed throughout the game, and were unable to carry out much offensive pressure
- Princeton’s score came in the 37th minute when a header off a cross just tipped off Augur’s hands and into the back of the net. Augur would ensure that was the only ball to get past her, making 4 huge saves the rest of the way.
- Doyle tapped in a cross from senior defender Boo Jackson in the 58th minute to knot up the score. The play got started thanks to a pretty feed from senior midfielder Devon Lis
- Freshman midfielder Eliza Turner made a game-saving tackle in the final minute to snuff out the final Princeton attack
WSOC Trends/Storylines/Players to Watch
Queen Eliza – The freshman Turner has seized every opportunity that has come her way this season to great personal and team success. In the latest game vs Princeton, Turner played all 110 minutes on the backline, matching established stars Sydney Cummings and Livingstone. She made several terrific plays on the back, including the aforementioned tackle in the 110th minute. This came after Turner provided a spark off the bench against Dartmouth and played 85 minutes in that game. Graduate midfielder Daisy Cleverley did not suit up on Sunday, so it remains to be seen if Turner will maintain her high usage if the Hoyas midfield is fully in form, but her pace and ability has been a big boost for a Hoya team that has struggled to get much going in their last few games.
The Brick Wall of Allie Augur– It is scary to consider where the Hoyas would be without the transfer from Boston College this season. With the departure of last season’s exemplary goalie duo of Lauren Gallagher and Alyssa Navarette, there was always going to be pressure on Augur to match their production. So far, she has done that and then some, frequently being the only thing keeping Georgetown in games. While the vaunted backline for the Blue and Gray gets a lot of hype, they have been less crisp to start the year, forcing Augur to make big save after big save. She has stepped up to the challenge, already earning a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll and is on pace to stake her claim as Big East Goalie of the Year.
MSOC Game Recaps
1-0 vs Syracuse on September 3
- This was a relatively open, but quiet game, as Georgetown had the only two shots on goal in the game. Senior goalie Giannis Nikopolidis earned his second shutout of the season, despite the fact that he was not forced to make a save
- The game’s one goal came after a long pass from junior midfielder Dante Polvara which hit sophomore forward John Franks on the flank who buried his second goal of the year
- Syracuse played the final 2 minutes with 10 men after one player earned himself a red card.
1-0 vs Santa Clara on September 6
- Georgetown dominated this game, especially in the second half, and could have easily been 2 or 3 up
- After a relatively quiet first half, defender Kieran Sargeant broke through in the 59th minute. After a corner kick was sent into the mixer, senior midfielder Sean Zawadzki’s attempt was saved to the freshman’s foot
- Georgetown would come close a number of times, notably when freshman midfielder Joe Buck whistled a shot off the post and sophomore forward Marlon Tabora just sent a shot a little wide
- Graduate goalkeeper Ethan Koehler was strong in net, including an acrobatic kick save that used every inch of his 6’2 frame
Trends/Storylines/Players to Watch
A budding Star(geant)– With Kenny Nielsen and Aidan Rocha banged up to start the year, there were opportunities present on the Hoya backline and Kieran Sargeant has taken advantage. The freshman out of the Houston Dynamo Academy came off the bench to begin the year but has played 90 minutes in each of the last two games vs Syracuse and Santa Clara, and has made a big difference in each. He has already been named Big East Defender of the Week and Freshman of the Week for his role in anchoring a backline that has not allowed a goal in 278 minutes and his two goals on the year are already more than the combined scores from defensive players last season.
Zawadzki steps up his game – Sean Zawadzki’s star turn came during the 2019 College Cup, where the then-sophomore was the best player on the pitch for long stretches in the semifinal game versus Stanford. Fans knew they had the next great Hoya on their hands, and the midfielder has delivered on the hype time and time again. Zawadzki was forced to spend the end of last season on the backline, filling in for the injured Daniel Wu and departed Rio Hope-Gund. While this allowed the Hoyas to maintain their defensive prowess, it was also a big loss for the Georgetown midfield, where they struggled to maintain possession throughout the NCAA Tournament. With a healthy backline, the captain has been able to return to the midfield where his calm demeanor, ball control, and intelligent reads are a cut above any opponent. In the Santa Clara game, Zawazski led the team with 4 shots on goal and it is only a matter of time until his counting stats match up with the eye test. It would not be a surprise to see Zawadzki challenge for Big East Player of the Year at the end of the season.
