On a sweltering Sunday afternoon, Georgetown women’s soccer (3-0-1, BIG EAST) took down Virginia Tech (2-1-1, ACC) thanks to a second-half goal by junior forward Maya Lardner. The game was highly competitive, and both teams had lots of chances to score throughout. A strong performance from Georgetown’s graduate goalkeeper Allie Augur helped the Hoyas secure the shutout and the victory.
Augur started the game strong, making a full-extension save to deny Virginia Tech senior forward Taylor Bryan in the third minute. In the 19th minute, junior midfielder Claire Manning had one of Georgetown’s best shot attempts of the half when she found herself with acres of space on the left wing. She cut inside and ripped a powerful shot on goal that Virginia Tech senior goalkeeper Alia Skinner bobbled before collecting. Augur came up big again for the Hoyas in the 42nd minute, making a diving save to deny freshman forward Samantha DeGuzman’s shot that was headed for the top right corner.
The first half ended scoreless, though both teams looked dangerous at times. That was largely because both teams moved the ball well, meaning that neither dominated possession. Augur had to make some difficult saves, but she was able to keep the Hokies off the scoresheet. At the half, either team had a real chance to win the game.
Four minutes into the second half, a botched clearance by Virginia Tech landed right in the path of junior forward Maja Lardner, who left the Hokie defense in her dust and coolly slotted the ball past Skinner to break the deadlock and put Georgetown ahead 1-0. After Lardner’s goal, the Hoyas settled in defensively, and for the most part, the Hokies didn’t threaten Georgetown’s lead. Augur only had to make one save in the second half, easily dealing with a slow dribbling shot from DeGuzman. The only scary moment for Hoya fans came in the 81st minute, when Virginia Tech freshman forward Anna Weir unleashed a vicious strike. Weir’s shot flew past a diving Augur but cannoned off the crossbar, leaving Georgetown’s lead intact. Weir’s shot was the last big chance of the game for the Hokies, as the Hoyas were able to close things out after that
All in all, the Hoyas played a good game against a strong nonconference opponent to get the win Sunday; Landner’s goal was the first one Virginia Tech had conceded all season. Georgetown was strong defensively, and Augur, the Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, made sure the Hoyas kept the shutout. After a game against Bucknell on August 24 when she had very little to do, Augur made her presence known on Sunday. Lardner also had a great game, scoring her first goal of the season on her only shot of the game.
“I think we did really well on all fronts,” Augur said after the game. “We all came to play and we got stuck into tackles, won second chances. I couldn’t be happier really.”
Coach Nolan was also pleased with the team’s performance. “It was a big win. That’s a very good team–that’s the best team we’ve played this year, and to have a win over them now as we move on to the rest of our nonconference schedule sets us up nicely.”
The Hoyas will look to get another big nonconference win against Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey on Monday, Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on B1G+. For continued coverage and updates on Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
