A free kick call that gave Stanford an equalizing goal with just over five minutes remaining in the game left the Hoya faithful at Shaw Field outraged. Georgetown played an impressive game from beginning to end and almost got the victory against No. 2 Stanford, a perennial powerhouse and one of the best teams in the nation. Graduate midfielder Emma Davis’ early goal gave the Hoyas a lead that they held onto for almost 80 minutes, but the aforementioned free kick tied the game at 1-1 with just a few minutes left.
Georgetown struck first in the seventh minute off a short corner routine. Stanford stopped the Hoyas’ initial attempt, but sophomore forward Henley Tippins took possession of the ball and squared it for midfielder Emma Davis at the top of the penalty box. Davis then curled the ball into the bottom corner, and the crowd at Shaw Field erupted. In the 10th minute, Georgetown’s sophomore goalie Cara Martin had to make her first save when Stanford sophomore forward Andrea Kitahata cut the ball back for fifth-year midfielder Maya Doms. Fortunately for Georgetown, she shot directly at Martin, who comfortably caught the ball. In the 22nd minute, graduate forward Allie Winstanley had an excellent chance when she settled the ball right in front of the Stanford goal, but senior goalkeeper Ryan Campbell made a fantastic save to deny Winstanley and keep the Cardinal from conceding another point.
Stanford had a dangerous opportunity in the 25th minute when Doms fired a powerful long-range shot at the Georgetown goal, but Martin parried the ball over the crossbar to keep the Cardinal off the scoreboard. The first half ended uneventfully, and although Georgetown moved the ball well, neither they nor the Cardinal scored for the rest of the first half. Overall, the Hoyas played a fantastic first half, controlling possession and staying organized on defense. Stanford only looked threatening on rare occasions, struggling to get into the game offensively.
The Cardinal seemed more alive to start the second half. Doms found herself in space on the right wing and had time for a shot, but Martin made a great diving save. After that, the Cardinal kept piling on the pressure as junior defender Kellie Pagador hit the crossbar with a header in the 62nd minute. Georgetown’s best chance of the half came when Campbell was unable to cleanly control a cross and Tippins almost picked up the loose ball in front of an empty net. Stanford was able to get the ball clear, though, and the Hoyas couldn’t quite find an insurance goal. The last 30 minutes of the game were tense, as Stanford began pushing more players forward on offense to look for an equalizer.
The Hoyas defended admirably, and Stanford did not have a clear chance until the 85th minute. The referee called a foul on graduate midfielder Julia Leas and gave her a yellow card, leaving the Hoya fans at Shaw Field furious. Stanford got a free kick right on the edge of the penalty box, and star sophomore midfielder Jasmine Aikey placed a wonderful curling free kick in the top right corner to equalize the game with just under five minutes left. Though the game ended in a 1-1 draw, the fans at Shaw Field gave the Hoyas a roaring ovation after a fantastic performance.
The game ended level thanks to Aikey’s goal, but the Hoyas played an incredible game and looked like the better team for most of the match. There are a lot of positive takeaways for Georgetown after a hard-fought draw against the three-time national champion Cardinal. Sunday’s game was the first game all season that Stanford has not won, including a 4-0 thrashing of No. 15 Duke. The Cardinal were by far Georgetown’s best opponents of the season, but the Hoyas were able to match their level and nearly win the match.
Next up, the Hoyas travel to Princeton, New Jersey to face the Princeton Tigers on Sept. 14. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live updates will be available on GUHoyas.com. For continued coverage and updates on Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on X (formerly known as Twitter).
