On Sunday, Georgetown women’s soccer (1-2-2, 0-0-0 BIG EAST) battled the No.12 ranked University of Virginia (4-0-2, 0-0 ACC) to a spirited, scoreless draw.
Fresh off of a tough defeat to Virginia Tech (4-0-2, 0-0-0 ACC) a week prior, Georgetown managed to hold off the undefeated Cavalier’s hot offense, which averaged three goals per game entering this match.
Despite UVA’s offensive talent, Georgetown’s defense shined bright, shutting down attempts to advance the ball up the wings. Senior Evelyn Casabadan, the starting right-back for the Hoyas, successfully intercepted several UVA through balls early on in the match.
In net, graduate goalkeeper Reiley Fitzpatrick was called into action only a handful of times in the first half, mostly to clean up UVA passes, which missed their intended target. Since her arrival to the team, Fitzpatrick has played every minute of the Hoyas’ season so far. Her vital contributions to the team’s strategy seems to have resolved any fan concerns over what head coach Dave Nolan intended with adding another keeper to an already experienced reserve.
Towards the end of the half Georgetown’s offense found their footing, resulting in a furious five-minute offensive spell which provided Georgetown’s best scoring opportunities of the half. Hoya sophomore forward Aliza Mannon created several touches in UVA’s box off of crosses from the wings, but was unable to find the back of the net.
The second half began with UVA commanding possession and creating numerous scoring chances. However, the Hoyas defense remained up to the task, with a spectacular diving save from Fitzpatrick on a blazing shot from UVA defender Jordyn Hardeman less than ten minutes into the half, keeping the game scoreless. Fitzpatrick continued to creep off her line to smother chances from the Cavaliers’ attack, but as the half progressed, the center backs took center stage.
Junior defender Cassie Delinsky tracked down UVA striker Aniyah Collier to deny a potential goal in the 55th minute. Meanwhile, Georgetown senior captain Kaya Hanson, with Fitzpatrick out of goal, blocked a hot shot that would have put the Cavaliers in front. Both teams received yellow cards in the final six minutes as emotions ran high, with junior forward Caroline Spenglar cautioned as well as the UVA bench.
In the final two minutes, the teams exchanged shots in a frantic finish. Mannon’s self created chance sailed just high, while UVA’s Collier had a strong low driven effort that missed wide left.
While a win would have been the ideal result for the Hoyas, coach Nolan reflected positively on his team’s performance. In a post-game interview, he noted, “Overall, I’m very happy with the performance. You know, we needed a good performance against a good team to just give this team the confidence to go on and play against good teams.”
The Hoyas will travel to Newark, Delaware next to take on the University of Delaware Hens (3-0-3) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+. For continued coverage and updates on Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
