The Georgetown University women’s soccer team (2-0-2) traveled to Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 31 to face the University of Virginia (UVA) Cavaliers (4-0-1). The evenly matched teams put up an intense game that ended in a 1-1 draw — a fair result on the basis of play.
Georgetown went into the game ranked No. 16 against No. 13 UVA. This result brought the Hoyas’ early season record up to 2-0-2 with the team yet to suffer a loss.
The teams’ intentions were clear early on as they looked to make a statement, resulting in few developments for the first minutes of the match. UVA midfielder Lia Godfrey eventually broke the initial deadlock when, in the 21st minute, she found the net from a free kick into the top left corner.
Despite going a goal down, the Hoyas showed no signs of depletion and kept their heads and their intensity up. Georgetown showcased their intent with a few good shots, one notably by senior forward Henley Tippins, which was blocked by the UVA defense.
As the half drew to a close, Georgetown’s senior forward Esme Brayshaw fired a solid shot at goal that was saved by UVA keeper Victoria Safradin. The Cavaliers fought hard to go into the break ahead.
The half ended with Georgetown a goal down, but it was clear the Hoyas were not backing down and were determined to break through the Cavaliers’ defense.
Despite Georgetown’s hunger for a leveling goal, UVA was able to take control of the early stages of the second half by controlling possession of the ball.
As the half went on, it seemed as though UVA’s defense-based plan was paying off; the game remained 1-0 and the Hoyas — while still confident — were still trailing and finding it hard to get on the ball and create meaningful chances to break down the Cavaliers’ defense.
However, the big scoring break paid off when Hoya senior midfielder Shay Montgomery drove down the left flank and laid the ball off to graduate forward Maja Lardner. The star forward took a couple of touches before blasting the ball past UVA’s goalkeeper to tie the match up 1-1 with 20 minutes left in play.
The Hoyas were relieved to find an equalizer, but their ultimate objective was clear: push on for a winning goal. Lardner’s goal switched all of the match’s momentum to Georgetown in a final push for victory.
Six minutes later, sophomore forward Jocelyn Lohmeyer had the golden opportunity to put Georgetown in front with a header from the corner, but Safradin, once again, was able to make the save.
The Hoyas — despite their best efforts — could not find a winning goal and the match ended in a draw.
While each team was disappointed with the result, both played their game well and produced a great match. Georgetown featured a major success as they became the first team to score a goal against UVA this season. Further, Lardner’s 5th goal of the season means she has now scored in all of Georgetown’s games this season.
The Hoyas will look forward to their upcoming clash against Vanderbilt University (4-1) Sept. 4, hoping to secure a win against the 25th-seeded Vanderbilt and keep spirits high. The Hoyas will return home Saturday, Sept. 7 to take on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks (5-0-1) at 1 p.m. on Shaw Field.