WOMEN’S SOCCER GU Wins ECAC Tourney By Julie Wood Hoya Staff Writer
Charles Nailen/The Hoya Sophomore forward Jen Choiniere scored in the Hoyas’ championship victory.
To cap off their winningest season in program history, the Georgetown women’s soccer team made their first postseason appearance a winning one, winning the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Sunday 2-0 over Fordham.
The top-seeded Hoyas beat Binghamton 4-3 in the first round to advance to the championship. Georegtown, who competes in the Big East conference but entered a bid for the ECAC tournament, finished the season 11-7-1.
Sophomore forward Jessie Beers-Altman scored the game-winning goal against both Fordham and Binghamton, as well as an additional goal against Binghamton, earning her the tournament MVP award.
It was the final game for the team’s eight seniors. In their four years at Georgetown, this class saw the Hoyas go from a 4-9-1 record their freshman year to their record-breaking finish in 2001.
“To turn the program around like that is just tremendous. I give them credit,” Head Coach Diane Drake said. “It’s a great statement for where the program’s gone.”
The Hoyas outshot the Rams 22-2. “We just kept pumping away and getting shots off, they just weren’t going in,” Drake said.
But after 32 minutes of trying, Beers-Altman was finally able to get the ball past diving Rams sophomore goalie Shannon Misiaszek after a pass from sophomore midfielder Lauren Calone.
Beers-Altman’s performance was the highlight of the tournament for the Hoyas. She used her speed to get past defenders and score three goals. “We call her `The Porsche’ because she’s probably one of the fastest players I’ve seen in a long time,” Drake said. “She was just really dynamic. She ran everyone down.”
The Hoya offense continued their strong performance as the match wore on and got an insurance goal at the 64:37 mark when junior defender Casey Hoffman passed to sophomore forward Jen Choiniere. The 2-0 lead carried the Hoyas for the rest of the match.
The Hoya defense kept the Rams out of the game, allowing just two shots on goal. Hoya goalkeepers senior Shereena Chang and sophomore Alexis George combined for the shutout. Chang saw no shots in her play in the first half. George had two saves in the second half, inculding Ram freshman midfielder Dana Arcara’s close-range shot which she dove to stop.
“It was one of those games when every player who stepped on the field really went after the game,” Drake said. “It was the most confidence I’ve seen us play with all season.”
The Hoyas’ record of 11-7-1 is the best in their history, especially impressive considering the strength contained in their conference. The Big East sent eight schools to the NCAA tournament this season, more than any other conference. The Hoyas’ non-conference record was 8-3 this season.
“We’re in a power conference, and it’s brutal. We’re fighting every day,” Drake said.
2001 Women’s Soccer Team Page Schedule Roster
