Junior forward Brandon Allen was named the Big East Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after scoring 11 goals last season.
The men’s soccer team has had six players drafted by Major League Soccer clubs in the last two seasons alone. The women’s team lost just three regular-season games last year. Men’s basketball may capture most Georgetown sports headlines, but two of the most impressive sports programs on the Hilltop last year were the men’s and women’s soccer teams.
With the release of the Aug. 6 NCAA Preseason Rankings, both Georgetown soccer teams find themselves in familiar territory — in the Top 25. The 2013 Big East joint regular-season champions men’s team is ranked ninth, and was voted first in the Big East Conference Preseason Coaches Poll on Aug. 19. Senior Tomas Gomez was the Conference Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year after allowing just 0.44 goals per game, and junior forward Brandon Allen was named the Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after scoring 11 goals last season.
Though expectations are certainly high, Head Coach Brian Wiese does not put too much stock in preseason projections.
“Preseason accolades are fundamentally based on what you’ve done prior to when the season started. The good thing is that the players stop being bothered by it when the season starts. They understand that the rankings have no bearing on what we are,” Wiese said.
Arguably the biggest challenge for the Blue and Gray this season will be replacing the leadership and production of forward Steve Neumann and defensive midfielder Joey Dillon. Neumann was drafted by the New England Revolution with the fourth overall pick of the 2014 MLS Draft, while Dillon was drafted 53rd by Real Salt Lake. However, Wiese is confident that his team can not only withstand these losses, but also improve on last year’s results.
“The question for us is, are we going to have to replace our leaders and be better than last year. If we can stay healthy, I think we can be a really fun team to watch,” Wiese said. “We have a terrific crop of freshmen that are coming in and adding some unbelievable depth that we haven’t really seen in the program before.”
Reigning Big East Midfielder of the Year, senior Daphne Corboz was a unanimous all-Big East First team selection. Corboz and the women’s soccer team were voted 20th in the NCAA preseason poll. The Hoyas will play their first home game this Friday against NC State.
Meanwhile, the women’s soccer team is ranked 20th nationally, and was voted to place second in the Big East Preseason Coaches Poll, behind Marquette University. Senior midfielder Daphne Corboz was a unanimous selection to the All-Big East Preseason Team after posting seven goals, 13 assists, and receiving the award for Conference Midfielder of the Year in 2013. The USA Under-23 player will be expected to help the Hoyas break the single-season wins record of 16 that they tied last season.
In order to break that record however, this year’s team will have to traverse a more challenging schedule. Head Women’s Soccer Coach Dave Nolan believes that his team will react positively to playing seven games against teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last year.
“The schedule for this fall is particularly competitive and designed to challenge us early in the year,” Nolan told guhoyas.com. “The nonconference segment is perhaps the toughest we will have ever faced. Everybody here is excited by the opportunity.”
Though both teams face obstacles to their continued success, the Georgetown faithful crowding Shaw Field to cheer on the Hoyas every home game are sure to bolster both teams’ chances.
“We’ve got some of the best student fans in the country. The students give us life when they’re there and engaged and we’re always trying to encourage that,” Wiese said.
The women’s team has already started off its regular season strong, with a 3-1 road victory over the University of San Diego on Aug. 22, followed by a 1-1 draw against Long Beach State on Aug. 24. The Blue and Gray return to Washington, D.C., for their home opener Friday, Aug. 29 against North Carolina State. The Hoyas will kick off against the Wolfpack at 3 p.m.
After a 1-1 exhibition draw on road against third-ranked University of Virginia on Aug. 23, the men’s team will open their regular season with an away game in Bloomington, Ind., against Indiana University. Friday’s game against the Hoosiers will begin at 8 p.m.
Hoya Staff Writers Ryan Bacic and Sharanya Sriram contributed reporting to this story
