Senior forward Crystal Thomas assisted the Hoyas’ only goal in their 1-1 tie against Big East rival DePaul. Thomas has scored five goals and has assisted four others this season.
The Georgetown women’s soccer team (10-5-2, 5-1-2 Big East) travelled to Chicago for a Sunday afternoon matinee with fellow Big East heavyweight DePaul (11-3-4, 5-1-2 Big East) on the opposition’s Senior Day. In an important matchup with Big East tournament implications, the Hoyas hoped to capture three points to help them secure a top-two seed in the tournament, which would give them a bye through the first round.
Georgetown’s prospects to gain three points looked very good for the majority of regulation. The Hoyas controlled the pace of the game for the first quarter, finding themselves with decent chances and drawing fouls to control the game.
In the 26th minute, Georgetown took the lead on a goal scored by a familiar duo. Sophomore midfielder Rachel Corboz delivered her ninth goal of the season from approximately 10 yards out on an assist from senior forward Crystal Thomas, who has consistently been crucial to Georgetown’s attack. The Hoyas recorded four shots in the first half and entered halftime with their 1-0 lead intact.
“Rachel is a very good player. As the season has gone on, she’s gotten more comfortable. She’s become a bigger and bigger part of what we do,” Head Coach Dave Nolan said.
In the second half, Georgetown’s defense played well, but ultimately fell victim to a well-executed set piece in the 80th minute on a foul that Nolan perceived as a “soft call” by the referee.
“The disappointing thing was that they scored off of a set piece, a free kick which I had felt was a soft call on the referee’s part based on how they had called the game to that point,” Nolan said.
Regulation finished in a 1-1 tie, so the teams headed for the golden goal overtime period.
Sophomore midfielder Rachel Corboz scored her team’s only goal in a 1-1 tie against the DePaul Blue Demons. Corboz leads Georgetown with nine goals and eight assists so far this season for a total of 26 points.
The run of the play in the first overtime belonged to DePaul. DePaul took two dangerous shots on goal, but graduate student goalkeeper Emma Newins was there with a pair of important saves to maintain the tie. The Blue Demons put the Hoyas under intense pressure, but the defense was able to stave off the attack.
“Emma’s experience being a fifth-year senior in goal has given us a lot of confidence in the back this season,” Corboz said. “We know when we need her she will come up with big-time saves, which she has proven to do numerous times.”
The second overtime period saw Georgetown nearly come away with a thrilling victory. After junior forward Grace Damaska took a shot in the 105th minute, the Hoyas found themselves with a golden opportunity.
Corboz fired a shot on goal that was saved by DePaul’s senior goalkeeper Alejandria Godinez, but Godinez was unable to secure the ball. Five seconds later, sophomore defender Taylor Pak found herself with the ball at her feet, but Godinez saved the Blue Demons again, leaving the Hoyas disappointed. That proved to be the decisive moment in overtime, as neither squad found another major opportunity to score.
“The keeper had maybe one of the best saves I’ve seen by a college goalkeeper in overtime,” Nolan said.
The game ended in a 1-1 tie and Georgetown headed home without the three points they needed to help them secure a bye in the Big East Tournament. However, the Hoyas can still clinch a bye with a win Friday in their last regular season game against Creighton (10-9, 2-6 Big East). If Georgetown wins, it is guaranteed a top-two spot in the final Big East standings. Georgetown can even win the Big East with a victory against Creighton and a St. John’s (14-2-1, 6-1-1 Big East) loss to Providence (12-6, 5-3 Big East).
The Hoyas will face off against Creighton Friday at Shaw Field at 2:30 p.m.
