Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

MEN’S SOCCER | No. 1 Georgetown Bounces Back With 3-1 Victory Over Villanova

Three days after suffering its first loss of the season to Providence, the Georgetown men’s soccer team defeated the Villanova Wildcats 3-1 at Shaw Field on Saturday, Oct. 16. 

Led by goals from senior midfielder/forward Zach Riviere, sophomore defender Kenny Nielsen and junior forward Stefan Stojanovic, the No. 1 Hoyas bounced back in dominating fashion. Georgetown (11-1, 5-1 Big East) struggled defensively in the first few minutes of the game, leading to an early deficit. Villanova (8-5, 4-3 Big East) scored after midfielder Lyam Mackinnon stole the ball from Georgetown senior goalkeeper Giannis Nikopolidis just six minutes in, converting a wide-open shot into an easy goal to put the Wildcats up 1-0.

Georgetown Head Coach Brian Wiese said allowing Villanova to take advantage of Georgetown’s failures during this opening sequence was frustrating for the Hoya side.

“We had to manage the things that they were dangerous about,” Wiese said in a postgame interview with The Hoya. “The first five to 10 minutes, we didn’t manage well.”

Yet Georgetown quickly bounced back to knot the score. Controlling the ball for the next 10 minutes, the Hoyas moved downfield to set up three shots on goal, the third securing Georgetown’s first goal. Nielsen drilled the ball into the lower left corner, tying the game at 1-1 early in the first half.

Kirk Zieser/The Hoya | Georgetown men’s soccer followed up its first loss of the season with a win over Villanova, its 13th consecutive victory over the Wildcats.

In the 26th minute, the crowd fell quiet as Georgetown methodically moved the ball downfield. The Hoyas moved fast; deep within Wildcats territory, Riviere worked a tough angle to power a high center ball into the net, increasing Georgetown’s lead to 2-1.

By the end of the half, the Hoyas were in complete control. With 15 shots to the Wildcats’ two, five corner kicks to their zero and, most importantly, two goals to their one, Wiese felt confident heading into the next half.

“We need to just be who we are,” Wiese said. “We need to make sure guys come on and lift it to maintain the standard we are hoping for.”

Georgetown stayed aggressive after the break, but gameplay quickly descended into sloppiness by both teams. The Hoyas picked up their first yellow card on a challenge from junior defender Daniel Wu, setting Mackinnon and the Wildcats up for a free kick that sailed over the crossbar. It didn’t take long for Villanova to receive a yellow card of its own, with Wildcat defender Anthony Cousins launching an aggressive tackle as Georgetown drove downfield. Less than two minutes later, Cousins fouled another Hoya and kicked the ball into him after the foul was called, leading to his second yellow card and removal from the match. Mackinnon disputed the ejection for so long that he too earned a yellow card. Afterward, Georgetown finally resumed its attack on the Wildcats’ side.

Wiese said the Hoyas’ age and experience helped their players navigate a penalty-filled game situation.

“I think Villanova lost their way a little bit there,” Wiese said. “The red card was, I think, deserved. It’s just older guys. They’ve been around long enough to know how to handle that kind of situation.”

Georgetown had an injury scare with fewer than 20 minutes left in the game, when junior forward Will Sands limped off the field following a foul by Villanova defender David Ogbonna. The Wildcats saved the penalty kick taken by Hoya junior midfielder Dante Polvara, but Stojanovic rocketed one in directly off the save. Georgetown took a commanding 3-1 lead that ended up as the final score.

With just four games left in the regular season, Georgetown men’s soccer remains locked into an intense competition for the No. 1 spot in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Rankings and a top seed in the looming NCAA Tournament. For Coach Wiese, though, rankings are far from the top of his list of priorities.

“Rankings aren’t something I control other than winning or losing,” Wiese said. “The winning and the losing is the byproduct of progressing as a team and evolving as a team.”

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