The Georgetown University women’s soccer team fell 3-1 to Florida State University at home in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, ending its season Nov. 23. Overall, however, the 2025 season was one of improvement and achievement for the Hoyas.
Georgetown’s non-conference season had its ups and downs. The Hoyas ended non-conference play on a 4-2-2 record, with wins over James Madison University (9-4-6), Virginia Tech (4-10-4), Bucknell University (3-9-6), and, most notably, the University of South Carolina (10-5-5), who went on to reach the NCAA tournament. Losses to Vanderbilt University (18-4-2) and Saint Mary’s College (13-3-6), as well as draws against Old Dominion University (11-3-4) and the University of Virginia (14-3-5) marked the beginning of Georgetown’s season.
When Big East play rolled around, the Hoyas found their stride in a historic way. Georgetown barnstormed to a flawless 30 points, finishing the Big East regular season 10-0-0 and becoming the first and only team to achieve a perfect record since the Big East re-formed in 2013. Highlights from the historic run include senior forward Natalie Means’ hat-trick in Georgetown’s 5-0 win over Butler University (5-4-8, 2-3-5 Big East) on Oct. 1 and the Hoyas’ 5-0 dismantling of the Providence College Friars (6-6-4, 3-4-3 Big East) on Oct. 15.
The regular-season Big East title came down to the last game of the season, when Georgetown traveled to Ohio on Nov. 1 to face the Xavier University Musketeers (16-4-2, 8-1-1 Big East), who sat within striking distance of the Hoyas at just 2 points behind.
Georgetown comfortably rose to the challenge, dispatching the Musketeers 4-0, helped by a brace from graduate forward Maja Lardner and a goal and assist from senior midfielder Shay Montgomery.
This year marks the Hoyas’ fourth-consecutive Big East regular season title. Georgetown built on its 2024 championship-winning 8-1-1 record and 25 points. The Hoyas’ 30 goal differential, made up of 32 goals scored and just 2 conceded, should not go without mention either.
When it came time for tournament play, Georgetown fell a bit short of the high expectations set in the regular season.
In the Big East tournament semifinal, senior forward Henley Tippins and Lardner scored to power the Hoyas past Creighton University (7-8-4, 4-3-3 Big East) 2-0. Georgetown fell to Xavier 0-2 in the championship game — surprising following the Hoyas’ comfortable beating of the Musketeers in the regular season a week earlier. Still, Georgetown showed improvement from last season, when the Hoyas fell to the University of Connecticut (11-4-3, 7-1-2 Big East) in the semifinal.
Georgetown was rewarded for its regular-season performances with one of the four No. 2 seeds in the national tournament, guaranteeing home-field advantage through the Elite Eight. In the first round, the Hoyas took care of Sacred Heart University (11-9-2) 3-0, with two goals from Means and a goal and assist from Montgomery delivering Georgetown the victory. In the round of 32, the Hoyas hosted the West Virginia University Mountaineers (14-3-4) on Nov. 20.
After a shock West Virginia goal 3 minutes into the game, Georgetown maintained its composure and dominated the rest of the 90 minutes, scoring once in the 23rd minute with a goal from sophomore midfielder Lizzie Heller. The Hoyas could not find a second goal to decide the game, even after the match went into 20 minutes of overtime, so it took penalties to find a winner.
After Lardner missed Georgetown’s first kick, the Hoyas and their fans thought the season was over, but senior goalkeeper Cara Martin came through with a save, and the Mountaineers rattled their fifth penalty off the crossbar, bringing Georgetown back from the edge of despair to the Sweet 16.
Georgetown’s tournament and season ended against Florida State University (14-2-4), losing 3-1. Seeded at No. 3, Florida State’s win was a small upset over the No. 2 Hoyas, especially given Georgetown’s home-field advantage.
Altogether, it was a fine NCAA tournament for the Hoyas. It is not easy to reach the Sweet 16; prior to this season, Georgetown hadn’t been since 2018, when they were a No. 1 seed and reached the final four.
The Hoyas, however, will be losing almost all their key players for the 2026 season. Their top four scorers, Lardner (14 goals and 4 assists), Montgomery (7 and 13), Means (10 and 6) and Tippins (9 and 3) — who all played all 23 games — will be leaving the team. Other seniors who started all or most games this year are Martin, midfielder Mary Cochran, forward Esme Brayshaw and defender Ellen Carter. That leaves Heller and junior defenders Isabel Boodell and Kaya Hanson as the only returning perennial starters.
Forwards sophomore Jocelyn Lohmeyer and first-years Abby Droner and Aliza Mannon — who played 19, 15 and 12 games respectively this season — will look to follow in the footsteps of the departing trio of Means, Lardner and Tippins. Midfielders junior Maya Wiese, along with sophomores Caroline Spengler and Jamie Covitz, will look to join Heller in midfield to replace Montgomery and Cochran. On defense, sophomore Cassie Delinsky, who started 9 games and played 18 this season, will likely mature into a full-time starting role, replacing Carter.
Despite the Hoyas’ post-season shortcomings, their historic Big East dominance cannot be forgotten. Going 10-0-0 in conference play is an extraordinary accomplishment, and despite the number of crucial pieces Georgetown is losing, next season is still promising. The chance to build on a Big East Title and a Sweet 16 appearance does not come around every year.
