The No. 25 Georgetown women’s soccer team beat No. 21 Xavier by a score of 2-1 on Sept. 26 after a spectacular goal from junior forward Gia Vicari clinched the victory in overtime.

The Georgetown Hoyas (5-0-5, 1-0-1 Big East) met the Xavier Musketeers (8-1-1, 1-1-0 Big East) on a bright Sunday at Corcoran Field in Cincinnati. The matchup boasted two of the seven remaining unbeaten squads in NCAA Division I, a number that Head Coach Dave Nolan’s Georgetown side would reduce to six by the end of the action.

The Hoyas’ offense struck first in the 12th minute when Musketeer goalkeeper Olivia Jenkins blocked a sharp strike from first-year midfielder Eliza Turner. Darting towards the left post, Vicari collected the rebound and slipped it into the net to grant Georgetown an early 1-0 advantage.

However, the Musketeers were able to find an answer in the first half. In the 38th minute, Xavier midfielder Ella Rogers pounded a volley strike from near the top of the box into the upper left-hand corner of the goal to even the score. The equalizer proved to be the lone blemish on an otherwise sound performance from the Georgetown defense, which allowed just two other shots on goal in the match.

The match turned physical in the second half. In the 56th minute, Xavier midfielder Carrie Lewis floated a crosser towards forward Mathilde Rasmussen, who barrelled over the Hoyas’ junior keeper Allie Augur while the ball rolled out of bounds mere feet from the goalpost. Just over two minutes later, Rasmussen would receive the only yellow card of the match for an illegal tackle on Georgetown junior midfielder Julia Leas. 

Later, a head-on collision between Leas and Xavier defender Grace Brauer would result in Brauer briefly returning to the sideline to be assessed by the team trainer. Referee Eric Weisbrod’s officiating crew seemed content to give each side some leeway, with repeated calls for fouls throughout the match from both Coach Nolan and Xavier Head Coach Nate Lie going unrecognized. 

The hard-nosed play from both defensive units allowed the offenses little space to work. By the time the final horn had sounded, Xavier had attempted just one shot on goal since the break. The Hoyas did not muster a shot against the Musketeer defense in the second half.

That would change in overtime. Just under six minutes into the bonus period, Leas sent an excellent pass to Vicari streaking down the left side of the pitch. The junior forward evaded an Xavier defender with a brilliant move and fired a shot past the outstretched arms of Jenkins to secure Georgetown its first conference victory of the season. The Hoyas erupted into celebration, spilling towards Vicari in a jubilant mob. 

It was the first meeting between the two programs since Xavier’s defeat of Georgetown in the 2019 Big East Tournament Final. 

Head Coach Dave Nolan said that Big East history weighed upon the Hoyas’ minds going into the match.

“We have kids that want to go all three, four years with a Big East Championship every year. There’s one missing,” Nolan said in a phone interview with The Hoya. “So the few kids that are still here, it was important for them to get that win.”

Nolan also said that Vicari’s effort on the final play helped to clinch the win for The Hoyas.

“It was a tremendous goal,” he said. “Winning games like that are always decided by mistakes or by moments of brilliance, and that was a moment of brilliance by Gia.” 

The shot was Vicari’s second goal of the match, fourth in the last three contests and team-leading seventh of the season. Until Sunday, no team had produced multiple goals against the Musketeers defense during their 2021 campaign.

With the victory, the Hoyas have now won or tied 22 consecutive regular season matches dating back to October 2019. The win was also the second triumph over a ranked opponent for the Hoyas this year, with the first coming against then No. 16 Rutgers on Sept. 12.

After three consecutive away matches, the Hoyas will return to Shaw Field to defend their unbeaten record against conference rival DePaul University (3-6-0, 0-1-0 Big East) on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 4 p.m.