The Georgetown women’s soccer team has had a very busy start to the season, traveling to Harrisonburg, Va., where they defeated a strong team from James Madison University 2-1 behind goals from freshman midfielder Julia Leas in the 35th minute before a second goal from reliable graduate student forward Amanda Carolan.

After two days of rest, the Hoyas played host to the No. 21 NC State on Shaw Field, where they were unable to tame the Wolfpack as they fell by a final score of 3-1. Despite the loss, it was a solid team effort led Carolan, who scored again, this time on a deflection from within the box.

After another brief two-day rest, the Hoyas, then ranked No. 13 in the nation, traveled to Durham, N.C., to face off against a formidable opponent in the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils.  Duke was looking to avenge their 4-1 loss to Georgetown in the third round of last year’s NCAA tournament, while the Hoyas were aiming to bounce back after their recent loss to the Wolfpack.

It was an intense back and forth game between two quality teams who met twice last season, but the game ended in a scoreless tie after two overtimes at Koskinen Stadium.  Neither team was able to generate much offense as the goalkeepers were only able to rack up three saves total — two for Georgetown — and the teams combined for a mere six corners — four for Georgetown. These are two teams that are likely en route to an NCAA appearance, which would set the teams up for a fourth matchup in this two-year run, during which each team intends to compete at the highest level.

The Hoyas are entering this season with high expectations, coming off the heels of one of the best seasons in recent memory. After winning the Big East championship over a strong Butler team, Georgetown defeated quality opponents from Central Connecticut State, Washington State, Duke and Baylor before falling to the North Carolina Tar Heels in a 1-0 double overtime heartbreaker to end their 2018 NCAA tournament run.

Georgetown is returning a strong core with postseason experience from two Big East tournament games and five NCAA tournament games, which could help continue its success in critical moments.

This year’s roster includes six experienced seniors spread across the field, from goalkeeping to defense and from midfield to forwards. This distribution will provide leadership in all corners of the field where it will be needed. The experience and skill of this class could pace the Hoyas to Big East contention, another NCAA bid and potentially a repeat long run into the NCAA tournament.

After returning home from Durham, Georgetown has three days of rest before facing off against Bucknell on Sunday. The game will take place at 1 p.m. on Shaw Field. This game serves as a tune up before the Hoyas travel to Charlottesville to face off against the formidable Virginia Cavaliers, currently the No. 6 ranked team in the nation.