The No. 15 Georgetown women’s soccer team returned to their winning ways Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Bucknell on Shaw Field.

Despite a loss and a tie in the team’s previous two contests, the Hoyas (2-1-1) got off to a hot start against Bucknell(1-3) . Senior forward Paula Germino-Watnick managed to score a goal just four minutes into the game, giving Georgetown an early 1-0 advantage.

Following Germino-Watnick’s goal, the Hoya defense ensured that the opponents had little chance to even the score, preventing the Bison from taking a shot for the entire first half. Bucknell would only manage three shots in the entire match.

As the first half came to a close, freshman forward Gia Vicari put a shot on net from the left side of the box. As the Bison goalkeeper stepped out to make the save, sophomore forward Caitlin Moon intercepted the ball and put it in the back of the cage. This goal, the first of Moon’s career, gave the Hoyas a 2-0 lead going into the break.

Despite managing to produce some offense in the second half, including a close call in the 72nd minute, Bucknell was simply unable to gain any momentum. A solid performance in goal from junior goalkeeper Alyssa Navarrete ensured that the match would end as a 2-0 Georgetown victory. The shutout would be the first of Navarrete’s career.

The Hoyas dominated the Bison in all statistical categories. Georgetown posted 27 shots and took 13 corner kicks, compared to to Bucknell’s three shots and five corners.

While Georgetown Head Coach Dave Nolan was pleased with the result, he feels that the squad, which is vying for its fourth straight Big East championship, is playing below its potential, particularly after some lackluster passing and defending in the second half..

“I thought in the first half we were pretty good,” Nolan said in an interview with GUHOYAS. “I challenged the kids at halftime and said we need to be a performance team and not a results team, but I was a bit disappointed in the second half.”

The Hoyas will have a much lower margin for error in their next matchup against some of the stiffest competition they will see all season, as they travel to play No. 5 Virginia on Thursday, Sept. 5, at Klockner Stadium.

This matchup against the perennial powerhouse Cavaliers will prepare the Hoyas for the serious competition which they will face within conference play. With only five games left before the start of Big East competition, it is essential for the Hoyas to learn how not to shrink against serious competition, as well as to determine what lineups and schemes make the most sense for this year’s iteration of the Hoyas.