Image Contributor
Senior forward Sara Jordan looks to play a large role for the Hoyas’ offense this season.

Coming off of the program’s first NCAA bid, Head Coach Dave Nolan wanted to find out how good this year’s squad was. After playing ACC powerhouse Maryland and sixth-ranked Virginia, the Hoyas know that they can play right on par with any team in the nation.

Georgetown tied the Terrapins 3-3 last Wednesday and finished with a 2-2 draw against the Cavaliers on Monday. At Virginia, freshman Samantha Baker notched a goal and an assist to lead Georgetown to a 2-2 draw.

“[Virginia] is certainly a very good team, and playing in Charlottesville is a difficult place for anyone to go,” Nolan said. “I was very happy how we played . against, to me, one of the best teams in the country.”

The Cavaliers took a quick lead in the 11th minute, but Baker and the Hoyas struck with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half. Freshman Camille Trujillo sent a through ball to Baker, who beat senior goalkeeper Celeste Miles.

“[Baker] is a confident player – she’s hard-working and quite athletic,” Nolan said. “I’m asking her to play as a central striker when she’s much more comfortable playing on the wings . but she’s a hard-working kid and everyday, she picks up new things.”

Baker cooked up the Hoyas’ next goal on a heave from the sideline. The freshman’s throw-in landed at the foot of senior midfielder Nicole Smith in front of the goal, who blasted the ball home to give Georgetown a short-lived 2-1 lead in the 70th minute.

Just a minute later, Virginia’s senior forward Kelly Quinn knocked a one-touch just inside the post for the final score of the game.

The Cavaliers used the game to get their bench some experience, sending eight substitutes on to the field.

“I was pleased with the fact that we were able to get everyone some quality minutes and gave a lot of players a chance to show what they can do,” Virginia Head Coach Steve Swanson said in a press release.

Even so, the Cavaliers held large in shots, 22-3, and corner-kicks, 7-1. Nolan, however, said the game was not as lopsided as the statistics might suggest.

“Overall on the run of play, they probably had nine good scoring opportunities, and we probably had four or five,” Nolan said.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jackie DesJardin made seven saves in 70 minutes for Georgetown.

“This year we chose two very difficult exhibitions games, so we could get a feel for what kind of team we are,” Nolan said. He added that his team was able to practice two contrasting styles against the two opponents. Against Maryland, a fast and physical team, Georgetown showed that it has the speed to keep up with a top-flight opponent. Virginia, on the other hand, is a much more tactical team, which forced the Hoyas to focus on keeping possession and the technical aspects of the game.

With the graduation of seven players from last year’s squad and the loss of playmaker Ingrid Wells to the Under-20 U.S. National Team, Nolan had been banking on a strong freshman class. The incoming class took a big hit when newcomer Greta Samuelsdottir tore her ACL while training with the Icelandic national team this summer.

“That’s a big loss for us because she’s an offensive player. I was hoping that she would help share in the offensive load to replace Ingrid,” Nolan said.

However, Nolan said that Baker, Trujillo and freshman midfielder Kelly D’Ambrisi have already shown that they have the ability to contribute on offense.

Georgetown will also rely on veteran forward Sara Jordan up front. As a senior last season, Jordan led the Hoyas with seven goals and was second on the team in assists. Having missed her junior year due to an injury, Jordan elected to enroll in graduate school and use her final year of soccer eligibility.

Jordan was picked by the Big East coaches for the preseason all-Big East team. As a team, Georgetown was tabbed to finish third in the National Division of the Big East, behind Notre Dame and Louisville. The Hoyas finished third last season behind the Fighting Irish and Cardinals, and reached the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

“We certainly learned in the preseason that we have the ability to play with everyone. Now we just have to get the consistency,” Nolan said. “I’d like to think that we have the talent to achieve some of the goals that we achieved last year.”

Georgetown will open the regular season tomorrow at American University. Last season the Hoyas blanked the Eagles 1-0. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.

“