Hoya Staff Writer Friday, August 25, 2006 Lindsay Anderson/The Hoya
The Georgetown women’s soccer team is coming off the biggest year in its 13-year history. In 2005, the Hoyas set a new school record with 12 wins and made the Big East tournament for the second consecutive year. Now the question is: Can they make it three years in a row? Considering that the team returns nine of 11 starters, Georgetown has a solid foundation to build upon. The second most prolific offense in the Big East season returns its two biggest offensive threats – senior midfielders Alexandra Hardy and Chrissy Skogen who combined for fifteen goals last year. In goal, junior keeper Jade Higgins will look to keep breaking school records, after setting the mark for career shutouts (13) and tying the record for single-season shutouts (7) last year. The Hoyas are still struggling to be considered a Big East contender, however. The team took a big step last season with a 1-0 league tournament victory over Syracuse, but in this year’s preseason coaches’ poll Georgetown is ranked fifth of eight teams in the Big East National Division. To get this season started, Georgetown will participate in the Navy tournament, facing SUNY Binghamton today and last year’s Southern Conference winner, Davidson, on Sunday. This weekend’s opponents are essentially strangers to Georgetown. The Hoyas faced off against the Binghamton Bearcats in 2001 in the ECAC tournament. The Hoyas won 4-3. The Bearcats were selected to finish third of nine teams in the America East Conference coaches’ poll. The Bearcats return only seven starters from last season, two of whom may be serious offensive threats. Senior striker Danielle White and junior Kim Povill have the potential to be the type of one-two punch that single-handedly wins close games. The pair combined for only eleven goals last season but in Povill’s freshman year she tallied seven scores and eight assists to lead the team in points. Binghamton is bolstered by senior keeper Kristie Bowers, who posted a .73 goals against average last season and recorded nine shutouts. While the schools may have met in other sports, Georgetown women’s soccer has never crossed paths with Davidson. Led by Head Coach Greg Ashton, Davidson has recently become a contender for the Southern Conference title. Ashton has captured the Southern Conference Coach of the Year award the last two years. Davidson finished last year with a 14-5-2 (9-0-1) record. The Clemson Tigers downed the Wildcats 4-1 in their warm up match, but the squad that took the field that day was made up of players looking to prove themselves before the season starts – a strategy Ashton likely will not employ when the regular season begins. Junior Kristen Koehrn looks to have a breakout year this season when she will become a scoring option for her team with the departure of her sister and all-conference star Kara Koehrn. The Wildcats’ 4-1 loss to Clemson, a .500 team in the powerful ACC, shows that the small, SoCon team may not yet be ready for competition with the major conferences. Georgetown faces significantly stiffer competition last season in the highly competitive Big East and its pedigree and experience may pay off against two teams from smaller conferences. Georgetown’s game with Binghampton begins today at 5 p.m. at the Naval Academy’s Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in Annapolis, Md. Sunday’s match is set to begin at noon at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility as well.
