Hoya Staff Writer Friday, September 8, 2006 Lindsay Anderson/The Hoya Georgetown sophomore midfielder Stephanie Zare challenges Duquesne junior midfielder, Nicole Nanchoff for a header in the Hoyas’ 2-1 win on Sunday.
The final score wasn’t pretty, but with as many as six freshman playing at once and only two seniors total on the roster, last Saturday’s season opener was more about gaining experience on the field than putting numbers on the scoreboard. The Hawks’ senior midfielders Nicole Antonini and Maureen Casserly each found the back of the net, as did freshman midfielder Anne Schreuders, and St. Joseph’s (Penn.) (1-0) outshot Georgetown (0-1) 7-1 in a 3-0 rout that saw all three goals in the first half. “We really liked what we saw in the second half,” Georgetown Head Coach Laurie Carroll said. “We were a confident team, we stepped up, [and] we demonstrated all of the hard work we committed to in practice and in preseason. [In] the first half we were a little bit tentative, but we fixed some of that.”The first half was a better game for us,” St. Joseph’s Head Coach Michelle Finegan said. “In the second half, I think Georgetown stepped it up. . Our offense had more trouble getting down the field.” Indeed, the two halves were drastically different. Casserly scored just 2:47 into the game and Antonini scored 11 minutes later as the Hawks built up an early lead and never looked back. Schreuders added her goal with 7:25 remaining in the first half to cap the scoring. St. Joe’s first-half performance was a dominating one on both ends of the field. Not only did they manage five shots, they stopped Georgetown from even getting off a shot. The Hawks also produced four corner opportunities to the Hoyas’ zero. “In the first half we came out a little timid because we do have a lot of freshmen – we have a young team – and there are situations that you cant be prepared for until your in the game,” senior goalkeeper and captain Abby Winer said. The second half, however, was different. Though Georgetown could not tally a score, it did prevent St. Joseph’s from scoring, limiting the Hawks to just two shots. The Hoyas were given two corner chances, while the Hawks didn’t have any. Leading the way in Georgetown’s second half efforts was junior midfielder Diedre McShea, who took the Hoyas’ lone shot. “[She] was playing the sweeper position and she had an incredible game,” Carroll said. “She directed well, she stepped up the ball, she broke up plays, but more importantly she led.” And with six freshmen on the field in the second half, that leadership was particularly important. Midfielders Chelsea Aiken, Alice Murnen, Willemijn Wijsman, forward Lindsay Moramarco and defender Jen Sachs were all rookie starters, and midfielder Kristen Volpe came on early in the second half for Georgetown. In their first collegiate game, the six newcomers did not disappoint. “One of the things I wanted [the freshmen] to do is really stand out here. They were asked to stand out and they did that. They brought a really competitive spirit to the game,” Carroll said. “It was intimidating at first being a freshman out there for your first game,” Volpe said. “In the second half, we really stepped up and realized there’s nothing really to be afraid of.” Finegan also saw some reasons for optimism on the Georgetown side. “[Junior defender] Lauren Sheets is a good leader for them. They were feisty and had some aggressive attack moments,” she said. Still, the Hoyas did suffer a 3-0 defeat and everyone is aware that the squad has a ways to go. “It showed us a lot about what we need to do,” sophomore forward and last year’s leading scorer aggie Farrand said. “It was a great learning experience, we had some great moments, but we also had some things we can learn from.” Carroll was more specific about what it is that Georgetown needs to do better. “I think that to be more opportunistic in the offensive part of the field,” she said. “We had chances in the second half and we let some balls go over the endline, so really [we need] to make things happen in the offensive third of the field, and to step up and break up plays in the defensive one third.” Next on tap for the Hoyas is another trip to Pennsylvania. Georgetown takes on St. Francis (0-1) tonight in its second of six tune-ups before they begin Big East play for the first time. Previously an independent squad, Georgetown announced its move to the more competitive conference last spring. Tonight’s contest begins at 6 p.m. in Loretto, Pa.