Hoya Staff Writer Friday, September 22, 2006
After an unsettling loss to James Madison University last Sunday that dropped their record to 3-3-3, the Hoyas find themselves with very little momentum as they return to Big East play this weekend. They face Rutgers (6-1, 1-0) on Friday at 3 p.m. on North Kehoe Field and then travel to South Orange, N.J., on Sunday for a date with Seton Hall (4-4, 0-1) at 1 p.m. And as for Georgetown’s remaining Big East schedule, looming in the distance are the conference’s three top-25 teams: No.1 Notre Dame, No. 7 West Virginia and No. 15 Connecticut. With three losses already on their record, Georgetown Head Coach Dave Nolan believes that the Hoyas have to win at least five more games to have a chance of making the Big East tournament. After losing to JMU, the Hoyas are faced with a daunting task. “Sometimes that can be a demoralizing loss that affects confidence; sometimes it can just be a reminder that we’re not going to let that happen again,” Nolan said. “I’ll know after the game.” Rutgers is led by sophomore midfielder Alicia Hall, who has four goals and one assist this season. She is a big reason the Scarlet Knights have outscored their opponents 13-3 this year. Rutgers and Georgetown will be competing this weekend in a match that could have repercussions for the Big East tournament. In a division with Notre Dame, Villanova and Louisville, all virtual locks for the conference tournament, either the Knights or the Hoyas will be watching tournament action from the stands. “I’ve told the girls we need to win at least five games out of 10 to make the Big East tournament,” Nolan said. “The only problem is we’re going to be playing against teams that are in the same situation as us.” Rutgers enters the game with shutout wins against Farleigh Dickinson, Seton Hall and Loyola (Md.). The Knights are off to one of the best starts in school history, its only loss so far coming at home against Stanford (5-3). The battle at outside fullback for Georgetown may finally be settled, offering some stability for the Hoyas on defense. “[Sophomore defender Alex Gargano] let somebody else step in and seize an opportunity,” Nolan said of the changes in the lineup. “Norah Swanson stepped in earlier on in the year and she’s done exceptionally well.” Gargano did see significant playing time last week in an effort to let the faster Swanson have more room upfield, but it appears Nolan’s experimenting may be over as long as the Hoyas don’t find themselves down late. “How much [Gargano] plays will be determined by the game and how well Norah plays and if we need to do something similar,” Nolan said. Seton Hall shut out St. Mary’s 5-0 on Sunday, and the Pirates have outscored their opponents 13-8 this season and recently upset No.15 Virginia. But they have also dropped games to Rutgers, George ason, Monmouth and Delaware. Seton Hall is led by senior forward Katie Herr, freshman defender Kirah Hiltz and junior forward Alli Donofrio, who have all found the back of the net twice for the Pirates this year. Seven other Pirates have scored for them as well. As for Georgetown, six different players have scored for Georgetown this year, and two – senior Chrissy Skogan and junior Sarah Fetters – have converted multiple times. Fifth-year midfielder and team captain Alexandra Hardy is optimistic about the upcoming challenge. “Everyone’s fired up,” she said. “We gave the last game away, and every game from now on is do-or-die. We’re really motivated to play.” In order to improve upon last week’s failure to score despite 16 shots, practices this week have been dedicated to converting on scoring opportunities. “We’ve taken our chances for granted. We’re trying to have a little more accountability on the field,” Hardy said. Georgetown will look to regain its confidence today against a Rutgers team that has had Georgetown’s number in the past, holding an 8-2-1 all-time record against the Hoyas. Georgetown’s last win against Rutgers came on Sept. 23, 2005.
