The previously undefeated Georgetown women’s soccer team fell 2-1 to No. 20 Pepperdine University on Sept. 5.
The Hoyas (3-1-3) came in hot, with senior midfielder Claire Manning — recently named Big East Defensive Player of the Week — attempting a shot just 29 seconds into the game, putting early pressure on the Waves (4-2-2).
The next twenty minutes saw intense back-and-forth between the two teams with several close opportunities for the Hoyas but none that found the back of the net.
Georgetown held Pepperdine at bay early on, preventing them from taking a shot until the 24th minute when junior goalkeeper Cara Martin saved a shot fired at the bottom left of the net. The Hoyas soon found themselves fighting off increasing pressure from the Waves.
In the 30th minute, Pepperdine midfielder Tabitha LaParl gained possession of the ball within Georgetown’s box and the Waves’ attacks resulted in a close-range shot and the first goal against the Hoyas this season.
“We knew it was going to come down to possibly a mistake or a set piece,” Head Coach Dave Nolan told Georgetown Athletics after the game. “Our set pieces never threatened them as much as we should have, but they are a good team. They beat No. 3 UCLA last week and they are a good soccer playing team.”
Junior forward Esme Brayshaw made an immediate impact off the bench for the Hoyas, scoring after just 7 minutes on the field. As the halftime whistle approached, Manning found Brayshaw at the top of the six-yard box for the equalizer, bringing the score to 1-1 and tallying her second goal of the season.
The second half of the game saw a clear increase in physicality as both teams emerged from halftime fighting for the lead, evidenced by 8 Georgetown fouls, 5 Pepperdine fouls and 3 yellow card cautions to Pepperdine players.
Over the first 30 minutes of the period, Georgetown had several scoring opportunities — 5 corner kicks and 7 shots — yet was not able to take advantage of these opportunities and missed out on taking the lead.
Graduate goalkeeper Anna Karpenko stifled two dangerous attempts by the Waves early on in the half, but with under 15 minutes remaining in the game, Pepperdine defender Peyton Leonard headed the ball into Georgetown’s goal off a corner kick from midfielder Tatum Wynalda, bringing the score to 2-1.
The Hoyas didn’t let up as the clock ticked down, but they were ultimately unable to even out the score.
“We moved people around and kind of changed some things,” said Nolan. “But we never really managed to break through the pressure of their first five players to give us a chance.”
Despite the result, the Hoyas did come off the field with some notable stats. Georgetown had ten different players attempt a shot in the game, indicating an aggressive offense that’s willing to take chances and put pressure on the defending team. Additionally, junior forward Esme Brayshaw recorded her second goal of the season while senior midfielder Claire Manning recorded her third assist in the past two games.
The Hoyas will look ahead to the Princeton Tigers (4-1) whom they will face on Sunday, Sept. 15 away at Myslik Field in Princeton, N.J.
