After a second-half goal for the fifth-seeded Georgetown University Hoyas, the Hofstra University women’s soccer team lost 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship at Shaw Field in Washington, D.C., making Hofstra’s all-time record against Georgetown 0-2-1.
Hofstra ended with an overall record of 10-8-4, and Georgetown ended with a 15-1-5 overall record. The Hoyas extended their unbeaten streak to 18 games and will face the fourth-seeded University of Pittsburgh in the second round of the tournament.
Georgetown came out of the gates in attack mode in the first half. They recorded corner after corner and shot after shot.
The Hoyas had a chance to score off a corner early in the first half thanks to junior Tatum Lenain’s kick and senior Julia Leas’ combined effort to get past senior goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich, but she was unable to put the ball into the back of the net, leaving the game scoreless.
Hofstra ended the half with one total shot and none on goal, and Georgetown had eight total shots with four on goal. Senior Cailey Welch recorded the lone shot six minutes into the first half. Big East Goalkeeper of the Year senior Allie Augur had zero saves for the Hoyas.
In the second half, Georgetown capitalized on a loose ball in the box to bag the game-winner for the team. In the 60th minute, freshman Natalie Means received the ball from Augur and dribbled the ball down the right side of the field, sprinting past two defenders before sending a low cross into the box. Sophomore Erika Harwood was left wide open in the box and shot the ball right past a moving Kuzmich. This was Harwood’s first goal of the season and Means’ first assist of the season.
The Pride had one final chance to send the game past regulation time. After the ball was sent into the box, the Hoyas’ defense immediately cleared the ball away from danger, preventing the Pride from grabbing the final goal.
At the final whistle, Hofstra recorded one total shot throughout the game, and Georgetown had 17 total shots with five on goal. Kuzmich ended with four total stops, while Augur kept a clean sheet.
Seven players for the Pride played the whole 90 minutes to finish off the season. Freshman Dagny Run Petursdottir, junior Louise Hayden, seniors Kuzmich, Welch, Annabel Hofmann and Anja Suttner, and graduate student Krista Agostinello all played 90 minutes of action.
The match ended with Georgetown taking home the 1-0 win and a spot in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
To end the season, freshman Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir and senior Ellen Halseth led the team with seven goals each.
Freshman Wiktoria Fronc led the team with seven assists on the season. Kuzmich finished the year off with 65 total saves across all competitions.
Photo courtesy of Mike Allen
