The UConn women’s soccer team took a trip to Washington, D.C. on Saturday to take on Georgetown University. The Huskies and Hoyas match-up was a Big East contest, making it the third in-conference game of the season for the program. The Huskies fell to the Hoyas with a final score of 0-2.
UConn is coming off another Big East matchup, against Xavier University that ended in a tie (1-1). Although the game ended in a draw, the Huskies put up impressive plays. Defensively, freshman goalkeeper Ava Yamas put up an impressive performance with a career-high five saves. Offensively, sophomore forward Farrah Stephens-Martin and redshirt freshman forward Se-Hanna Mars worked as a dynamic duo. Mars passed a perfect through ball to Stephens-Martin, allowing her to score for the second-straight game.
The first half of the game ended 2-0 with the Huskies experiencing challenges early on. The team experienced three fouls by sophomore midfielder Anaya Johnson in the first 22 minutes. These fouls interrupted the Huskies’ rhythm and gave the Hoyas a chance to settle in early on. The Hoyas immediately created challenges for Yamas, forcing her to make several saves within the first 10 minutes. However, Yamas held her own, preventing graduate student Maja Lardner and senior Shay Montgomery from scoring. In the ninth minute, the Hoyas’ persistence paid off with a corner kick that led to a goal by sophomore Lizzie Heller assisted by redshirt junior Mary Cochran. This play gave the Hoyas an early 1-0 lead.
UConn attempted to respond to Georgetown’s goal; however, they continued to struggle as the first half went on. The Huskies attempted to adjust to the challenges with early substitutions of freshman Maree-Anne Van Doesburg and Ines Nourani to provide energy both offensively and defensively. However, the Hoyas continued to impress, doubling their lead in the 37th minute. Yamas saved the Hoyas initial attempt at a goal; however, junior Isabel Boodell came in and scored a successful goal for the Hoyas soon after. In the last few minutes of the half, Stephens-Martin and sophomore Naia Ocio attempted shots that were both unsuccessful. The first half closed 2-0 and the Huskies went into halftime without a goal.
The Huskies came into the second half with aggression but continued to face struggles. Offside calls and early midfield fouls caused the early momentum to falter. Ocio and Van Doesburg continued to make attempts to score but struggled with accuracy. The Huskies also made adjustments in hopes to regain the early momentum; however, the constant rotation made it difficult for the team to get into a rhythm during the game.
Defensively, the Huskies were steadier in the second half. Yamas faced multiple goal attempts from the Hoyas but was able to tightly defend the goal and prevent the Hoyas from adding to their lead. Despite the defensive effort, the Huskies were unable to transition into attack and spent much of the half defending.
In the final minutes, the Huskies continued to attempt shots. Stephens-Martin had the best attempt in the 85th minute, but was unable to close the deal. The Huskies continued to have a strong buildup in the last few minutes but were unable to deliver on any of this momentum. The Hoyas, however, remained in control and kept their composure, preventing any opportunity for the Huskies. The Hoyas successfully held on to their lead to win the game 2-0.
Despite the final score, there were positives for the Huskies. Yamas delivered a strong performance in the goal, preventing a larger margin of victory for the Hoyas. Offensively, Ocio and Stephens-Martin created key attack moments.
The game demonstrated the offensive and defensive strength from UConn. Next, the Huskies will travel to Rhode Island on Wednesday, Oct. 1 to face Providence. The game will begin at 6 p.m. and Husky fans can tune into this matchup on FloSports.