The GW women’s soccer team shut out its opponent in the last home game of the season Sunday at the Mount Vernon Athletic Complex. The Colonials beat St. Bonaventure 2-0 Sunday after tying Duquesne 1-1 Friday.
In front of over 100 fans on senior day, GW’s three seniors (Kelly Lawten, Lindsay Bruno and Tara Quinn) helped win the Colonials’ last match on their home turf. Lawten tallied her first goal of the season 16 minutes in to give the Colonials (5-5-5, 3-1-3 Atlantic 10) their earliest lead in a game so far.
“I knew we needed a goal early on to set the pace for the game,” Lawten said. “And it was even sweeter that it was my goal and that it happened in my last home game.”
With less than a minute to go in the first half, sophomore Christine Jodrie found junior Lise Backman in front of the Bonnies’ net. Backman nailed the ball into the back of the net to give GW a 2-0 lead going into halftime.
Both teams had scoring opportunities in the second half, but the goalkeepers stopped every attempt. Although the Bonnies had four shots on the Colonials’ goal in the last 45 minutes of the game, junior Kelly Paolucci did not let in any shots, recording her first shutout of the year.
Lawten said it was a highly emotional game, since it was the last time that the seniors would play at the Mount Vernon Athletic Complex.
“We really wanted to go out there, give it everything we had, and leave it all on the field,” she said. “I really feel like everyone did.”
On Friday, the Colonials battled through two overtimes to tie Duquesne. Sophomore Sarah Sample saved the game with a goal less than six minutes before the end of regulation time.
Both teams were kept scoreless in the first half, but the Dukes got on the board four minutes into the second. During the rest of the half, Duquesne took seven shots while the Colonials took five. Sample ultimately tied the game after converting junior Ina Kain’s corner kick.
The Dukes kept the pressure on Paolucci by making three attempts in each of the 10-minute overtime periods. GW stayed strong on the defensive end, keeping Duquesne scoreless throughout sudden death.
In her first start of the season, Paolucci had nine saves, as Duquesne out-shot the Colonials 19-9.
After this weekend’s success, Lawten said she is optimistic about the rest of the season.
“I think our A-10 record is strong,” she said. “I’d like to make the rest of them wins.”
Next weekend, the Colonials will continue their conference play in Ohio. They face Xavier Friday night at 7 p.m. and Dayton on Sunday at 1 p.m.
