After 86 scoreless minutes of play, forward Meg Pyle stepped to the penalty mark with a chance to give the GW women’s soccer team the lead and, more than likely, the win.
Moments later, the junior did just that, calmly sliding the ball into the lower right corner to beat Marshall University goalie Liz Orton.
“I usually go to the right side – it never fails,” Pyle said.
Pyle’s goal ultimately gave GW (3-0) a 1-0 victory in its home opener against the Thundering Herd (1-1) at the Mount Vernon Athletic Complex Wednesday afternoon.
Head coach Tanya Vogel said that Pyle’s determination to put the ball in the net was a matter of pride.
“She put that ball down and put it away, and I give her a ton of credit,” Vogel said. “She definitely made a statement today, and I was very impressed by that.”
Although GW appeared to outplay Marshall in every facet of the game, the scoreboard remained blank for most of the contest. Frustration appeared to set in late as GW committed nine second-half fouls.
Vogel said that it takes a confident and mature team to keep its composure in such a situation, and this team is making progress.
“Our girls kept going, they kept trying to create an attack, and they definitely had opportunities, so hopefully as we mature we can put those opportunities away and get an early lead,” Vogel said.
Defender Kierra Colker, a senior, said that she thought the Colonials played down to the level of their competition.
“It can be a little tough for us, but we fought through it today, and we definitely had times of greatness and got the victory which is what matters,” Colker said.
Colker, the only returning defender from last season, said that replacing captain Shari Taylor will be no easy feat and may take a slight adjustment period, but the nine freshmen have pushed the upperclassmen to play to the best of their abilities.
“This team’s incredible. I can’t wait to see how we do in the (Atlantic 10 play), good luck to all of the teams we come across,” she said. “These girls are going to rip it up on the field.”
With 28 players on the roster and only 13 or 14 getting to play in each game, Vogel stressed the importance of valuing every member of the team for the entire season.
“We need all 28 to win because everyone brings something,” she said.
She added, “Our bench just keeps going, and today it was the twelfth man who gave us the extra legs as the game went on.”
After 3-0 start, GW heads to Fairfax
After winning the TD Banknorth Classic in Burlington, Vt., last weekend, the GW women’s soccer team will head to Fairfax, Va., this weekend to participate in the George Mason Tournament.
In its first contest, which will be GW’s fourth game in a week, the Colonials will take on cross-town rival Georgetown Friday evening. Despite a second game against tournament host George Mason on Sunday, all of the Colonials’ focus seems to be on the Hoyas.
Head coach Tanya Vogel said that GW is in high spirits coming off a tough victory over Marshall, and the Colonials will need to recover quickly in order to be prepared for Georgetown.
“They’ve got terrific players, they’re strong, they’re competitive, and they just lost their first game so they’ll be gunning for us,” she said.
Vogel added that she expects the game to be a battle and that her players badly want a victory, especially after a 3-0 defeat last year.
Senior defender Kierra Colker was not shy about expressing her thoughts about the Hoyas and reiterating her coach’s thoughts.
“I can’t wait to destroy Georgetown, I love playing them,” she said.
