This post was written by Hatchet reporter Marty Fenn.
The women’s soccer team capped the regular season with a 1-0 win over Saint Louis on Sunday, bringing GW’s record to 11-5-1 (4-3-1 Atlantic 10), the first 11-win season for the program since 2003.
The win also secured the Colonials’ place in the A-10 Championship for the second consecutive season and gave them momentum heading into their first-round matchup on Thursday as the No. 4 seed.
“We definitely needed the result today,” head coach Sarah Barnes said. “I think we gained some momentum from today.”
MacKenzie Cowley scored the lone goal in the game on a through ball from senior defender Alex Brothers, upping her total to four goals on the season.
“Kenz made a run through their center backs, which she’s been doing all year, and I played a ball into the run and she was able to slip it past the keeper,” said Brothers, whose assist was the first point of her GW career.
On the other end of the field, Brothers and the rest of the back four, along with goalkeeper Miranda Horn, withstood 14 shots, including nine in the second half, in preserving the shutout.
Redshirt freshman Horn made six saves, and the Colonials matched their 2013 total of eight shutouts.
“They were throwing numbers forward because they had to get a goal,” Barnes said. “Our back line stuck together and did a great job of swarming the ball, which I think made the difference in the game.”
Barnes and her players both pointed out the ability to remain calm and organized as key elements in the win, in contrast to their last outing, a 3-0 loss to Dayton.
“I think we were a little frantic last game, which led to some careless mistakes,” junior midfielder Kristi Abbate said. “We didn’t panic today. We just kept moving forward.”
The team needed that calm as Saint Louis held possession for most of the second half. Barnes said the team had to defend more than usual, but managed to stay with the ball under pressure in a “chaotic” game.
Although the Colonials amassed six shots in the first half, they were held without a shot in the second as the Billikens pushed numbers forward.
Even in a high-risk environment when her team could not control possession, Barnes said she is seeing gutsy play develop toward the end of the season.
“We’ve shown that we can defend and we can score. I think we’re gaining some more confidence when we get on the ball, and we’re starting to take some necessary risks,” Barnes said.
The Colonials head into the A-10 Championship with some momentum and the hopes of leaving their own mark on program history.
If the defense holds up like it did Sunday and the offense continues to produce scoring chances, the team could very well make a lengthy run.
“We are definitely feeling good heading into the postseason,” Barnes said. “We’re starting to shore up some areas of the game and close some holes, and I think everyone is progressing in their own right.”
The Colonials begin the A-10 tournament against No. 5-seeded Rhode Island on the road on Nov. 6.
