This post was written by Hatchet reporter Marty Fenn.
Women’s soccer defeated Rhode Island 1-0 in the first round of the A-10 tournament under wet conditions Thursday in Dayton, Ohio, earning themselves a semifinals date with top-seeded La Salle on Friday.
The Colonials got a goal from sophomore Kate Elson just before halftime to give the women their first postseason win since 1997.
Elson’s goal came after freshman Brittany Cooper took a nifty touch on the right wing and won the edge before sending the ball into the box. Elson, patrolling the middle, placed a perfect header into the bottom left corner, the ball nicking the post as it went into the net.
“We talked on the sideline about how they were struggling to mark us on balls in the box,” Elson said. “I saw Brittany making the run, and I knew my mark couldn’t stay with me easily. I just tried to get in the middle so Brittany could supply a ball.”
The goal capped off a half in which the Colonials fired seven shots, just edging Rhode Island’s six. GW shot with high accuracy, putting six of their seven attempts on target, but a play finally developed for Elson to finish in the 44th minute.
“The finish from Kate was perfect,” head coach Sarah Barnes said. “But the buildup was also phenomenal. It was the buildup that created the goal in the end.”
The Rams pushed for the equalizer in the second half, controlling the game on the right wing in particular, but redshirt freshman goalie Miranda Horn made four saves to secure GW’s ninth shutout of the season, the most in 24 years.
Still, Rhode Island managed to get 14 shots off in the game, and Barnes said the team will have to be airtight on Friday against a La Salle team that scores 1.89 goals per game.
“Defensively, we were very solid overall,” Barnes said. “But we gave up some chances that a team like LaSalle usually converts. So we’ll go over some things and hopefully cover some holes before tomorrow.”
The Colonials will play on relatively fresh legs in the semifinals after unleashing their bench against Rhode Island. GW’s depth has been a strength all season and could be particularly beneficial with the short recovery times of the tournament.
GW played nine substitutes while Rhode Island played just four, and only two Colonials played all 90 minutes compared to the Rams’ seven.
“We definitely used a lot of players and showed our depth,” Barnes said. “We were able to spread it out, and I think that means we’ll be a lot fresher and healthier than we might have been otherwise.”
Barnes used a variety of rotations, and many of the substitutes were some of the most valuable players of the game. Brooke Bean put in 67 minutes off the bench, Cooper was subbed in for 43 minutes and speedy junior Kyla Ridley contributed 41 strong minutes as a sub and was dangerous on and off the ball. Along with Cooper, Ridley was part of the link that led to Elson’s goal.
The Colonials will look to improve upon their performance Friday when they square off against No. 1 seed LaSalle, who thrashed UMass 3-0. The ball kicks off at 5 p.m.
