The GW women’s soccer team won its third consecutive game Thursday night and closed the book on their non-conference schedule with a 2-0 road win over the UMBC Retrievers.
The Colonials (5-4-0) were backed by two goals from freshman midfielder Sofia Pavon, whose tallies marked the first sores of her collegiate career, and dominated in the shooting department at 15-4.
“I was really happy to see [Sofia] put those away,” said head coach Sarah Barnes. “She hasn’t been quite as aggressive early in the year but she’s shown that she’s very capable, and she strikes the ball quite well.”
Pavon’s first score came just over 13 minutes into the game on a firecracker that flew into the upper right hand corner from 25 yards out. The second and final goal came just eight minutes later, as Pavon collected a pass from fellow freshman midfielder Dani Frese on the right side of the box and proceeded to float the ball over the keeper’s head and into the net.
The Colonials held UMBC (2-7-1) to just a single shot on goal as sophomore Miranda Horn and senior Ellen Conway split time at the goalkeeper position. Pavon, senior midfielder Kristi Abbate, and sophomore forward Brittany Cooper each had a game-high three shots.
“Even though we didn’t score a goal in the second half, we still controlled the game, moved the ball, and created more scoring opportunities and had quality looks in the second half,” Barnes said. “They pressed us a little at times, but we applied a lot of the things we’ve been working on in practice. We sat in, and we handled the pressure.”
While the Colonials dominated possession and never looked like they were losing control of the game, Barnes said she wants to see the team keep a full speed ahead mentality for the full 90.
“We did look a little casual at times in the second half,” said Barnes. “We need to continue to work on maintaining intensity and control throughout.”
That aside, the Colonials have momentum heading into A-10 play after the three successive victories to close out non-conference play.
The Colonials will host Saint Joseph’s on Oct. 1 to begin conference play. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. on the Mount Vernon Campus.
