This post was written by Hatchet reporter Barbara Alberts.
Men’s soccer defended its home turf Saturday afternoon in a definitive 3-0 win against Saint Joseph’s, the largest margin of victory for the team this season.
While the Colonials (7-3-5, 2-1-2 A-10) defense is the best in the Atlantic 10 with a league-leading .66 goals against average, it was the offense who stepped up and gave the team their second A-10 victory this season, ensuring the Colonials remain undefeated at home this season.
Senior midfielder Garrett Heine contributed two goals in the game, a repeat performance of his double-scoring game Wednesday against George Mason University.
“It was a solid, very, very good team performance,” head coach Craig Jones said. “We picked up where we left off with Wednesday night’s performance.”
GW scored its first goal six minutes into the game after a cross from junior midfielder Oliver Curry was redirected by the head of junior forward Christian Lawal and found the foot of Heine, who tapped the ball into an open net, giving the Colonials the early lead.
The Colonials’ midfield played what seemed to be their best passing game to date, connecting pass after pass around the Hawks (6-7-1, 3-2-0 A-10) and possessing the ball with confidence.
“[We] controlled the game possession-wise for long periods,” Jones said.
The second half of the game ushered in a hot GW offense, with Curry netting his third goal this season, lacing in a powerful driving shot into the back left of the net off a deflected header from sophomore forward Dylan Lightbourn in the 65th minute of the game.
The game was a physical feat as well, with a total of 31 fouls doled out between the teams.
After a yellow card was given to Saint Joseph’s, Heine scored the third and final goal of the game on a free kick from just outside the right of the 18-yard box, driving the ball into the far left corner of the net with 14 minutes left in the game, the cherry on top of an offensively dominant game.
Heine now solely leads the team with the most goals scored with six this season.
“3-0 wins back-to-back, it’s exactly what we want to do,” Heine said.
The backline was as composed as ever, brilliantly thwarting the Hawks offense and giving the Colonials their eighth clean sheet of the season, tying the program record.
Sophomore goalkeeper Thor Arne Hofs—who has minded the net for all eight clean sheets—contributed four saves in the game.
“It doesn’t get better than that,” senior defender Sam Summerlin said.
The alumni-studded crowd added to the high energy of the game.
“It’s great, when we get these kinds of crowds and there’s tons of people. It helps because you feel the atmosphere and get really excited when everyone else watching is pumped for you,” Summerlin said.
The Colonials kick off a two-game road trip on Wednesday when they take on St. Bonaventure in New York. With momentum on their side, the Colonials look to continue capitalizing on their opportunities on the field.
