In a tight match between beltway foes, Georgetown came out on top 1–0 and a late second-half goal to snap women’s soccer’s four-game win streak Thursday at Mount Vernon field.

First year head coach Michelle Demko said the night’s match was a measuring stick for the Colonials heading forward.

“It’s a very tough Georgetown team, they’re a top 20 team in the country,” Demko said. “I think when we play teams of this caliber what we’re really doing is measuring ourselves and seeing where we are.”

The Hoyas – who won their second-consecutive Big East Championship last season – have gotten the best of the Colonials in their past three meetings, most recently shutting out GW 4–0 last season.

The young Colonials squad – which dresses 19 underclassmen – were undefeated in four matches heading into the game.

Redshirt junior defender Megan McCormick said despite the difficult matchup, her team entered the game with confidence in their ability.

“We just focused on bringing a lot of energy and playing the game we like to play, and not letting Georgetown and the name of Georgetown bring us down heading in,” McCormick said

Both teams started off with energetic play the moment after kickoff. A few scrappy plays earned the Hoyas two fouls and the Colonials one foul in the opening 10 minutes of the game.

Senior goalkeeper Anna Tapen stood tall in net, defending all six shots on goal in the first half. Midway through the first, Tappen made a heroic effort to neutralize a Georgetown scoring chance after a scramble in front of the net.

She ended the match with eight saves to her name.

“Anna was great today,” Demko said. “She did well with their penetrative ball, she came out with confidence and kept us really solid on the back line.”

Heading into this match Tapen boasted a 0.50 goals against average through four starts.

Sophomore midfielder Natalie Silberman had the best scoring chance for the Colonials in the first, with a header out front that hit the post.

The first half ended in deadlock, with the Georgetown defense holding the Colonials to just two shot attempts.

“We knew that if we just calmed down, worked as a team, we could take those shots back and get back the momentum in our favor,” McCormick said.

The Colonials established a strong physical game early in the second, digging deep to win battles for the ball against the Hoyas. After being held to two shots in the first, the Colonials earned seven shots in the final frame.

Tapen kept the score knotted at zero midway through the second half with two back-to-back saves to ward off sustained pressure by the Hoyas.

But the Hoyas broke the stalemate in the 72nd minute, with a shot that snuck just past Tappen’s fingertips.

Undeterred, the Colonials responded quickly with scoring chances from freshman defender Hannah Zaluski’s shot going just wide of the goal.

“We just wanted to keep attacking and make them sweat the one-nothing, rather than let them sit back,” Tapen said. “Keep the focus on getting to their goal and keep them in the corner.”

The Colonials have scored seven of their nine goals this season in the second half, but Georgetown’s defense proved too much for the Colonials, running down the clock to protect the 1-0 lead.

Demko said that the second-half play of her team showed areas where they need to improve moving forward in the schedule.

“Consistency is a big one for us. I think what you say today was a tale of two halves,” Demko said. “A team that came out and had really good energy and was up for the fight and the battle, and second half we were more lackluster and it felt flat.”

The Colonials head out on the road to face off against NC State Thursday. Kick off is slated for 7 p.m.