Men’s soccer earned its second straight Atlantic 10 win against Saint Joseph’s Wednesday, securing a spot in postseason play.
The Colonials (5-9-1, 3-3-0 A-10) dominated the Hawks (5-10-1, 1-5 A-10) in a 2–0 victory, securing their second straight victory after overcoming Davidson Saturday 2–1. The win shifted the squad in the A-10 rankings, moving it just into playoff contention at No. 8 in the conference.
The team fired five shots in the first half, two of which were on goal. The Colonials were unable to get the ball past sophomore goalkeeper Joseph Boehm and the Hawks defensive line in the first 45 minutes.
Senior goalkeeper Noah Lubin, who earned his eighth start of the year, went untested in the first frame. Both teams entered the locker room knotted at zero, but the Colonials had the upper hand in the second half.
Graduate student forward and midfielder Haukur Hilmarsson broke the deadlock in the 60th minute with his first goal of the season. After a corner kick attempt, the ball deflected off a player to Hilmarsson’s feet. Hilmarsson shot a rocket on net from the penalty box, putting the Colonials up 1–0.
The Hawks fought back, kicking three shots near the Colonials’ net in a five-minute span. Freshman defender Alex Hartmann took the Hawks’ best scoring opportunity in the 70th minute. He went up on a corner kick and headed the ball on frame, but Lubin gobbled the ball, marking his only save on the day.
GW netted its second goal seven minutes later. Sophomore midfielder Alhaji Turay shot the ball from inside the penalty box, curling the ball into the far post to put the Colonials up 2–0 and record his first goal as a Colonial.
The team kept its foot on the gas, hammering two shots on goal in the final minute of play. GW outshot Saint Joseph’s 15-9 and the Hawks could only manage one shot on goal, down from their season average of 5.67 shots on goal.
The team now sits at No. 8 with games against No. 3 VCU and No. 5 Dayton remaining. Prior to the win, the Colonials sat outside the net of qualifying A-10 teams.
GW is back in action on the road against VCU Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
