Women’s soccer (2-3-2) collected their second win of the season Sunday afternoon with a narrow 2-1 victory against Drexel (1-3-1), more than a week before their first conference game.
After a tied, defensive-driven first half, the Revolutionaries took down the Dragons with a winning goal with less than 15 minutes left in the game. The consecutive wins pave the way for the team’s third game of the season against North Carolina State University next week and their first game in the Atlantic 10 Conference against St. Bonaventure later this month.
Drexel gained the lead early in the first half with a goal in the 10th minute by sophomore forward Liv Brocious, but GW quickly responded in the 19th minute with a goal of their own from junior forward Isabel Kelly on an assist from senior midfielder Abby Mansoor.
The Revs worked to activate their defense throughout the game, by emphasizing awareness and toughness on the field, a top priority of new Head Coach Jeremy Williams who joined the team in late April.
“We’ve been really trying to strengthen our defensive identity,” senior defender Maggie Mockenhaupt said. “We stay really compact and together as a unit, and then we’ve been working on a lot about stepping and covering whoever steps.”
The Revs maintained their back line in the first half, keeping two of the Dragons’ attempted shots on goal out of the net. Senior goalkeeper Ainsley Lumpe has collected five saves and let in three goals so far this season, after recording a save percentage of 0.659 and letting in 14 goals last season.
The game fell into a standstill for most of the second half, with both teams employing a tight defense, stifling any offensive momentum and limiting possessions for GW’s attack. The Revs managed four shot attempts, while the Dragons had five, with both teams remaining scoreless till 75 minutes into the second half.
GW’s efforts to break the tie continued to come up short, with freshman midfielder Selah Koleth sending her attempt high, despite skillfully navigating through defenders.
The winning goal came from senior defender Alicia Window after a short pass from sophomore forward Kate McGrath. Window knocked the ball from center field into the back of the net with 14:48 left in the game, giving the Revs the 2-1 lead.
Looking to capitalize on this win, the Revs prepare for their first A-10 game of the season on Sep. 19 against St. Bonaventure.
“We’ve been gaining momentum going into the season, which is exactly where we want to be. So we’re just going to keep maintaining that and hopefully keep doing well,” freshman defender Julia Bilal said.
Bilal is one of 12 additions to the team this season, along with 11 freshmen and one sophomore transfer student. Mockenhaupt said the newcomers have spent the preseason adapting to the team culture and goals by consistently training with upperclassmen.
“Culture is something that’s really important to us,” Mockenhaupt said. “So as important it is for them to adapt to our expectations, it’s important for us to show them how the team operates and what we want from them. And I think the freshmen have been doing a really good job.”
GW will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina for their last nonconference game against NC State on Sep. 15 at noon.
