Women’s soccer fell 0-3 to La Salle as they struggled to stop the Explorers’ strong offense and were unable to bypass their defense Friday.
The Revolutionaries (3-5-3, 0-3-1 A-10) were unable to gain offensive momentum and get past the Explorers (4-5-2, 2-1 A-10) rock-solid defense throughout the game, firing only nine shots with zero corner kick opportunities. Coupled with the Explorers’ strong offense, the Revolutionaries were unable to close the gap, extending their winless streak to five-straight games.
The Explorers were aggressive on offense from the start of the game, attempting nine shots in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Revs garnered just one shot in the same period.
By the 22nd minute, the Explorers earned the first corner kick of the game. Although the possession didn’t lead to a score, it helped set the tone for their offense.
The Revolutionaries didn’t get a single shot off until the 28th minute, when sophomore midfielder Aoi Kataoka fired off a ball that went out of bounds to the left, bringing her season total to 31 shots attempts with a .029 shot percentage. Despite the miss, the attempt triggered a boost of energy, giving the Revs the momentum to defend the Explorers’ next possession.
At the 38th minute mark, the Explorers launched two back-to-back corner kicks with the first one missing and deflected out of bounds. On their second attempt, sophomore midfield Elizabeth Estrada passed the ball to junior forward Haley Gschrey, who sent it into the back of the net, notching her her sixth score of the season on a .375 shot-on-goal percentage.
After the Explorers’ goal, the Revolutionaries made a substitution, bringing out freshman midfielder Addi Verdon for Kataoka. The team was hoping to find their offensive tempo while solidifying their defense before halftime.
As the second half began, there was high energy from the Revolutionaries, seen through their three attempted shots and five defensive stops. Assistant Coach Bill Reno thought that the team had done a great job in this second half.
“We were doing exactly what we wanted to do [although it didn’t] go our way but like, we’re going to put ourselves on the spot to compete, which I was happy with,” Reno said.
In the 58th minute, a foul was called to the Revolutionaries’ freshman defense Hope Ku-Dipietro which led to a penalty kick for the Explorers. Senior midfielder and defender Alyssa Gargiulo took the shot and scored.
Despite the Revolutionaries best efforts, the Explorers tough defense helped keep the ball on GW’s side, allowing La Salle to attempt seven shots within 10 minutes. By the 83rd minute, the shots from La Salle were overwhelming, and an assist by senior forward and midfielder Caitlin Donovan allowed graduate student forward and midfielder Emily Banashefski to score another goal, the last of the match.
Reno said despite the loss, if GW team sticks to playing with their own style of offense and defense, they could win their next games.
“This is kind of the tug of war with soccer, so if you can get their team to play your style or their own, you’re gonna find success,” Reno said. “So for us, it’s like sticking with what works for us [on both sides of the field] and keep getting the ball on the ground.”
The Revolutionaries played against Loyola Chicago (5-5-2, 1-1-2 A-10) on Sunday, losing the match 0-4. GW will look to win their next match against Saint Joseph’s on the Mount Vernon Campus on Sept. 28 at 3 p.m.
