The start to the WVU women’s soccer team’s second-round match with Georgetown couldn’t have gone better. But the Mountaineers couldn’t build on it, and that inability came back to haunt them in the end.
Georgetown withstood Ajanae Respass’ third-minute goal by finding an equalizer, and the Mountaineers and the Hoyas played out a stalemate for the rest of the contest. The match finished in a 1-1 draw, leading to the coin flip that is penalties. Georgetown ended up surviving, winning by a 4-3 margin to end West Virginia’s season in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The Mountaineers (14-3-4) ended the season with a penalty shootout loss for the second consecutive year. Last year, they lost in the first round to Kentucky, falling in penalties on the same 1-1 scoreline.
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This time, the Mountaineers took the fight to the Hoyas (16-3-3) from the opening whistle. West Virginia took advantage of a poor Georgetown clearance, which Taylor White corralled just outside the box. She sent the ball to Respass, who tapped it home for a fast 1-0 edge.
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But the Mountaineers couldn’t build from there. They created chances and made Georgetown goalkeeper Cara Martin work, forcing six saves, but they couldn’t find the second goal they’d need. Worse, they did the one thing they couldn’t do against the Hoyas 20 minutes later — concede a marker.
In all three of Georgetown’s defeats this season, the Hoyas never found the net. This was an opponent built around getting a chance or two and relying on its defense to do the rest. In the 23rd minute, Lizzie Heller found the breakthrough Georgetown needed, leveling the match and robbing the Mountaineers of their momentum.
WVU Women’s Soccer Plays Out Even Match
While West Virginia was fine with playing Georgetown’s game, that also meant that the Mountaineers were playing with fire. Being at home and in control of the terms meant that the Hoyas were comfortable, the last thing you want in a must-win match. Both teams pressed the issue at times, but neither could get on the front foot for the remainder of the contest.
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In a situation like that, the home team almost always has the edge. While it made sense for West Virginia to wait for its chances against a defense-first opponent, the nature of this contest meant that the Mountaineers were always going to need a break to eke out a win. And as West Virginia has found out multiple times now, breaks don’t come very often against squads of this caliber.
Mountaineers Bow Out After Credible Effort
Given the way the season started, West Virginia made a lot of progress over its campaign. The Mountaineers didn’t lose in Big 12 play and stayed calm after early season defeats to Virginia and Penn State. They bounced back well after getting blown out by Kansas in the Big 12 tournament. With a .764 winning percentage, this season would have to be considered a success.
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That said, it’s
