WASHINGTON, D.C. — All-American forward Michaela Abam provided an early goal, Rylee Foster made seven saves and top-ranked West Virginia edged No. 5 Georgetown 1-0 in a scorching women’s soccer opener Friday afternoon.
Played amid 90-degree temps and sweltering humidity, the match featured two squads expecting to make deep NCAA runs after reaching the College Cup last season.
“This heat was incredible,” said West Virginia coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “These conditions were horrible, but both teams had to play in it.”
Abam’s goal in the 11th minute was the lone strike as the Mountaineers (1-0) avenged their only regular-season loss from 2016.
After working the ball off a corner kick WVU pushed it around the box before Sh’Nia Gordon gathered it wide right and sent a perfectly placed cross near the far-left post. Abam met it mid-jump before directing her 33rd career goal past keeper Arielle Elisabeth Schechtman, a UCLA transfer
“It was an incredible service from Nia, and Mic’s timing was impeccable,” Izzo-Brown said. “To beat a goalkeeper like Georgetown’s was just spot-on. Finishing that opportunity was huge.”
The Hoyas (0-1) found several opportunities only to be thwarted by Foster, a sophomore who recorded her ninth career shutout.
“I was very pleased with our fitness level,” said Georgetown coach Dave Nolan. “To be fair, West Virginia is a team that normally runs you into the ground, but I thought today we did that to them.
“I thought both teams have to be commended for playing such a good, open-ended game in this heat. They found a way to score a goal and we couldn’t quite find a way even thoough we had lots of moments.”
Foster turned away five shots in the first half, including three consecutive looks from Genna Menta.
The first came in the 38th minute, as Foster pushed a shot away from the left post and back into the box, where the defense promptly cleared.
Less than a minute later, Foster stopped another shot from Menta from 7 yards out.
Then came a catching save at the right post after Menta broke away from the pack and took an in-stride shot from inside the box.
West Virginia defender Easther Mayi Kith came through in the 24th minute, clearing a shot from All-American Rachel Corboz off the right post. After the ball ricocheted back into the box, Caitlin Farrell’s close-range shot was blocked away by the defensive wall.
Georgetown led 13-7 in shots and 9-4 in corner kicks.
“For us to get on them early and finish this game just really shows how resilient this team is,” Izzo-Brown said. “I talked to them about being warriors, and it was hard to find energy in this game, but they really emptied the tank and found what they needed today to win.”