Aug. 30, 2006
The George Mason women's soccer team is unbeaten on the season and head coach Diane Drake's young team will face a pair of tests this weekend when the Patriots will play at Georgetown in the four-team D.C. Invitational Tournament. The Patriots will take on the host Hoyas on Friday at 3 p.m. and they will return to Georgetown to face American at Noon on Sunday.
The Hoyas, like Mason, have taken the field twice this year and come away both times without a loss. While Mason was able to beat Coastal Carolina, 4-1, after tying Virginia Tech, 1-1, the Hoyas weren't fortunate to put one of their matches in the win column. Instead, Georgetown earned a pair of draws, tying Binghamton, 2-2, and Davidson, 1-1. Both matches were at Navy.
Christina Araps and Alexandra Hardy each scored for the Hoyas in the draw with Binghamton, which was the season opener for both schools. Against Davidson, Georgetown got its goal from Chrissy Skogen. Jade Higgins played all 220 minutes in net for the Hoyas, stopping 3 of 6 shots.
While Georgetown averaged 1.5 goals per match and Mason managed 2.5 per contest, American had an offensive explosion in its lone competition of the season. The Eagles scored five times in a shutout of Mount St. Mary's. Jenna Abbondi, Katelynn Donovan, Siobhan Gillan, Jana Lee and Meg Runeari each put on in net for American while Lindsey Miller had two assists. Alison Doyle did not face any shots in earning the shutout for the Eagles.
Mason faced some stiff competition in earning its 1-0-1 record. The Hokies, while not ranked by Soccer Buzz in the Mid-Atlantic region, are receiving votes in the most recent poll. The other two teams receiving votes but not ranked are Mason and Georgetown. Coastal Carolina, meanwhile, was selected to finish second in the Big South.
Kasey Davenport accumulated 14 saves over the weekend, putting her in a tie for first for saves per game. She is tied with Georgia State's Charlotte Vargo, but Vargo has allowed four goals this year to Davenport's two, and the Panthers are 0-1-1. Rachel Wiggins is tied with seven others for second in the conference with two goals and she is in a six-way tie for third in points, with four.
The Hoyas also had their hands full over the weekend as Binghamton is currently ranked No. 15 in the Northeast Region. Mason is 2-0-0 all-time against Georgetown, beating the Hoyas 3-1 in 2004 and 2-1 in overtime in 2003. That 2003 match saw Drake in her final year as head coach of Georgetown. She served five years as their leader before coming to Mason for the 2004 season. She has put together winning records at both schools.
The Patriots are 13-1-0 all-time against American, winning the past eight meetings. American last beat Mason in the 1995 regular season, 1-0 in overtime at American. Mason avenged that loss later that season, beating the Eagles 6-2 in the CAA Tournament. The teams have met just once since American left the CAA, a 3-0 Mason win last season. The Patriots have kept American scoreless in the past three matches and have outscored the Eagles 54-6 in the 14 meetings. Of Mason's 13 wins against American, nine have been shutouts.
There is no charge for admission to Mason's matches this weekend at Georgetown. Fans who can't make the trip but wish to catch the action can follow online, as live stats for both matches will be available via GoMason.com. The fourth team competing in the tournament is Duquesne, and the Dukes will face American at Noon on Friday and Georgetown at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
