Sept. 21, 2009
The George Mason women's soccer team will try to do something on Tuesday night that they haven't done in more than a decade - win five straight games. The Patriots won back-to-back tournament titles over the past two weekends beating UC Santa Barbara, Coastal Carolina, Long Island and Cornell. If Mason beats UMBC on Tuesday, they will have won five straight for the first time since 1998, when Mason won six straight. The Patriots and Retrievers will play at George Mason Stadium at 7 p.m.
Mason is off to a 7-1 start, its best record through eight games since 1993. The Patriots are ranked regionally and have recorded back-to-back shutouts. Freshman goalkeeper Katie Frey was named MVP of the Mason Tournament and on Monday, she was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Week. It's the second straight week Mason has had a freshman receive the honor. Last week Tiana Kallenberger shared the award.
The Patriots are 4-0 at home on the season and they have not allowed a goal at George Mason Stadium on the year. Mason has three players in double figures in points as Omolyn Davis and Kelly Keelan each had 14 points and Kallenberger has 13. Davis has six goals and two assists, Keelan has four goals and six assists and Kallenberger has five goals, including three game-winners, and three assists.
The Retrievers lost their first four games to open the season before tying with George Washington on Friday night. The season began with a 4-0 loss at Rutgers and a 5-0 loss at LaSalle followed. UMBC also lost at Bucknell, 2-1 then at Towson, 1-0. The 1-1 tie with GW was UMBC's first home game of the season. Katie Gitlin scored for the Retrievers off an assist from Aly Gazarek. The other UMBC goal this season was an own goal. Mo Van Vlerah has stopped 34 shots this year but has a 2.49 goals-against average.
Tuesday's contest will be the last chance for Mason to prepare for the Colonial Athletic Association slate of games. The Patriots will host James Madison on Thursday at 7 p.m. and travel to VCU on Sunday afternoon in the conference's opening weekend.
