FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's soccer team (0-8-0) lost to Iowa (6-0-1) in Sunday's home match by the score of 3-0. Both teams officially finish their non-conference part of the schedule and will prepare for their respective in-conference games for the rest of the regular season.
HOW THEY SCORED
IOWA
9' | Elle Otto (3), assisted by Kenzie Roling (4) & Morgan Lietz (1)
37' | Kelli McGroarty (1), assisted by Maggie Johnson (1) and Delaney Holtey (1)
78' | Samantha Cary (1), assisted by Keira Smyser (1)
Iowa opened the scoring in the 9
th minute when Morgan Lietz swung the ball from the left side of the box into the penalty spot, where Kenzie Roling took a heavy first touch. However, Elle Otto was streaking in from the left and was able to take a sliding shot seven yards away from the goal. The ball passed through a sliding
Madyson Taylor and rushing goalkeeper
Ginny Fronk and into the net.
Mason's
Maria Franjicic committed a penalty in the 25
th minute of the game, when the Patriot defender tripped up Maggie Johnston inside of the right side of the penalty box. The Patriots would come out unscathed from the penalty, as Kelli McGroarty missed her penalty shot wide left.
Iowa scored their second goal with just under nine minutes to play in the first half. Iowa's Delaney Holtey was running down the left side of the attacking third and entered the penalty box, where she then kicked a low-liner cross to the front post. Maggie Johnston lightly redirected the ball to the center of the goal mouth. There, Kelli McGroarty did not miss her chance and tapped the ball in with one touch of the right foot and into the open net. The Hawkeyes would take a 2-0 lead into the half.
In the 64
th minute, Mason's
Molly Starner recorded a shot on goal. After a contested ball between
Abby Najdzinowicz and Abby Skiff in Mason's attacking third bounced towards Starner, she took a one-timer from 20 yards out. Iowa's goalie, Macy Enneking shifted to her left and made a diving save.
Iowa only recorded one save on the day. Mason's
Ginny Fronk, on the other hand, saved six shots, with two coming in quick succession in the 89
th minute from Kenzie Roling and Elle Otto.
The third goal was scored off a quick Iowa corner kick in the 78
th minute. After Miah Schueller tapped the ball in to nearby Keira Smyser, the Hawkeye sent the ball from the left side of the field to Mason's back post, where Samantha Cary perfectly timed her jump to win the header from the Patriot-Hawkeye crowd. The ball flew waist-high and passed both Fronk and
Brooke Volpi, who were guarding the goal line.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- This was either program's first game against each other, making this Iowa's first win over the Patriots in program history.
- Mason finished the non-conference part of their schedule with an 0-8-0 record. This is the first time since the 2020-21 shortened season in which the Patriots lost all of their non-conference games and the first time in program history without having recorded a win or tie eight games into the season.
UP NEXT
The Patriots will travel to the Bronx this Thursday, Sept. 14, where they will face Fordham to kick off A-10 play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be watched on
ESPN+.
