By Liam O’Murchu (@Liam_0__)
GW women’s soccer dropped a tight match to Howard 2-1 on a toasty Thursday evening marred by weather complications. The start time was moved back 90 minutes from the originally planned 3PM kickoff due to the extreme heat that has plagued DC this week. As if that wasn’t enough, the teams needed to sit through an hour and fifteen minute weather delay in the middle of the first half.
“I thought we created enough to score a few more goals this evening,” GW head coach Michelle Demko said. “But sometimes that’s the way that the game goes.”
Both teams’ attacks started the game at a ferocious pace, as it was 1-1 just 3 minutes into the match. GW struck first after sophomore midfielder Aoi Kataoka turned the Bison (3-2-1) over and played a ball on the ground across goal to freshman Kate McGrath, who took her chance well, pinging the shot off the far post to score her first collegiate goal.
16 seconds later, Howard’s junior outside back Kyra Bolden cut into the middle and played a through ball to junior forward Melea Earley making a diagonal run between the central defenders. The La Mirada, California native made no mistake and beat graduate student goalkeeper Rose Hemans 1v1 with a shot to the back post. Just like that it was even again.
“Any time you score, you’re most susceptible to be scored on within the next five minutes,” head coach Michelle Demko said. “And it didn’t even get to the full minute. So I think in terms of that lesson, when you score the goal, you can’t continue to be celebrating.”
Howard had no trouble getting into dangerous spots following the goals, finding space in behind the Revolutionaries (3-2-1) backline and playing in dangerous crosses that GW struggled to deal with. Earley in particular gave the GW center backs fits, dusting nearly every Revs defender on separate occasions, especially when the Bison got out on the break.
Just as GW started to have some promising offensive sequences of their own, the game was abruptly stopped due to lightning in the area. Despite the groans in the press box, it was the right decision. Two minutes after fans cleared the stands and the players entered the locker room (Howard retreated to their bus), there was a lightning strike and simultaneous thunder crack no further than 100 yards away. That pushed the remaining spectators inside as we waited for a full 30 minutes without another nearby lightning strike.
Take a look at the lightning strike at the very end of this video in NW DC. Literally right on top of the Vern.
The Revs quickly found their rhythm after the long delay, with good chances coming from redshirt junior Caitlin Cunningham, freshman winger Alexa Meinen, and sophomore midfielder Isabel Kelly in the first 10 minutes of play. Meinen and Kelly both hit the crossbar with their shots from 25+ yards out.
“As we came out of that delay I thought we started the same way we ended,” Demko said. “Which was at a high competitive level: speed of play, moving the ball, physicality. So I don’t think it impeded anything for us.”
As fun as it may be to see them fire long range shots off the crossbar, the Revs still lacked the final ball and looked stretched in defense. One misstep by GW or moment of brilliance by Howard and the Bison would be in business.
But at the very end of the first half, GW unlocked the Howard defense and put the ball in the back of the net. Unfortunately for the Revolutionaries, the clock expired a second before Kelly’s glancing header off a cross from junior defender Maya Goudeseune. It was 1-1 at the half and both teams had things to be encouraged about.
After a shortened halftime, the trend of GW dominating possession but lacking the final ball while Howard troubled the Revs on the counter continued. In the 64th minute Goudeseune struggled to deal with a bouncing ball off a punt from Howard freshman goalkeeper Trinity Knox. As Howard was through on goal, sophomore defender Avril Silva slid over at the last moment and made a goal saving tackle to preserve the tie. Silva is arguably GW’s most reliable defensive player and has been since she started wearing Buff & Blue last fall. She plays nearly every minute in the hardest position on the field (left back) and routinely showcases her elite 1v1 defending, just as she did in this instance.
After that, the Revs really started to knock on the door of the Bison. First it was a shot/cross (a shoss, if you will) from junior winger Kelly Poole that was palmed away by Knox in the 69th minute. Less than 10 minutes later it was Meinen who narrowly missed a left-footed curling shot after redshirt freshman midfielder Alana Beasley stuck her hip into a Howard player, won the ball, and played Meinen through on goal.
In the 80th minute, Meinen got another chance in the form of a left footed shot towards the back post from outside the box that seemed destined for the back of the net until Knox leaped up and parried it out for a corner. It was a remarkable save but GW did not let up their pressure.
After four straight corners, it seemed like there was a cover on the Bison goal. The ball continually bounced around the box and GW seemed inches away from getting a foot on it to take the lead. In the 84th minute, Kataoka took a ball off her chest and side volleyed it off the outside of the post. If the Revolutionaries weren’t going to take control of the game then, they were never going to.
Kataoka has picked up where she left off this season after a campaign that earned her a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team. The Paramus, New Jersey native has a goal and four assists through six matches and has truly been the engine of the team. After starting the season primarily playing striker, Kataoka has recently been playing as a central midfielder who has been given freedom to float around, making late runs into the box and finding the ball.
“When she’s on the ball, she can dictate a lot of things for us,” Demko said. “The tempo, are we going to go forward? Do we need to spin out and keep possession? We give her the freedom to feel the game and dictate the cadence of it. She’s incredibly technical, very gifted, and is just uberly competitive.”
A few short moments later, Earley beat GW junior defender Alicia Window to the second ball, bodied her off it, kept her balance and passed it into the far corner to give Howard the lead. As strong as GW looked for much of the game, it’s hard to say the goal wasn’t deserved for the Bison, who tortured GW’s backline all day and cashed in their opportunity at just the right moment.
GW will look to bounce back on Sunday at home against American. Kickoff is at 1PM and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.
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