Elvado
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 10,481
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Post by Elvado on Nov 24, 2018 14:01:34 GMT -5
I hope the field holds up as we want no part of Cooper tomorrow.
Well done ladies.
You are the class of the nation. Two more wins and advertone else will know it too.
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SFOHoya
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 500
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Post by SFOHoya on Nov 24, 2018 14:17:43 GMT -5
Watched the game online w my soccer fanatic daughter. She’d love to have a Georgetown soccer jersey. After looking around online couldn’t find where to buy one either men or women. Any ideas?
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Post by FrazierFanatic on Nov 24, 2018 14:32:32 GMT -5
Dominating job, fantastic season already, now finish the deal and grab that last, best title.
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Post by bearsandbulls on Nov 24, 2018 14:39:28 GMT -5
Dominance from the first whistle. The games in fact are becoming easier as we advance which is very strange. CCSU, the WSU gave us more trouble than the last two. I think this speaks more to this team maturing, attacking, knowing what it can do, and doing it.
I feel there will be a lot more "we've been there before" for the Final Four this time although the competition is going to be unbelievable. I can't believe I am actually cheering for UNC to win as UCLA is peaking as are we. Enjoy the Road to Cary, NC.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 4,352
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Post by calhoya on Nov 24, 2018 14:46:25 GMT -5
Lady Hoyas played very well and could easily have won by a greater margin.
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njhoya78
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 7,769
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Post by njhoya78 on Nov 24, 2018 15:27:43 GMT -5
Sheer domination from the start. Baylor wanted no part of things after the early goal, and the combination of wet conditions and less-than-pristine pitch didn’t help the visitors. Well done, ladies!
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whatmaroon
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 819
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Post by whatmaroon on Nov 24, 2018 15:28:16 GMT -5
Caught about the last 10 minutes of the first half and almost all of the second half, and had to keep reminding myself that this was an Elite Eight game and Baylor's a good team, because the Hoyas were in control of the game the whole time I watched. The shot total speaks volumes, and is completely true to what I saw. Excellent job, ladies, and keep it up.
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
Posts: 4,599
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Post by RusskyHoya on Nov 24, 2018 17:31:12 GMT -5
Well, what can you say? The Hoyas have won pretty much every other type of game imaginable this year, why not cap off the 2018 Shaw Field experience with a match so full of mud and players going down, it could easily have been branded as the World War I Armistice Centennial Match? Could've even brought in some mustard gas from American University's campus for the occasion... Aaaaanyway... now that I've more or less dried out and defrosted... I was as shocked as anyone by the sheer one-sidedness of this contest. Coming in, I expected the Hoyas to win for several reasons, some of which had as much to do with the opponent as with the quality of our squad. The rap on Baylor is that they pursue a style of play optimized for their home field and, frankly, the Big XII as a whole. They play on a more compact field and prioritize disrupting their opponent's offense through tight defensive organization and aggressive physical play. Over the course of a game, that will lead to several opportunities on the counter; that, together with some very direct play out of the back, constitutes much of their offense. Their Sweet Sixteen game against UVA was a classic example: the Hoos played their usual brand of skilled positional ball and chained one series of pass together after another. They really dominated the run of play for stretches. In the end, it didn't matter - Baylor cashed in on a header off a corner and then off of a free kick for the deciding goal, while Virginia found themselves frustrated time and again any time they got near the 18. Between that and the Baylor marching band playing from the stands throughout the match, it was Game Over for the Hoos. As always, Dave makes the point with both accuracy and whimsy: As successful as that approach proved to be for the Bears, I suspected that it would not translate all that well to Shaw Field, irrespective of how much it looked like an active minefield. The bigger and more variable pitch - one stretch won't necessarily behave like another* - privileges individual creativity and combination play over strict adherence to a gameplan, particularly one like Baylor's. That's a big reason why I preferred to see them over UVA. The other was, frankly, psychological. While the Bears went to the Elite Eight last year (and got blown away by Duke, although they were down a player for half the match), my sense was that their first road game in awhile, up to a much colder climate than they're used to, would be more of a curveball for them. UVA couldn't care less - they've got national titles in the trophy case and DC within easy driving distance. For the Waco contingent, meanwhile, this was as much Destination Thanksgiving as a reward for a great season as it was "onto the next one." And it looks like they had a great time! They'll always have the memories. But the Hoyas will have the hardware. *Baylor's home pitch is Betty Lou Mays Field, which is also natural grass. However, the climate in Waco generally makes for a very different grass experience later in the year than in DC... although this season, the Bears were forced to move "Faith and Family Night" to a football practice field on account of six inches of rain. Said promotion included "postgame testimonies from some of the student-athletes and a free Baylor mini-flashlight giveaway." Because Baylor.
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
Posts: 4,599
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Post by RusskyHoya on Nov 24, 2018 17:59:28 GMT -5
The Hoyas had about a dozen genuine scoring opportunities over the course of the match - I'm still a little anguished that Alyssa Cronin didn't get to convert hers into a career-capping score - but here are the ones that ended up in the scorebook:
Kelly Ann with the left foot!:
Nally to Carusa for the score on the doubleheader off a corner:
Paula gets her just desserts payoff for another great game effort on the rebound:
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DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,533
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Post by DanMcQ on Nov 24, 2018 20:48:04 GMT -5
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Post by FHillsNYHoya on Nov 24, 2018 21:21:01 GMT -5
Watched the second half. Truly dominating. Only thing I was concerned about was Arielle getting that knock but assuming she's ok finishing it out. Another game, another result, another clean sheet. Inspiring ladies.
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whatmaroon
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 819
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Post by whatmaroon on Nov 25, 2018 17:08:32 GMT -5
UNC game will be at 5 PM Eastern on Friday, November 30, and will air on ESPNU. Should the Hoyas advance, championship game is set for Sunday, December 2, at noon Eastern, also on ESPNU.
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Post by bearsandbulls on Nov 25, 2018 23:35:24 GMT -5
My best guess is that Coach Dave Nolan is over the top with joy and "what happened". I could describe it in a more crude fashion but enjoy Dave....I would bet anyone even money that were he honest he NEVER saw this coming having lost his entire midfield this last year.. The backfill was enormous. The new recruits were unknown. How Kira would fit with the team an uncertainty. Other than that, maybe a good run in the Big East.
What this team has done is beyond the imagination of most. I love it as you can tell, because most of the "star power" had left---the big names were at the end of the trail....So the nobodies came to camp in shape. They worked hard and had a couple of ties in exhibition and pre season to Penn State, then V. Tech, and Duke...But other than that they won, and they built....Sometimes not real pretty...Sometimes too close...But always building, always growing. Why, may you ask did they dominate the likes of Baylor and Duke much more than WSU and CCSU? Good question...But they are growing. I watched the UCLA v. UNC match and really thought UCLA would easily win. Wrong. UNC is good. Very good, and fast and they connect well and attack with vigor...But what I said before it is not about any "Them", it is about us....We are playing very good soccer right now....Bought my tickets for the family from the West Coast.....I believe....See you there...
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DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,533
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Post by DanMcQ on Nov 29, 2018 6:55:29 GMT -5
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
Posts: 4,599
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Post by RusskyHoya on Nov 29, 2018 23:27:11 GMT -5
My best guess is that Coach Dave Nolan is over the top with joy and "what happened". I could describe it in a more crude fashion but enjoy Dave....I would bet anyone even money that were he honest he NEVER saw this coming having lost his entire midfield this last year.. The backfill was enormous. The new recruits were unknown. How Kira would fit with the team an uncertainty. Other than that, maybe a good run in the Big East. What this team has done is beyond the imagination of most. I love it as you can tell, because most of the "star power" had left---the big names were at the end of the trail....So the nobodies came to camp in shape. They worked hard and had a couple of ties in exhibition and pre season to Penn State, then V. Tech, and Duke...But other than that they won, and they built....Sometimes not real pretty...Sometimes too close...But always building, always growing. Why, may you ask did they dominate the likes of Baylor and Duke much more than WSU and CCSU? Good question...But they are growing. I watched the UCLA v. UNC match and really thought UCLA would easily win. Wrong. UNC is good. Very good, and fast and they connect well and attack with vigor...But what I said before it is not about any "Them", it is about us....We are playing very good soccer right now....Bought my tickets for the family from the West Coast.....I believe....See you there... Will be there in spirit from my couch... although if they win, who knows, it's only a 5-hour drive from the District... I'll be honest and admit I never saw this coming. I think a lot of that has to do with the caliber of players who were graduating, many of whom had been four-year contributors. Returning players generally step up and improve year over year, and freshmen (and the occasional transfer!) join the program, but it felt really hard to imagine that anyone would be making such massive leaps up as to replace a Rachel Corboz or a Liz Wenger or even an unheralded but absolutely critical piece of the puzzle in Chloe Knott. At best, I assumed that the returning standouts would raise their game and carry the team on their backs, though how far they would go would depend on whether the competition was up, down, or about the same. The defense would surely be strong, but without a proven midfield to feed balls up top, where would the offense come from? Well, looking back, a couple of things happened. First, obviously, Kyra Carusa - you don't have someone of her caliber and experience walk in the door every day... or, like ever. Until this year. Second, the players who looked like they had a chance to step up to true greatness did. Here I'm referring to Caitlin Farrell, Meaghan Nally, and Paula G-W. Arielle was already there. The other returning contributors pretty much all progressed as, or better than, expected. Third - and this is the key one: even though those stepping in may not have been at quite the same level of their predecessors, particularly in the midfield, they provided a more offensive skill-set that has ultimately yielded greater success. You can't really say the defense has dropped off much, if any... but that's exactly the point. The defense was so good last year that even losing some stalwarts on the back line and switching out more defensive-minded midfielders like Knott and Pak for more forward-leaning Grace and Paula has hardly had an impact on Goals Against. There's a pretty obvious point of diminishing/zero marginal returns on defense - you can't get any better than a shutout. If you have excess capacity there that can be redirected into offense - do it! Key to all this was Dave Nolan's willingness to make that trade. Having Nally emerge as a true threat from the back was key, for sure, as was Farrell's greatly improved ability to place her shot and Paula's upgraded strength, stamina, and finish. But a good chunk of credit goes to the coach for being willing to put more offense-first players on the field at the same time. Credit to him for developing Jenna Royson and moving her, a freshman, into the starting lineup late in the season, just as the pressure increased. Credit to him for continuing to tinker and make such changes even as the results on the field would suggest that leaving well enough alone would probably work out fine. It probably would have... until it didn't. Losing on PKs after a scoreless draw is the anguish that haunts all defensive soccer teams' nightmares. It happened to the Hoyas last year, as it did to Duke, who surrendered no goals for four rounds of tournament play before falling in penalties. Sometimes, playing to your strength is *not* the right move, and it's to the enormous credit of this coaching staff for having recognized that and acted on it. Onward, Hoyas! Glory awaits!
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Post by FrazierFanatic on Nov 29, 2018 23:44:10 GMT -5
Ready for a great game, let's move on and play for the title!
Hoya Saxa!
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DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,533
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Post by DanMcQ on Nov 30, 2018 9:33:00 GMT -5
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
Posts: 4,599
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Post by RusskyHoya on Nov 30, 2018 11:12:51 GMT -5
Love the honesty and lack of empty coach-speak in the WaPo piece. Dave is always good for some truth and pith. Who needs the scenery of the PAC-12 when you've got Jamaica, Queens and South Orange, New Jersey?
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Post by aleutianhoya on Nov 30, 2018 17:53:53 GMT -5
0-0 at the half for those not tuned in. Lots of chances both ways. UNC probably has had the better of it by a bit.
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Bigs"R"Us
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,642
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on Nov 30, 2018 18:18:07 GMT -5
Prefer not to have this settled by penalty kicks, but any win would be tremendous.
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