Aug. 22, 2011
WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University men's soccer squad closed out preseason play on Saturday evening with an exhibition game at the University of Maryland. The Hoyas defeated the No. 4 Terrapins, 1-0, after downing the University of Richmond, 3-0, earlier in the week.
In the win over Maryland, the Hoyas handled constant pressure in the first half as the Terps outshot the Blue & Gray, 7-1. However, in the 34th minute, the momentum shifted as junior Tommy Muller (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Trinity Prep) redirected a ball from classmate Jimmy Nealis (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) to make it 1-0.
The spark lifted the Hoyas who went into the break looking at an 8-5 shot differential.
The Blue & Gray managed to hold on in the second half as both goalkeepers, sophomore Keon Parsa (West Hills, Calif./El Camino Real) and freshman Tomas Gomez(Webster Groves, Mo./Webster Groves), each saw action in the net. Both teams managed four shots in the second half making the final shot total 12-9 and both squads utilized their benches as a final tune up before the beginning of the season.
Earlier in the week, Georgetown defeated Richmond, 3-0. Muller once again had the game winner, heading in the ball in the 10th minute.
The Blue & Gray added one more just a minute later to make it 2-0 which would stand for the remainder of the half. Early in the second, the Hoyas scored in the 55th minute to make the final, 3-0, which would eventually be the final.
Both squads were able to rotate in a number of players as the coaches looked for different combinations on the pitch.
The Blue & Gray was selected to finish fourth in the BIG EAST's Blue Division by the league's coaches. GU won the Blue Division with a conference record of 7-2-0 and an overall mark of 12-6-2. The Hoyas defeated UNC Greensboro in the first round of the NCAA Championship, 3-0, before battling to a scoreless draw in the second round against North Carolina. The Tar Heels advanced on penalty kicks, 5-4. During the season, Georgetown posted a nine-game winning streak, the second-longest in program history. The Hoyas finished the season ranked 23rd in the nation in scoring offense (1.90 goals per game).
The Hoyas will open the season with a home game at North Kehoe Field against Virginia Commonwealth University on August 29 as the start of a three-game home stand.
