George Mason defeats George Washington 1-0 in A-10 Quarterfinals
DAVIDSON, N.C. (Via George Mason University) – Abby Downey scored her second goal of the season in style as the sophomore led No. 8-seeded George Mason past top-seeded George Washington, 1-0, in the quarterfinal round of the Atlantic 10 Championship Thursday morning. GW entered the tournament with a perfect 10-0 league mark from the regular season and riding a 13-match win streak. The Patriots will advance to the semifinal round on Friday playing No. 5 Fordham at 5 p.m.
MATCH NOTES
-George Mason and George Washington played through a scoreless first 45 minutes, standing tied at 0-0 at intermission.
-Mason attempted eight shots in the first half to GW’s three.
-GW tried to break through early, forcing Kirsten Glad into her only save of the period in just the fourth minute.
-After Mason posted several shots, Abby Downey looked for the go-ahead goal in the 35th minute, but Ellen Conway came up with the save.
-The defensive battle continued early in the second half.
-Glad came up with her second save of the morning in the 65th minute when Mackenzie Cowley tried to find the back of the net.
-Seven minutes later, GW threatened again, but Glad was in position for the save.
-Mason broke through in the 76th minute on a tally from Abby Downey. Kaila Williams took a free kick for the Patriots, serving it across to find Emily Littell. Littell headed it towards the goal and Downey finished with the goal for the 1-0 lead.
-The Colonials saw a solid scoring chance in the 79th minute from Ivana Szwejkowski to even the score, but Mason’s defense came up strong.
-Szwejkowski rattled off two quick shots with the first attempt blocked and the second shot hitting the crossbar as GW remained scoreless.
–Emily Littell tried to cushion Mason’s lead in the 83rd minute, but GW goalkeeper Miranda Horn came up with the stop.
-The shutout marks the sixth of the season for the Patriots.
STAT BREAKDOWN
-George Mason placed three shots on goal against the Colonials and totaled 10 shots in the match.
-GW also attempted 10 shots, placing four on target.
–Kirsten Glad came up with three saves in the victory, keeping the Colonials off the scoreboard.
-The Colonials played two keepers, each picking up a save.
-Mason held the slight advantage in corner kicks, 5-4.
–Alex Myers led Mason with three shots in the match.
–Abby Downey registered two shots on goal to pace the Patriots on frame.
POST MATCH QUOTES
-“I’m really proud of the players today for their performance. They showed great determination and fight at the right time. All-in-all, we played very well and deserved the win and I’m extremely happy for our players. I want to congratulate GW for the year they had, going undefeated in league play and posting a 13-match win streak. It was a great season for them and they deserve congratulations.” – Head Coach Todd Bramble
NEXT ON THE PITCH
-Mason will face #5 Fordham on Friday at 5 p.m. in the semifinals. The Atlantic 10 Championship is being hosted by Davidson.
