GW women break program’s consecutive wins record

RICHMOND, Va. (Via George Washington University) – The George Washington women’s soccer squad defeated Atlantic 10 foe Richmond, 1-0, on Sunday at the Spiders’ E. Claiborne Robins Stadium for its ninth-straight victory, breaking the program record for consecutive wins that had stood since 1998.

The Colonials (11-4-0, 6-0-0 A-10) have now tied the 1998 team’s program-leading mark for best conference start with six wins after downing Richmond (4-9-1, 2-3-1 A-10). Freshman Sofia Pavon netted the gamewinner – taking advantage of a free kick in the 80th minute of play.

“Our success thus far is a direct result of our players’ ability to apply information and adapt as we face new challenges each week, and even within games in the same week,” said Head Coach Sarah Barnes. “We saw two totally different strategies from VCU on Thursday and then Richmond today but were successfully able to adjust.”

GW and Richmond fought for possession in the first half, with each squad getting off five shots, but neither finding the back of the net through the first 45 minutes of play.

Defense continued to reign in the second stanza until the 80th minute. Sophomore Brittany Cooper drew a foul just outside of the 18-yard line on the left side of the field. Pavon took the free kick and bent the ball around the Spiders’ player wall, placing the ball just inside of the near post. Richmond’s keeper got her fingers on the ball, but was unable to make the stop as the Colonials took a 1-0 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game.

Richmond would take one more shot before the end of the period that sailed high as GW grabbed the win behind Pavon’s fifth goal of the season and third gamewinner.

Pavon tied the game high with five shots, with senior Kristi Abbate adding four attempts of her own. The Colonials outshot the Spiders on the day, 13-11, and redshirt-sophomore Miranda Horn posted a trio of saves to give GW its ninth shutout of the season, matching last year’s total.

“We’re incredibly proud of the players’ ability to be focused and disciplined in their execution as the season has progressed,” said Coach Barnes. “This is a great step forward in the continued development of our program. Ultimately, our goals are much bigger than this streak, as we are resolute to win an A-10 Championship and make a run in the NCAA tournament, which will require every member of our team to be even more determined moving forward.”

The Colonials return home to host Fordham on Thursday for a 3 p.m. A-10 bout at the GW Soccer Field on the Mount Vernon Campus.