Women's Soccer Ready for 2004 Home Opener
9/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 21, 2004
The George Washington women's soccer team opens up its 2004 home schedule Wednesday when the Colonials face the George Mason University Patriots at the Mt. Vernon Athletic Complex.
The Colonials are already battled-tested as GW currently holds a 2-2-2 overall record.
GW got off to a rough start in its season opener when they fell to Virginia Commonwealth University 4-0 back on Aug. 27th.
The team quickly regrouped in their next match and took a 1-0 victory over Quinnipiac. Junior Ina Kain's (Irvine, VA / Woodbridge) pass on a corner kick with 3:36 remaining in regulation found sophomore Sarah Sample (Annapolis, MD / St. Mary's) about 15-yards in front of the Bobcat goal. Sample drilled it home into the Bobcats' net to give the Colonials the 1-0 win in the first game of the Hoya Classic hosted by Georgetown University.
GW played to a 1-all tie two days later against Dartmouth when, after falling behind 1-0 early in the second-half, sophomore Shari Taylor (Ft. Washington, MD / Bishop McNamara) scored her first career collegiate goal unassisted to even the game up. Sample, junior goalkeeper Anna Handzlik (Palos Verdes, CA / Palos Verdes Peninsula) and junior midfielder Audrey Ehrhorn (Kailua, HI / Iolani) were named to the All-Hoya Classic Tournament Team.
Handzlik would post her second shutout of the young season in the Colonials next game when GW once again pulled out a 1-0 win. Freshman Kiki Colker's (Beverly Hills, CA / Beverly Hills) goal with just over five minutes to play in the first-half was all GW needed to defeat South Dakota State University in the opening game of the Diadora Classic hosted by Creighton University.
Kain recorded her second assist on the season when her corner kick at the 39:50 mark was knocked into the Jack Rabbits' net courtesy of Colker's header. Both Colker and Kain applied heavy pressure on SDSU's defense all game. Colker, who came off the bench, fired off five shots with three on goal and Kain got off six shots with four on goal.
The Colonials would once again end up in a draw in a tournament final game as GW and Creighton matched-up for a 2-2 double overtime match Sept. 12. Creighton opened up the scoring at the 20:15 minute but the Colonials answered right back less than two minutes later. Sophomore Lise Backman (Beaconsfield, Quebec / John Abbott College) received a pass from Sample and launched a shot into Creighton's net from 20-yards out to even the score at 1-1.
Creighton regained the lead with a goal early in the second-half, but the Backman-Sample combination would reverse roles and come through again 10 minutes later. This time Sample scored with an assist from Backman to tie the game at the 57:19 mark, setting what would be the final score at 2-2.
Backman, Colker and sophomore defender Nicole Cavino (Rye, NY / Rye) were all named to the All-Diadora Classic Team.
GW's four game unbeaten streak came to an end a few days later when the Colonials sixth game of the season came down to a batted shot on goal that found its way into GW's net.
Thirteen minutes into the second-half against James Madison University, goalie Anna Handzlik blocked a shot which ricocheted and forced her to chase down the loose ball and swat away from the goal line. But the Dukes were able to control the rebound and score what would turn out to be the only goal of the game to defeat the Colonials 1-0.
Following Wednesday's home opener, GW's next game is Saturday as the Colonials open up conference play against the Richmond Spiders at Mt. Vernon.
The day will be a GW soccer doubleheader with the women playing at 1:00 pm and the men's team following with thier home opener against George Mason at 4:00 pm.
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