GW Women's Soccer Opens 2014 With Consecutive Home Matches
8/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
GW vs. Mount St. Mary's - Friday, 5 pm: Watch on RaiseHigh Live | | Follow live Twitter updates via @GWWomensSoccer
GW vs. Old Dominion - Sunday, 12 pm: Watch on RaiseHigh Live | | Follow live Twitter updates via @GWWomensSoccer
WASHINGTON - GW Women's soccer opens its 2014 campaign this weekend with consecutive home matches at the GW Soccer Field on the Mount Vernon Campus. The Colonials kick off the season when they welcome Mount St. Mary's on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by a 12 p.m. match against Old Dominion on Sunday.
GW returns 24 letterwinners and welcomes seven newcomers to the lineup after going 7-6-5 last season and earning a bid to the A-10 Championship for the first time since 2001. The squad was selected to finish seventh in the A-10 Preseason Poll, while junior Kristi Abbate and senior Alex Brothers were tabbed to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
The Colonials competed in two exhibition matches during their preseason training, drawing 1-1 with District foe American and defeating Delaware, 1-0. Junior Kyla Ridley found the back of the net for the Buff and Blue against the Eagles, while senior Meg Murphy scored the gamewinner against the Blue Hens off of an assist from classmate Madison Davis.
Mount St. Mary's also opens its season on Friday after being selected to finish ninth in the Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Mount went 4-10-3 and returns six starters from a season ago, including Alicia Mirando and Emma Blair, who scored two goals apiece in 2013. GW leads the all-time series with Mount St. Mary's, 2-0-1. Last season the squads drew a 0-0 double overtime tie in Emmitsburg, Maryland, despite the Colonials outshooting the Mount, 19-8, on the day.
Old Dominion first hosts Liberty on Friday before making the trip to the Nation's Capital. Under the direction of first-year Head Coach Angie Hind, the Lady Monarchs - who went 1-13-3 - return 14 letterwinners from a year ago, including their six leading point scorers. On the strength of a goal in each half from then-freshman Lina Proska, GW defeated ODU, 2-1, last season in Norfolk, Virginia.
