Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 17-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team suffered a 2-0 loss to No. 11 Georgetown this afternoon at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
 
Playing in warm, sunny conditions, the Mountaineers (1-2-3) allowed an opponent to score first for the fourth time this season, as the Hoyas (4-0-2) capitalized on a chance from Meaghan Nally in the 35th minute. GU's Kyra Carusa added an insurance goal in the 76th minute.
 
"Georgetown is the 11th-best team in the country and has a dynamic attack," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "I give a ton of credit to Georgetown for the way they finished their opportunities. Unfortunately, we didn't respond. They have a great team.
 
"We have to complete the game. We have to have 90 minutes of a game. We had some bad moments today, and you can't have bad moments against a top team like this. I'm going to lean on my upperclassmen, and I know they're going to respond."
 
The Hoyas' second corner kick of the match in the 35th minute produced too much confusion in the box and led to GU's first goal. Off the initial kick, the Mountaineers blocked three GU shot attempts. The third, a look by Grace Nguyen above the six-yard box, bounced to the feet of Nally, who immediately placed her shot toward the upper-left pocket for the Hoyas' first-half advantage.
 
GU padded its lead in the 76th minute off a near-indefensible shot by Carusa. Defending inside the box, a clearance by Jordan Brewster bounced off the head of Vanessa Flores and went wide right. Carusa spun with the ball before ripping a quick shot from six-yards out that found the space between junior goalkeeper Rylee Foster and the right post for the Hoyas' insurance goal.
 
Both teams finished with 14 shots. WVU senior midfielder Nadya Gill paced the field with four shots, and classmate Sh'Nia Gordon finished with a team-high two shots on-goal.
 
Foster made five saves, including four in the second half. GU's Arielle Schechtman matched with four stops of her own, while the Hoya defense was credited with the team's first stop of the match.
 
WVU finished with a 9-6 edge in corner kicks.
 
The Mountaineers nearly snagged their quickest goal of the 2018 season with a brilliant chance in the fourth minute. Sophomore forward Lauren Segalla pushed through two defenders before sending a thru ball to a streaking Gordon. Schechtman left her line and disrupted Gordon's rhythm at the top of the box but failed to swipe the ball. Defended but with an angle on the goal, Gordon took a sliding shot from 12-yards out, but GU defender Jenna Staudt cleared the ball for the team save.
 
Junior forward Jade Gentile looked to get WVU on the scoreboard in the 28th minute, as she got an angle on a ball from freshman midfielder Addison Clark, but her close-range shot around a defender was stopped at the left post by Schechtman.
 
Foster fought to keep the Mountaineers' deficit at one goal in the 52nd minute with back-to-back saves. The first stop was worthy of a highlight reel, as she pushed a high shot from Carusa up and away from the crossbar. Off the immediate corner kick, the Hoyas worked the ball high to Sarah Trissel, who took a hard shot from the top of the box that Foster caught at her line.
 
A long ball from senior defender Easther Mayi Kith in the 58th minute looked hopeful, as Gill chased it just over midfield before sending it wide to Gordon, but her shot near the top of the box was stopped at the right post by Schechtman.
 
Down 2-0, the Mountaineers pushed forward in the 81st minute. Mayi Kith got a head on WVU's final corner kick, but the ball was caught by Schechtman for the save. After a quick field flip, senior forward Hannah Abraham created a chance above the box and sent a lofting shot toward the net that also was stopped.
 
With less than five minutes remaining, Gill earned the Mountaineers' last chance. A Hoya foul five-yards above the box gave the midfielder a direct look at the net, but her kick smacked off the crossbar and back into play.
 
Despite today's defeat, WVU maintains a 15-5-2 edge in the all-time series. The Mountaineers drop to 0-2-1 against ranked teams in 2018.  
 
WVU returns to the road for a match at Clemson on Friday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m.