WASHINGTON, D.C. – Third-seeded Georgetown won its first BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Championship, presented by Jeep, with a 2-0 victory over top-seeded Marquette in Sunday’s title match at the Hoyas’ Shaw Field. BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Offensive Player Grace Damaska scored the game winner in the 22
nd minute before Rachel Corboz notched the insurance score early in the second half to lead Georgetown to the trophy. The title is the Hoyas’ first since the BIG EAST began sponsoring a postseason tournament in 1993.
Damaska’s strike came from 18 yards out with 21:02 on the clock as the senior forward had time and space to line up and deliver a laser which ricocheted off the crossbar and into the net past Maddy Henry. Henry had three saves in the opening 45 to Arielle Schechtman’s one stop for Georgetown. The Hoyas entered halftime with an 8-1 advantage in shots, while corner kicks were even at two apiece.
Corboz needed just over six minutes in the second frame to get on the board, her 10
th of the year, kicking home a rebound off Chloe Knott’s original strike. Georgetown remained in control and threatening for much of the second half, tacking on eight more shots while holding Marquette without a single strike to finish with a 16-1 advantage in shots. GU’s backline leader Marina Paul would later be named the BIG EAST Championship’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Action was briefly paused with 33:05 and 14:50 remaining in regulation as a helicopter landed and took off at nearby Georgetown Hospital, with the landing pad just steps from Shaw Field.
Henry, an All-Tournament Team selection, would finish with seven saves. She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by fellow Marquette players Morgan Proffitt and Carrie Madden, while St. John’s Shea Connors and Jesse Schaefer, and DePaul’s Taylor Schissler and Franny Cerny were also recognized. Georgetown placed Corboz, Damaska, Elizabeth Wenger and Taylor Pak on the All-Tournament Team.
The Hoyas improve to 16-2-3 on the year, matching the program’s single-season record for wins, while the Golden Eagles fall to 12-7-2. Georgetown improves to 1-2 in the BIG EAST title game while Marquette moves to 2-2. GU and MU met in the BIG EAST final for the second time, with Marquette winning in 2012 before the Hoyas avenged in 2016.
Georgetown, which entered the week at No. 10 in the NCAA RPI while listing seventh in the NSCAA Poll, earns the BIG EAST’s automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. Marquette will hope for an at-large berth during Monday’s NCAA Selection Show, set for 4:30 p.m. (ET) on NCAA.com. The Golden Eagles entered the week at No. 26 in the NCAA RPI. Other notable BIG EAST RPIs include No. 54 Providence and No. 60 DePaul, neither of which include this week’s BIG EAST Championship contests.
BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Offensive Player
Grace Damaska, Georgetown
BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Defensive Player
Marina Paul, Georgetown
All-Tournament Team
Taylor Schissler, DePaul
Franny Cerny, DePaul
Shea Connors, St. John’s
Jesse Schaefer, St. John’s
Maddy Henry, Marquette
Morgan Proffitt, Marquette
Carrie Madden, Marquette
Elizabeth Wenger, Georgetown
Rachel Corboz, Georgetown
Taylor Pak, Georgetown
Grace Damaska, Georgetown