(Davon Marion / Fourth Estate)
Last week’s draw against Davidson keeps A-10 Tournament dreams alive
BY ALEXANDRA HENRIQUES, STAFF WRITER
Senior midfielder Rachel Eberly scored her first goal of the season in a tense clash against the Davidson Wildcats last week, securing a crucial draw for the Patriots Women’s Soccer team and ending a two-game losing streak.
Libby Davy, Mason’s junior goalkeeper from Adelaide, Australia, saved three shots on target to help secure the tie during the Thursday, Oct. 16 game at George Mason Stadium.
“We needed to capitalize on a lot more opportunities, but I think we played the best that we could. The other team fought really hard,” senior defender Zoë Vidaurre said. “We just needed to come a little bit harder.”
Mason took 11 total shots, with two on target. Their attempts included multiple shots from set pieces, such as a close-range free kick that deflected off of Davidson’s defensive line.
The Patriots dominated ball possession, holding 60% of the ball, with over half of their possessions coming from successful offensive performances. The defensive line was equally impressive, repeatedly curbing the Wildcats’ counterattack attempts.
Eberly’s equalizer in the 65th minute showed the team’s mental strength, which Vidaurre said is “staying compact and controlled mentally, making sure that even when [they’re] down a goal, [they’re] not letting that bring [them] down.”
“We’ve been putting a lot of work in training, and it’s showing to the fans that we’re just coming together as a team and really upping the intensity to win these games…we’ve come a long way and there’s been a lot of growth,” freshman midfielder Adriana Bonanno said.
The Patriots have dropped from eighth place in the conference, where they sat after the 1-1 draw against Davidson, to tenth after a late goal by Fordham’s junior midfielder Lena Johnsen resulted in a 1-0 loss on Sunday, Oct. 19. Mason also faced current conference leaders University of Dayton on Thursday, Oct. 23 in Ohio, where the Flyers remained undefeated with a 2-1 win against the Patriots.
The Patriots’ goal for the season is to qualify for the A-10 Tournament, which Mason has failed to qualify for since a record fourth-place finish in 2018. The top eight teams from the regular season qualify for the A-10 Tournament, meaning the Patriots must fight to secure a coveted spot in the tournament. This season, the Patriots have gone 3-5-1 in the conference, with wins against George Washington, Richmond and St. Bonaventure. Overall, the team has gone 4-10-3, with a non-conference win against Loyola Maryland.
The Patriots close the regular season at George Mason Stadium for the final game of the A-10 Conference against Saint Joseph’s tomorrow, where they must win to have a chance of qualifying for the tournament.