DePaul scored four first half goals on four shots to complete the upset over Big East rival Georgetown.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – It was a fantastic opening 45 minutes that launched DePaul onto the biggest victory of the season.
It doesn’t get any better than four shots and four goals.
Behind a pair of scores by Alexa Ben and one each from Franny Cerny and Abby Reed, the Blue Demons converted that explosive start into a 4-1 triumph over No. 7/2 Georgetown on Sunday.
With the win, DePaul (10-5-2, 7-1-0) is guaranteed a top-two conference finish and clinched a first-round bye in the BIG EAST Championship.
The partisan crowd at Shaw Field was just settling into their seats when Ben struck 38 seconds after the opening whistle on a one-timer inside the box off a cross from the far end line from Jessie Schmidt.
In the 12th minute, Cerny connected on a blast from the center of the box after Ana Greik’s pass from the far side.
Check out recap of @DePaulWSoccer dynamic 4-1 win at No. 7/2 Georgetown---four 1st half goals on 4 shots! #dpuwsochttps://t.co/faitVU3HjM pic.twitter.com/3ZYcqT1z9b
— DePaul Athletics (@DePaulAthletics) October 23, 2016
Georgetown (13-2-2, 5-1-2 in BIG EAST) cut into the DePaul lead in the 31st minute on a goal by Meghan Nally inside the box.
But the irrepressible Ben put momentum back in blue after scoring her second goal in the 38thminute on a rebound of a Cerny shot.
For a fitting end to the first half, Reed scored in the 45th minute on a beautiful, long shot from the far right side into the upper far post.
All of this against a Georgetown defense that had allowed just one goal in its previous nine games.
The Blue Demon defense stood tall against a Hoyas’ attack that has scored 44 goals this season. Kelli Hubly locked in on Georgetown’s leading scorer Grace Damaska ((11 goals) while Taylor Schissler, Avery Hay, Lucy Edwards and Elizabeth Endy disrupted the rest of this high-powered offense.
