It was déjà vu in the worst possible way.
The Gophers had advanced to their second Sweet Sixteen in three years. Again they faced a Big East opponent, again snowbanks surrounded a frozen field, and yet again a single late goal eliminated Minnesota from the NCAA womenâÄôs soccer tournament in heartbreaking fashion.
Georgetown scored on a chaotic corner kick with 44 seconds remaining in regulation to beat the Gophers 1-0 Saturday at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
Entering the final minute, it appeared the game was headed toward overtime. Then Hoyas junior forward Samantha Baker, who was also credited with the goal, curled in a service that got lost in a scrum just in front of net and the ball caromed past sophomore goalkeeper Cat Parkhill.
The outcome was all too reminiscent of 2008, when Notre Dame scored an overtime penalty kick on a similarly snow-lined field to break a scoreless draw and knock Minnesota out of its first-ever Sweet Sixteen. Add to that memory the key differences prior to kickoff âÄî that the Gophers were playing at home, that Georgetown was unseeded as opposed to the Fighting IrishâÄôs top overall seed, that Minnesota had significantly more tournament experience âÄî and the loss stung even more, especially for the seven seniors who helped the program to new heights and entered Saturday hoping to take it higher.
Instead, itâÄôs the Hoyas who head to their first Elite Eight.
âÄúIt would be a lie to say IâÄôm not disappointed in the fact that we didnâÄôt make it to the Final Four,âÄù senior defensive midfielder Kylie Kallman said. In the next breath, however, she added: âÄúIâÄôm not disappointed in the effort we put forward and the fight we had âĦ IâÄôll be in the stands watching [the underclassmen] as they make it to the Elite Eight next year.âÄù
Between a surface that played like tundra, gusting winds and below-freezing temperatures, there was little rhythm throughout the game. Most scoring opportunities originated from set pieces, or in the HoyasâÄô case, BakerâÄôs 30-yard throw-ins that effectively made every Georgetown throw in the final third a corner kick.
Ultimately, it was an actual corner kick that decided it, although exactly how the ball sneaked over the line is unclear.
âÄúI wish I knew,âÄù Hoyas head coach Dave Nolan quipped. âÄúSamantha [Baker] stepped up and hit a great left-footed in-swinging ball that, when it gets into a dangerous area with traffic, anything can happen.âÄù
Anything did, and Georgetown now travels to Ohio State for the Elite Eight.
âÄúI felt as the game went on that it was going to come down to a moment of brilliance or a moment of good fortune,âÄù Nolan said. âÄúAnd I think we got a little bit of good fortune at the end in how the ball went in.âÄù