Washington, D.C. – The Sacred Heart University women's soccer team battled hard in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament but came up short, falling 3–0 at Georgetown on the road Friday night in the nation's capitol.
Between the Pipes:
Sacred Heart: Kyran Thievon: (L 11-7-2) 3 goals against | 8 saves
Georgetown: Cara Martin: 0 goals against | 1 save
How it Happened:
- Despite the final score, the Pioneers battled for all 90 minutes. Georgetown opened the scoring in the 18th minute and added a penalty-kick goal in the 27th, but Sacred Heart refused to fold. The Hoyas totaled eight first-half shots, yet Kyran Thievon and the Sacred Heart back line stood tall, making key stops to keep the game within reach.
- The second half followed a similar script. Georgetown extended its lead with a penalty-kick goal in the 63rd minute, but Sacred Heart immediately pushed back. In the 71st minute, Martyna Krzysztopik delivered the Pioneers' best chance of the night on a penalty kick, forcing the Hoyas' keeper to come up with a standout save. Thievon continued her strong play down the stretch, making several spectacular stops to keep the score at 3-0.
- Though the season ends in Washington, D.C., it concludes as one of the most memorable in program history. Sacred Heart secured its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship, earned its first NCAA Tournament berth, and showcased resilience and belief from start to finish
Of Note:
- Georgetown had 22 shots compared to the Pioneers' one
- Georgetown had 14 corner kicks compared to the Pioneers' two
- This was the second NCAA tournament game in Sacred Heart's history
- Morgan Bovardi ends her four-year career as the Pioneers all-time leading goal scorer and points leader
- Bovardi, Theanna Burnett, Emily Hood, MacLaren Richards, Thievon and Lyndsey Laperle started in all 22 games this season
- Burnett led the Pios with 1936 minutes played