The Dayton Flyers got the home schedule off to a good start Friday night, beating the Georgetown Hoyas 3-1 in front of a strong contingent at Baujan Field. Dayton improves their record to a perfect 3-0 on the season, while the Hoyas, coached by former Flyer standout Diane (Coleman) Drake, drop to 1-2.

Dayton got off to a great start Friday night and almost found paydirt just 45 seconds into the match. The Flyers slipped a through-ball to a speeding attacker who ran right past the Hoya defense for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. In what should have been the first goal of the game, UD couldn’t finish it off but still kept the gas pedal down and eventually created more scoring opportunities. Another one-on-one with Hoya GK Alexis George went unpunished, and minutes later the Flyers ripped a bullet that was destined for the back of the net, only to be stopped by a Hoya who took it right in the face. Dayton kept putting pressure on however and before long UD’s luck changed as sweeper Erin Showalter gathered a deflection off a Katie Lowstuter cross from 25yds out and blistered it into the upper left corner for the 1-0 Flyer lead in the middle of the first half.

UD Head Coach Mike Tucker took this opportunity to begin his mass substitutions, utilizing the Flyer bench liberally throughout the remainder of the half and for the rest of the match. Before halftime, most of the roster had seen the field with the intention of wearing down the Hoyas as the game wore on. With the 1-0 advantage, Dayton continued to control the first half and had a couple more solid chances to add to the lead, but Georgetown held their ground and on at least one occasion, were bailed out by a terrific save from the goalkeeper. While the Hoyas were clearly the lesser side, they did manage to push the ball upfield and create a few chances of their own, including a golden opportunity just before halftime as a ball squeezed into the Flyer box and a short scrum took place just a few feet from the goal line. UD managed to clear it away at the last moment to preserve the halftime lead.

Oddly enough, it was Georgetown who came out stronger as the second half started, using the first couple of minutes to keep the Flyers honest. But Dayton made them pay on a quick counter attack in the middle of all this as senior Liz Brown took a ball the distance and slotted it from 12yds out that beat the Hoya goalkeeper. With UD up 2-0, the game was effectively over and the Flyers made sure of that just four minutes later when freshman Katie Lowstuter pounced on a rebound from 10yds out to make the score 3-0.

The final 30 minutes were much more competitive and Georgetown had more offense. Perhaps this was because the UD coaching staff used the opportunity to get everyone on the team some playing team. Before everything was said and done, nearly everyone who had a uniform, including all the walk-ons, had a chance to show their stuff in the final 20 minutes. The Flyers weren’t especially sharp down the stretch but never appeared vulnerable to a comeback of mythical proportions. Georgetown’s persistence paid off however as they found the Flyer net in the 84th minute to finish off the game’s scoring at 3-1 in favor of the home team. A garbage goal the coaching staff will likely take issue with, but it made an ultimate impact only in the boxscore. UD had a couple more chances in the waning moments to add another goal, including a pair of one-on-one breakaways, but hung on nonetheless for the relatively comfortable 3-1 victory.

Dayton outshot Georgetown 16-7, including 11-4 in the first half. The Flyers also held a 9-3 edge in corner kicks. Perhaps the best performance of the night came from freshman Katie Lowstuter, who scored her first collegiate goal in the second half and was primarily responsible for Dayton’s first score in the first half on a great hustle play that resulted in an outstanding cross in the box that Showalter eventually finished off. Lowstuter is quick-footed and appears perfectly suited for one-touch passes and give-and-go’s. She’ll continue to see quality minutes if she continues to make things happen on offense, but that could be said for nearly all of the newcomers. In all, 22 Flyers saw action Friday night, many of the freshmen. Two freshmen started — Laura Boland in the midfield and Jacqueline Luehrs at left back. Both played well and bring a scrappy mentality. Luehrs is a grinder who does a nice job of winning balls out of the air. With reigning A-10 Defensive Player of the Year Erin Showalter backing her up, it should make Luehrs’ job a less scary as a starting freshman defender. Showalter played solid as usual and looks sharp.

While the Flyers could have finished their scoring chances a bit better, the most disappointing part of Friday night wasn’t on the field — it was the field itself. Baujan Field, manicured extremely well last year, looks downright unacceptable for a home opener. Dry spots were everywhere, clumps of bare dirt in other spots, and it didn’t even appear recently cut. For an institution hosting a soccer tournament pitting some of the best teams in the region, UD had all summer to get it right or make it right and clearly dropped the ball. There simply aren’t any good excuses for it and reflects poorly on UD soccer and needs to be rectified. To make matters worse, the soccer terrace had weeds galore and looked as if it had not been cut or watered in several weeks. Perhaps someone should pass along the local number for Chem Lawn. In the very least, Baujan Field is a front door for the UD soccer programs and should reflect the same attention to detail as the players and coaches. The grass should be lush and properly cut, the terrace should have lush grass that’s watered and mowed frequently, and the bushes lining the terrace should be clipped. The neglect was everywhere and gave poor impression. The fans, players, and coaches deserve better.

The Flyers take on regional power Marquette on Sunday afternoon at noon. The Golden Eagles were 2-0 winners over Ohio State and should give Dayton everything they can handle. Only the best performance of the season thus far will be enough as Marquette is used to going to the NCAAs and has their sights set on ending UD’s home winning streak — currently at a school record 17 matches.