The women’s lacrosse team had a busy weekend. On Friday the no. 2 ranked Hoyas lost to the top-ranked Princeton Tigers, 7-9. On Sunday, the Hoyas regrouped to crush the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 13-6.
“Whenever Georgetown and Princeton Women meet on a lacrosse field, it’s sure to be a battle between two well coached, multi-talented teams,” Junior Goalie Sarah Robinson, who was named Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Week, said.
With the afternoon sun in their eyes, fans filled the bleachers, and tension was palpable. Georgetown took an early lead in the game and dominated the first half, staying steadily on top of the Tigers.
In the second half, the Hoyas lost their steam. The Tigers were able to score five goals in a row, with senior captain Theresa Sherry scoring three goals in under two minutes, turning the tide against Georgetown. At 14 minutes, Princeton took the lead for the first time up 6-5.
“When two of the best teams in the country play each other, the smallest mistakes determine the outcome. We gave Princeton openings in the second half and they capitalized,” Robinson said.
The Tigers scored yet again at 13:26, 9:00, and 6:32, leaving the Hoyas down 9-6. With 3:11 left Junior Attacker Sarah Oliphant scored on a shot to the right corner, but after that point, the Hoyas were unable to gain any ground on the Tigers.
Georgetown earned a chance for a last rally by regaining the ball after the Oliphant goal, and the crowd chanted, “Give the ball to Sarah … she’s got the hot stick!” Unfortunately, after a few lackluster dodges on the cage, Princeton regained the ball for a final time and ran out the clock.
The team’s biggest offensive threat, Oliphant had three goals and two assists. She was helped by Junior Attacker Catherine Elbe, who had two goals, Senior Midfielder Gloria Lozano and First-year Midfielder Michi Ellers had a goal a piece.
“We played 35 minutes of OK lacrosse, but that was not enough. There was about two minutes where we let down, but that was all Princeton needed. To beat a team like that we have to play a full game,” Junior Midfielder Alison Chambers said.
Despite the loss, the team was ready to get back to work. “In the Princeton game we learned that there are things we need to improve on to be successful at the end of the season, but we’re capable of competing with the best, and we’re amongst the best,” Oliphant said.
The Hoyas have a long rivalry with Princeton and are likely to play them again. “We can defeat them and I’m definitely looking forward to playing them during the ‘04 post-season,” Robinson said.
Hoping to rebound from the loss, the Hoyas faced off against Rutgers on Sunday. After a tough physical game against Princeton on Friday, it seemed that it was hard for the team to get up for another game on Sunday.
The Hoyas trailed 4-1 early, but they managed to turn things around and crush the Scarlet Knights 13-6.
Senior captain Gloria Lozano had the first goal before Rutgers responded with four in a row. Lozano got Georgetown out of the rut by scoring a second goal at 12:14, and goals by First-year Attacker Coco Stanwick and Elbe tied up the game at the half.
The second half was a completely different game, beginning with a four-goal run by the Hoyas in less than four minutes.
The Hoyas had much more balanced scoring against Rutgers. By game’s end, Lozano had three goals, Senior Midfielder Anouk Peters had two, Elbe, Stanwick, Junior Midfielder Lauryn Bernier all had two, and Chambers and Ellers both had a goal.
“From the opening draw we were not aggressive enough, which was a mistake. Our offense was very good in the second half, as the final score indicated,” Robinson said. “When our attackers are on fire, they are truly amazing to watch!”
After the weekend, the Hoyas stood at 5-1 (3-0 in the Big East). Their next game is Sunday at 1p.m. at North Kehoe Field. “We have a full week off before playing UNC, but we have to remain focused and come out and play a full 60 minutes of good lacrosse,” Chambers said.
