Sometimes a single player can assert his will and completely dominate a game. In the men’s lacrosse game against Vermont last Saturday, that player was senior midfielder Walid Hajj.
Coming off a heartbreaking home loss to Navy, Georgetown’s men’s lacrosse team responded with a 13-5 rout over the Catamounts, who they had not played since 1993. The seventh ranked Hoyas traveled to a neutral site in New Cannon, Conn where they were led by Hajj. The co-captain and preseason All-American midfielder gave a memorable performance, scoring a career high six goals, and was later named the ECAC offensive player of the week.
Georgetown jumped out to a fast start in the first quarter with four goals from Hajj. The one-man run was broken with a Brodie Merrill score that capped a five-goal first quarter. The Hoyas struck for four more goals in the second quarter and outshot the Catamounts 22-7 in the half. For the game, Georgetown had 49 shots to Vermont’s 22.
As much as the stars shined, it was the emergence of several young players that caught the attention of Head Coach David Urick. “For what we needed we able to get some guys to step up when guys got hurt. We were talking face-offs with a freshman-Christiaan Trunz-and a guy who walked on two years ago, Nick Lukens.” The Hoya face-off men won 15 of 22 face-offs to control possession of the ball.
Junior goaltender Rich D’Andrea delivered another solid performance, recording a perfect first quarter and allowing only two shots to slip past him in the second. He was replaced at the half by senior Andrew Owen, who finished with four saves.
“It would be nice to get a little healthier, but I think we got enough,” Owen said.
The Hoyas showed they had enough against Vermont. In addition to Hajj, the Hoyas used a balanced attack and stingy defense to key their rout. The win comes during a critical stretch in the lacrosse season as the team tries to qualify and gain a high seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
This week’s contest between Georgetown and Loyola University pits two teams that feel the pressure to capitalize on late season opportunities, and their meeting in Baltimore on Saturday should be a significant game for both sides.
“The Loyola game is something we prepare for well. They’re a young team trying to qualify for the tournament and they have a lot to prove. They’d like to do it at our expense,” said Urick. “These [upcoming] games are going to impact the playoff picture.”
Urick was referring to upcoming games against Loyola, UMass, Rutgers, and Syracuse, all of which are ranked in the top-20 or have designs on a spot in the NCAA tournament.
