The Georgetown men’s lacrosse team exploded with a first-period offensive flurry in Saturday’s 14-10 win over Baltimore’s Loyola College Greyhounds. The explosions, which resounded as loudly as those over Baltimore Harbor that inspired Francis Scott Key’s national anthem in 1813, created immediate distance between the two clubs clawing towards a berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament.
The Hoyas racked an impressive 17 shots on goal in a first period that was more a series of wind sprints than one of physical lacrosse. Georgetown connected on only four of those shots, but set a tempo that would favor them throughout the game. The Greyhounds were able to put only five shots on cage, and junior goalie Rich D’Andrea stopped three of those, giving the team a 4-2 lead entering the second period. Only Loyola first-year Andrew Spack, a surprising threat to the Hoyas’ defense, was able to penetrate through the Georgetown inside-box, as his two goals kept the Greyhounds in the game.
Georgetown put only eight shots on goal in the second quarter, but their ball movement and shot selection was improved, leading to five more goals en route to a commanding 9-3 lead, eventually trimmed to 9-5 at halftime. With multiple slashing cuts to the goal and efficient feeds from Senior Attackman Neal Goldman from behind the cage, the Hoyas were efficient when they had possession. The team also went 9-11 on clears in the period, ensuring they didn’t give the Greyhounds extra opportunities.
The game was the cleanest of the season for the Hoyas who went the entire game without a turnover. The up-and-down pace of the game, however, also favored the ball handling of Loyola, who remarkably also finished without a turnover in the exceptionally flub-free game. D’Andrea helped Georgetown’s defensive efficiency with a solid performance in goal, registering eight saves against 30 shots, a performance which was somewhat overshadowed by a sterling outing from Loyola Sophomore keeper Michael Fretwell, who finished with 13 saves while barraged with 43 Georgetown shots.
“Rich made some big saves again for us when we got out of position, as he seems to every game,” Head coach Dave Urick said. “John Trapp also had a really good game for us, which was a huge lift,” he went on to say of the Sophomore defenseman.
Sophomore attackman Sean Denihan, who has cemented his position in the Georgetown starting lineup, scored four goals in the game, a career best. His empty-net goal in the game’s closing minutes also quelched a furious Loyola rally as the Greyhounds played with renewed desperation to salvage the game and their tournament hopes.
After a game and a half of face-off parity with their opponents, the Hoyas again held command of the important possession determinant after the return of senior face-off specialist Andy Corno. The defensive-minded midfielder, who had missed over a week of action after injuring his hamstring in the first half of the team’s loss to Navy, led the Hoyas to a 15-26 advantage, which was important in holding off Loyola’s fourth-quarter rally.
Co-captain Walid Hajj continued his recent tear, sending in two goals with his impressive underhanded crank shots. Junior midfield linemate Nick Miaritis returned to his early-season form with three goals and forced Loyola to focus as much on his dodges as Hajj’s shot, freeing up Hajj for his goals. Miaritis, who has also played attack, had one beautiful goal on a dodge from behind the cage, blasting past his defenseman and hitting a one-handed scoop shot from a small opening in the second half. Goldman also finished with three assists, and often set the offense, directing the midfielders’ cuts and dodges.
The win keeps Georgetown in good standing heading into the crucial run towards the season’s end. The team returns to action this Saturday against Umass having just two losses, both coming at the hands of top-five ranked teams. How the Hoyas perform against their Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference rivals; Umass, Mt. St. Mary’s, and Rutgers will go a long way towards determining their inclusion and seeding in the NCAA tournament. While a regular-season concluding victory over perennial title-contender Syracuse would also be impressive to the NCAA selection committee, wins in the three conference games before may be even more important to the Hoyas’ future
Face-off against the Minutemen is set for 1 p.m. Saturday on Harbin Field.Saturday on Harbin Field.
