In an era of college sports where mediocre non-conference schedules are usually the norm for elite programs, the No. 23 Georgetown women’s lacrosse team stands out as unique. Though the third-hardest strength of schedule in the country has left the Hoyas with a 2-5 record, the team is still confident that by the end of the season they will reveal their true level of talent.
“It’s frustrating to have the record we have, but when we looked at this schedule the pros outweigh the cons,” head coach Ricky Fried said.
The team experienced some losses in the early season that were not as competitive as they might have hoped, but a 12-11 victory against No. 18 Johns Hopkins, stopped the team’s minor slide.
“The win over Hopkins gave us some confidence against a quality opponent,” Fried said. “Still, there are things we need to improve upon.”
Georgetown opened up Big East play last Friday with a strong showing against Villanova. The 17-12 final score belied the convincing nature of the win—Georgetown at one point led 15-3 in the second half.
Senior Jordy Kirr continued her fantastic season, scoring the Hoyas’ first two goals. Fellow senior Jacqueline Giles and sophomore Sophia Thomas took over from there, each notching four goals apiece against the overmatched Wildcats.
In addition to their senior leadership, Kirr and Giles have spearheaded the offensive attack for the Hoyas this season. The pair have contributed 10 and 11 goals respectively, with Kirr adding a team-high of nine assists as well.
Along with their upperclassmen, the Hoyas have experienced tremendous contributions from their talented sophomore class. The experienced group has already accumulated 35 goals and 44 points between them. The impressive class is led by Thomas, a recent Big East Honor Roll selection, who has 13 ground balls and eight caused turnovers to go along with her team-leading 14 goals.
Last Sunday, the team headed to Princeton Stadium to take on the No. 12 Tigers. Georgetown’s offensive firepower was again on display, as the team burst out of the gates in the second half with five goals in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, Georgetown was unable to capitalize on their advantage, and the team lost 12-11. Nevertheless, the Hoyas’ potential for a game-swinging offensive burst offers encouragement as they reenter Big East play.
The Hoyas head to Connecticut to take on the Huskies on Friday, in their second conference game. The team will look to have a strong road showing before returning to D.C. for a four-game home stretch.
“It’s more important to have a good game in Storrs because it’s conference,” Fried said. “It will be nice to be back on our home field and any momentum we can draw from a good game in Storrs will be beneficial.”
nice article hoyas are about to roll!