It has been a fantastic start for the No. 9 Georgetown women’s lacrosse team. With an overall record of 7-2 and a conference record of 2-0 in the Big East, the team has been building steady momentum that will hopefully lead to a conference championship. The outstanding display of teamwork in the previous games has been a positive factor in the success of the Hoyas, especially on the defensive end, as highlighted by sophomore defender Adrianne Devine.
“We’ve only lost two games and I think we have a really good close-knit group of girls, and that’s really what’s been a positive on the season,” Devine said.
Working on their communication and continuously improving their overall gameplay, the defense hopes to stop any sort of advances in transition by future opponents. Playing together as a cohesive unit, however, is one of the fundamentals that have been stressed the most in practice.
Offensively, the Hoyas could not be characterized as anything short of explosive. With the efforts of sophomore attacker Caroline Tarzian, the Hoyas have been aggressive on the offensive charge and thus have secured high-scoring victories, notably their 21-3 win against Louisville. Scoring a total of 9 goals over the past two games against Cincinnati and Louisville, Tarzian has demonstrated her overwhelming talent and has invaluable to the consecutive wins. Last week, she was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll for the third time this season.
“Honestly, every single time it’s a surprise because there’s a ton of really good players in our conference so it’s a really great honor,” Tarzian humbly said.
Currently undefeated in the Big East, the Hoyas look to continue this streak with an additional win against the No. 15 Loyola Greyhounds (5-5, 2-0 Big East) in Baltimore. After a heartbreaking 15-14 overtime loss against the Greyhounds last year, the Hoyas hope to answer that defeat with a resounding victory this season. The Greyhounds have also had previous matchups with both Cincinnati and Louisville this season and notched similar commanding victories.
“We want to make sure that we have the focus on how we’re playing and what we’re doing,” said Head Coach Ricky Fried. “We should have plenty confidence right now being 7-2 and having some of the wins that we’ve had against ranked opponents and quality teams. We want to make sure that we maintain that.”
By paying attention to the details during practice, the Hoyas hope to improve their .475 shooting percentage and gain the competitive edge against the Greyhounds.
“We’ve had a little bit of a break so we should go in fresh, excited, and hungry,” said Fried. “And if we do that, it’ll bode very well for us.”
With aspiring sights set at receiving a bid for the NCAA tournament, the team is taking it one day at a time with six games left in conference play. The Hoyas look to continue their impressive start with another Big East win on Saturday at noon.
