The Georgetown field hockey team (2-3, 0-0 Big East) brought home their second win of the season against Holy Cross this past Saturday, before dropping a game on Sunday 4-1 against Brown. The weekend was full of highs and lows for a program that is currently trying to reinvent itself.
Saturday’s game against Holy Cross was a true test of will as both teams maintained a steady offense and an even stronger defense throughout. The challenge forced the Hoyas to exercise their full range of abilities, demanding individual players to play at their very best. The first goal on the board came from junior forward Sarah Butterfield, who scored for the first time this season after a rapid assist from sophomore midfielder Louise Chakejian.
While the Hoyas took shots as soon as they mounted the pitch, the Crusaders did not make any legitimate attempts for the goal until about fifteen minutes in. And even these were repelled by senior goalkeeper Rachel Skonecki. Skonecki managed a total of six saves and kept the net unscathed from Crusade fire for the entire first half.
As time became more sensitive, Holy Cross’s offense stumbled, awarding the Hoyas a penalty circle and granting the offense a less heavily guarded net. Sophomore forward Aliyah Graves-Brown scored the winning goal off of the penalty.
“I thought our best hockey of the match came in the first half today,” said Head Coach Shannon Soares. “We let some things slip in the second half and didn’t quite play to our potential. With that said, we’re very proud of our players for their resilience in the defensive end and for their ability to fight back in overtime.”
The Hoyas weren’t as lucky in Rhode Island during the game against the Brown Bears. Both teams were evenly matched throughout the first half, but the floodgates opened after the break as the Bears scored four goals against Georgetown. Sophomore midfielder Emily Weinberg added a late goal for the Blue and Gray, but it was too little too late.
The field hockey team will have a chance to redeem themselves this Saturday at home. The game will be against the Longwood Lancers on the Multi-Sport Field at 6 p.m.
