In his first playoff game for the Hoyas, freshman midfielder Arun Basuljevic propelled the Georgetown University men’s soccer team (12-3-4) past the Marquette University Golden Eagles (8-6-4) and into the Big East Tournament semifinals.
The first half of the contest was hotly contested in the middle of the park as both teams struggled to control the tempo of the game. Senior forward Austin Martz exposed Marquette’s defense down the right wing on several occasions, but the Hoyas weren’t able to connect well in Marquette territory. Near the end of the first half, Head Coach Brian Wiese subbed in sophomore attacking duo Brett Campbell and Jon Azzinnari, who effectively wore down the opposing defenders.
Though no one scored in the first half, the Hoyas put the pressure on early and often for the remainder of the game. In the 48th minute, a strike from Campbell nearly broke the deadlock for the Hoyas, but a sliding deflection from a Marquette defender kept the contest scoreless. On the ensuing corner kick, Campbell headed a strike off the right goalpost, just missing another chance to put the Hoyas on the scoreboard.
In the 58th minute, Wiese brought Basuljevic and junior forward Brandon Allen back onto the pitch. It didn’t take long for the duo to make a difference. In the 60th minute, junior midfielder Melvin Snoh intercepted a pass and led a counterattack for the Hoyas. Snoh curled a pass from the right wing across the face of the goal to Basuljevic, who smoothly slotted a shot past the Marquette goalkeeper.
The game was far from over, however, as it took less than two minutes for Marquette to respond with a goal of their own. In the 62nd minute, a well-struck cross from the left wing awkwardly deflected off junior center back Cole Seiler and skipped past senior goalkeeper Tomas Gomez, evening the score at 1-1.
The Hoyas’ unlucky concession could have easily deflated the team and changed the momentum of the game, but freshman midfielder Christopher Lema had other ideas. In the 65th minute, Lema controlled the ball in Marquette territory and crossed to Austin Martz who tapped the ball in at the far post. The Hoyas took control of the game 2-1 and never looked back, punching their ticket to the Big East Tournament semifinals at PPL Park in Chester, Pa.
Though Basuljevic may have been nervous, the freshman phenom helped the Hoyas control the tempo of the game from start to finish and gave the Blue and Gray the offensive spark they needed. He was dangerous on the ball, wreaking havoc in the attacking half and breaking down Marquette’s defense with his crafty footwork and agility.
With the recent absence of sophomore Alex Muyl, Basuljevic has been given a chance to shine for the Hoyas. On Friday, the freshman star scored the game-winner against Villanova in Georgetown’s final regular season game. Just hours before Tuesday afternoon’s game, he was informed by a teammate that he had been chosen as the Big East Rookie of the Year. Basuljevic credited his success to the influence of his teammates.
“They give me such confidence every day. I go to practice everyday and they all help me. When I came in, it was kind of a reality check,” said Basuljevic. “It took me a while to break in and really have an impact. Since then it’s just been really, really fun playing with these group of guys.”
Wiese, who racked up his 100th career victory on Tuesday, is proud of how the Hoya freshmen dealt with the pressure of the first postseason game.
“Arun’s been doing a terrific job,” said Wiese. “He scored the first goal today, scored the game-winner against Villanova, and he’s very dangerous. Lema is also a very important piece to come on and help in the center of the park. When he was on against Villanova, he made the play to start the sequence for the game-winning goal. They’re really class players and we’re starting to see it as they settle in on the team.
“You, as a team, are defined by how you do in postseason-type environments. Today, losing that own goal right after you score, that is the moment when you have to ask ‘well, who are we?’ The ability for our guys to turn right around and get the game-winner within a few minutes is a great sign for a potential postseason run.”
The Hoyas will now travel to Chester, Pa. to face second-seeded Xavier (12-4-2) at PPL Park tomorrow in the Big East Tournament semifinals. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m.
Photo by Elena Plenefisch
