Last Saturday, the No. 14/13 Georgetown men’s lacrosse team (8-4, 3-1 Big East) put on a show for its former members who returned for Alumni Day, winning 17-8 against Villanova (5-6, 0-3 Big East) at Multi-Sport Field. The victory clinched a spot in the Big East Conference Tournament for the Hoyas, a competition they missed out on last year.
The Hoyas had not beaten the Wildcats since 2011, but an offensive outburst led by the team’s seniors proved too much for the visitors to handle. Senior attack Reilly O’Connor paced the home team with five goals—tying his career high—and added 1 assist. For his performance, O’Connor was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week. It was the sixth time in his career that O’Connor has earned some kind of weekly Big East honors, but the first which saw him take home Offensive Player of the Week. Equalling O’Connor’s six points was his senior attack partner Bo Stafford, who scored twice while providing four assists.
After a back and forth opening period to the game, the Hoyas held a 4-2 lead. In the second quarter, the home team would break it open. With 13:44 remaining in period, senior midfielder Joe Bucci scored his first goal of the game to put his team up 5-2. He would add a second soon after, as his play sparked a 5-1 run which gave the Hoyas an insurmountable 9-2 lead over their opponents.
The Hoyas took a 9-4 lead into the half, but the Wildcats scored quickly after the beginning of the third quarter, cutting the margin to only three goals. The home then put the game beyond any doubt, scoring four straight goals on the way to the 17-8 victory.
After a hugely successful week which saw him named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week and United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Defensive Player of the Week, freshman goalie Nick Marrocco again delivered for the Hoyas, recording 18 saves in the effort. His USILA honor was the first time a Hoya has earned that distinction during Head Coach Kevin Warne’s tenure at Georgetown. This week, Marrocco was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll, the third consecutive week in which he has picked up some sort of conference honors. His 13.18 saves per game average leads the Big East, and is the third-best mark in the country.
The Hoyas’ defense contributed as well, forcing 11 of Villanova’s 17 turnovers. Sophomore defender Michael Mayer gave a strong showing, forcing three turnovers and picking up three ground balls.
After their loss Denver (9-2, 3-0 Big East), the Hoyas entered the game against the Wildcats ranked No. 17 and in danger of falling out of the rankings if they acquired another loss. With the win against ‘Nova, however, Georgetown moved to No. 14 in this week’s coaches’ poll. The victory also moves the Hoyas into the Top 10 in the RPI rankings, a tool used heavily by the NCAA when it comes time to determine seedings for the NCAA Tournament.
On Saturday, the Hoyas travel to Charlottesville to take on No. 9/10 Virginia (8-4, 0-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Faceoff is set for 1 p.m.
