No. 12 Georgetown’s (0-2-1 Big East) first home game of 2015 delivered a great deal to Shaw Field. First and foremost, the Hoyas’ battle with the Akron Zips (2-1-0 MAC) delivered a crowd of 1,137 ever-roaring, constantly cheering, and oft-heckling supporters clad in blue in gray. It delivered a physical game of tangible tension, late hits, skeptical tackles, and three yellow cards. It delivered a thrilling contest full of penalty kicks, break aways, and rocket shots off the crossbar. But it did not deliver a Hoya goal, and it did not deliver a Hoya win.
The Hoyas were without the help of All-American defender Joshua Yaro, who did not suit up due to a knee injury sustained during the season opening trip to Florida. Coach Brian Wiese remains hopeful that Yaro will return soon.
“I think I have a witch doctor sorting out something,” Wiese joked. “He’s not far off.”
Freshman goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski shared Wiese’s optimism regarding Yaro’s absence. “You just have to have a next-man-in mentality. It’s nothing different. PJ [Koscher]’s a great center back.”
Seniors Melvin Snoh and Josh Turnley were also sidelined due to minor injuries. Wiese lists all three day-to-day.
“It’s very easy to say the sky is falling,” said Wiese. “Well, we just have to manage our personnel a little differently.”
With three significant contributors on the bench, the slack fell on a lot of shoulders. Underclassmen were thrown into big-time situations while the remaining experienced Hoyas labored under heavy minutes.
Marcinkowski met the challenge of his first ever home game brilliantly. With both guts and poise, he tallied six saves, fending off break aways and one-on-ones from the lightning fast Zips midfielder Richie Laryea. But the highlight came off a penalty kick in the twelfth minute.
“I looked over to Alex Muyl, because he had been teammates with the player taking the kick for a while. He told me to dive to the left, and luckily he went to my left. I think a lot of the credit goes to Alex, and I was lucky enough to save it and stick it so it they didn’t get a rebound.”
Wiese was more than happy with his rookie goalkeeper. “It’s all a moot point if JT doesn’t play as well as he does. JT had three unbelievable saves in the first half. We could have been down two or three goals…JT was terrific keeping us in it.”
Marcinkowski’ lone goal allowed came in the sixty-third minute, one of Akron’s few chances of the second half. A deflection from Zips forward Nate Shultz in a crowded penalty box lifted the ball to midfielder Adam Najem. Najem’s one-time volley produced an unsaveable ball from the right side of the box that sailed perfectly into the bottom left corner of the net.
Following the goal, the Zips were contented to repeatedly dump the ball deep in the Hoya half of the field and retrench on defense, forcing the pace molasses slow. For the last twenty-five minutes, sluggish Akron throw-ins and goal kicks frustrated the Hoyas in what was already a chippy game. Cole Seiler and Brend McDonough were both booked on the day, as was Akron’s Goncalo Soares.
The Hoyas had their fair share of chances, but an exhausted and inexperienced offense was unable to erase the damage.
“We had some good opportunities,” said Wiese. I think some tired legs let us down.”
Junior midfielder Bakie Goodman took a beating early in the game. He was hit hard in several high-speed collisions, and was eventually forced to temporarily leave the game in the seventeenth minute after bumping heads with Akron defender Andrew Sounders. Neither of Bakie’s two shots in the game were on target.
Preseason All-Big East honoree defender Keegan Rosenberry was visibly fatigued in the second half. Lacking his usual punch, his crosses were easily handled by the Zips defense.
“Rosy put himself in some great spots,” said Wiese. “And then his free kicks and his crosses weren’t what they usually are. You see at that point in the game his legs have run out from him. We needed a little bit more quality at those times, but it’s a hard ask.”
The Hoyas’ best opportunity came in the fifty-fifth minute, when sophomore substitute Declan McCabe’s found the ball at point blank range in a crowded box. The shot went directly to Akron keeper Jake Fenlason.
“Declan’s chance that he missed was the one where if you score it the whole thing kind of settles in nicely,” said Wiese.
Wiese reiterated that the major focus going forward will be offense.
“We have to get our rhythm back with what we’re doing when we have the ball,” Wiese said. “.Can we be a little less predictable when we have it, and capitalize on these chances when we do have it?…We didn’t get it quite right, and Akron’s good enough to make you pay for it.”
The Hoyas will have to act fast to straighten out the offensive issues, as No. 1 UCLA arrives on the Hilltop Monday. Between two talented opponents in Akron and UCLA and the two-day recovery period, this weekend is a gruelling one for Hoya soccer.
“The schedule’s merciless with what we’ve put together,” said Wiese.
The return of Yaro, Snoh, and/or Turnley would be critical in splitting the weekend homestand. Inexperienced underclassmen would not be asked to do too much too fast, while bruised and fatigued upperclassmen could take the in-game rests they need.
UCLA presents a big opportunity. The Bruins fell to the No. 6 Maryland Terrapins on Friday 2-1 in overtime, and will have to handle a quick weekend turnaround as well. The No. 1 team is not just beatable, it’s tired. Three pairs of talented and well-rested legs could be the difference in taking advantage of a vulnerable top team.
Coach Wiese is excited to have his full team back. “When they come back, it’s a pretty fun team.”
With or without the three Hoya stars, kickoff is Monday at 1 p.m. EST.
