With the Big East Regular Season Championship and home-field advantage in the conference tournament on the line on Senior Day, the No. 6 Georgetown men’s soccer team (13-2-2, 9-0 Big East) pulled out a thrilling 2-1 victory over visiting No. 3 Creighton (16-2-0, 7-2-0 Big East). The Hoyas were propelled to victory by goals from junior forward Brett Campbell and senior defender Cole Seiler.
The win secures the first outright regular season championship for the Blue and Gray since the 2010 season, and the fifth regular season championship in the program’s history. It also marks the first time since 2009 (Louisville) that any Big East team has won all nine of their league games.
What has been a historical year for the team was further proven on Wednesday. Georgetown has not lost in their last 14 matches, including 11 consecutive victories, which are both program records. Furthermore, the team set the school record for most consecutive shutouts (6) in a single season. The team will look to continue their record-breaking form in the Big East Tournament, which no Georgetown team has ever won.
Georgetown Head Coach Brian Wiese noted the difficulty of playing in the Big East.
“The league is really hard,” Wiese said. “Being perfect in a league like the Big East is a great accomplishment, so I’m just proud of the boys for getting through it.”
Cole Seiler, who scored the game winning goal in the 84th minute, echoed these thoughts.
“Looking back on (the team’s record), it’s quite the accomplishment,” Seiler remarked. “It’s definitely something not only our senior class, but this team in general will be remembered for.”
To win the conference, however, the Hoyas had to take care of the nation’s best teams in No. 3 Creighton. It was Georgetown who opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Brett Campbell made a run down the sideline and put a shot in the back of the net following assists from senior attacker Brandon Allen and midfielder Keegan Rosenberry.
The teams then traded opportunities with no scoring, until the 70th minute when Creighton forward Fabian Herbers, who is tied for third in the nation in goal scoring this season, scored from the top of the box.
After multiple chances, the Blue and Gray were able to score the decisive goal off of a free kick from Rosenberry in the 83rd minute. The ball was sent to the back post, where Seiler was able to head it into the far post. Despite their attack in the final minutes, the Georgetown defense maintained the lead, securing the title for the Hoyas.
The play of the Georgetown senior class- from the goal by Seiler to the contributions of forward Melvin Snoh and midfielder David Witkoff off the bench- was crucial in the game.
“I think every great team, usually, is driven by a great group of seniors. That’s been true for this group,” noted Wiese. “David and Melvin have both consistently come in and been able to give us lifts. These guys have been through the battles with everyone else, so you feel really good to be able to put them on to change the game. They’ve done a really good job of that.”
The Hoyas will now enjoy a week off, as they have earned a first round bye in the Big East Tournament, along with home-field advantage, as a result of their regular season championship. Georgetown will host the winner of the first round matchup between DePaul and Xavier on Thursday Nov. 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
