COLLEGE PARK, MD.- For the second time this season, the Georgetown men’s soccer team (0-3-0, Big East) was left heartbroken in the final minute of a match, losing on a penalty kick in the 90th minute on the road to No. 7 Maryland (2-0-1, Big Ten), 2-1. The lone goal for the Hoyas was scored by freshman forward Achara, while sophomore midfielder Eryk Williamson and sophomore forward Gordon Wild contributed one goal apiece to Maryland’s winning effort.
The loss marks the second consecutive season in which the Hoyas have been unable to generate a win in any of their opening three games. Once again, Georgetown finds itself entering Labor Day Weekend staring down the possibility of an 0-4 start, but Head Coach Brian Wiese remained positive following the loss.
“The guys did a great job, they’re growing up very fast,” said Wiese. “We had a really good performance from (sophomore goalkeeper) JT Marcinkowski. The back four played very well… and I felt our entire midfield across the board was good. I told them I will tell them when they can start to worry about their record. If we can continue to build on the performance, we will be okay.”
For the opening fifteen minutes of the match, Georgetown’s pressure and quickness on defense bothered Maryland, forcing several turnovers that allowed the Hoyas to dominate possession early. Maryland adjusted quickly, utilizing fast ball movement and relentless pursuit to gain momentum. Marcinkowski was tested several times during this stretch, but ultimately saved each of the three shots that were on target, including a threatening shot with just six seconds remaining in the half.
By the end of the first half, Maryland had earned three corner kicks and three shots on goal, while Georgetown managed just one shot on goal. However, the score was knotted at 0-0.
Five minutes into the second half, Maryland was able to pass the ball through a gap in the Georgetown back line, forcing Marcinkowski to charge the ball. Marcinkowski was just a half step too slow, as Eryk Williamson tapped the ball right over the diving goalkeeper to give the Terps a 1-0 edge.
Despite its youth, Georgetown did not panic, maintaining a level of patience on offense that would eventually pay off in the 84th minute of the game. After advancing the ball upfield, freshman forward Davey Mason passed to junior midfielder Matt Ledder, who was running down the left side of the field. Ledder made a low cross into the box, which found the foot of Achara, who tapped in the tying goal. Achara’s first goal comes in the striker’s second NCAA start, an encouraging sign for the Blue and Gray.
“Achara is a problem for other teams to manage, and his work rate is fantastic,” noted Wiese. “He is a problem either on the dribble, but he also knows when to make the right pass. He’s got a lot of growing to do but he’s an exciting one for our fans to watch.”
Maryland was not to be discouraged by the late goal, however, as the Terps increased their defensive pressure in the final five minutes. The decisive moment would come with 44 seconds left, when Gordon Wild split between two Georgetown defenders before being taken down in the box. While contact was made, it was initially unclear as to if the referee would make the call. But the whistle was blown, awarding Wild the go-ahead PK chance.
As the ball was placed on the penalty spot, the sold-out stadium of 7,413 fans fell silent. Wild shot to the center of the net, but it was saved by Marcinkowski, who was diving rightward. The ball then fell right back to Wild, who converted the easy go-ahead goal on a defenseless net.
“It was a game that felt like it deserved overtime in a funny way,” remarked Wiese. “I felt like we were kind of cheated out of that.”
The experience of playing in a packed stadium against arguably the best team in the nation is something Wiese hopes the team will be able to draw upon later in the season.
“Maryland is, I think, a juggernaut of a team this year,” noted Wiese. “This was an NCAA tournament environment. That’s why we wanted to come here. I think the guys can now go into any environment and feel like ‘We’ve seen this before,’ and hopefully come out with a win.”
Georgetown will look to gain their first decision of the season on Labor Day, as they host Virginia Tech at 1:00 p.m. on Shaw Field.
