The No. 24 Georgetown women’s lacrosse team (8-7, 2-1 Big East) fell at home to No. 2 Maryland (16-0, 6-0 Big Ten) on Wednesday night, 17-8. After jumping out to a four goal halftime advantage in an excellent first half, the Hoyas were blanked the rest of the way as the Terrapins emphatically ensured their perfect season would not come to an end in DC. Junior attacker Michaela Bruno scored two goals for the Blue and Gray, while senior attacker Taylor Gebhardt and junior attacker Emily Ehle scored once and assisted twice in the loss. Senior midfielder Jen Giles and graduate student midfielder Erica Evans had nine of their combined eleven points after halftime for UMD.
It was the hosts who dominated the first half on Cooper Field, with Bruno opening the scoring at 28:23 before Ehle assisted senior attacker Morgan Ryan just over two minutes later. Maryland would soon peg one back in what was becoming a fast-paced first half, but Gebhardt’s 30th of the season followed by a tally from junior midfielder Liza Liotta had the undefeated Terps on their heels a dozen minutes into the game down 4-1.
The visitors would counter with two goals in quick succession, but Bruno would restore the two-goal Hoya lead at 15:06. Each squad’s defense would settle in from there, keeping both teams off the scoreboard for nearly ten minutes before an unassisted tally from UM’s leading scorer Giles brought the game within one again. The Hoyas would again answer the bell, ending the half with a three-goal flurry facilitated by Gebhardt and senior midfielder Francesca Whitehurst. Freshman attacker Ali Diamond’s score with 26 seconds left saw the Hoyas head to the locker room with an 8-4 halftime advantage.
The deficit was Maryland’s largest of the season and their biggest halftime deficit since a 2012 contest with North Carolina. Despite being beaten in the faceoff circle 9-4, the Hoyas were able to jump out to their lead thanks to their shooting efficiency (eight goals on 15 shots) and their resolute defending.
Whatever Maryland head coach Cathy Reese told her players during the break, it worked. UM senior goalie Megan Taylor put a subpar first half behind her with two quick stops on Liotta and Bruno, while senior midfielder Meghan Siverson scored from a free position to pull the Terps within three. The Hoyas committed turnovers in their offensive zone multiple times, while the Maryland avalanche began with two goals from Giles in 43 seconds. With junior attacker Kali Hartshorn and senior defender Lizzie Colson dominating the faceoff draws 12-2 in the second half, it was only a matter of time until the tides turned, as Evans’ second goal 35 seconds after Giles’ tally tied the game.
Giles assisted another score before finding the back of the net from a free position for her 46th of the season. Not to be outdone, Evans completed her hat trick from a free position just over a minute later. (valium) The second GU timeout of the second half did not yield anything, as Gebhardt saw three shots go wide, get blocked, and get saved by Taylor. The game remained a four-goal affair with under seven minutes left, but a late Maryland onslaught made the final score an ugly 17-8, with UM winning the second half 13-0.
Georgetown was outshot 19-6 in the second half, though senior goalie Haelle Chomo chipped in four saves. Maryland earned a whopping 11 free position shots in the period, while forcing 9 Hoyas turnovers.
Georgetown will look to right the ship Saturday on home turf against Old Dominion (3-12, 0-2 Big East). That game is set to begin at 1 PM ET, with live stats available at guhoyas.com. Follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter for coverage of all spring sports at Georgetown.
