Monday night, No.12 Georgetown men’s soccer (10-1-1, 3-0-1 Big East) took a short trip north to take on the reigning national champions No. 25 Maryland (6-4-2, 1-1-2 Big 10) on national television. The Hoyas won the game with a second half goal in front of GU’s traveling supporters.
The Terps had the first chance of the game, as freshman goalkeeper Tomas Romero pushed senior midfielder Eli Crognale’s shot over the crossbar. Moments later, GU freshman defender Daniel Wu had an opportunity off of a corner but his shot sailed high.
In the 21st minute, Hoyas’ junior forward Derek Dodson’s shot was blocked by a UMD defender. Graduate student forward Ethan Lochner recovered the ball and managed to get a shot off, forcing Maryland’s defense to make a save on the goal line.
In the final minutes of the first half, freshman midfielder David Kovacic had the Terps’ best chance of the first half. Kovacic’s diving effort in front of the goal was sent over the crossbar, sending the scoreless game to halftime.
A second half substitution, Hoya junior forward Jack Beer came out firing as play resumed. In the 48th minute, he attacked the box at full speed, sending a shot wide of the goal. This effort sparked GU and put them in the driver’s seat for the remainder of the game.
In the 56th minute, Georgetown senior forward Achara rushed down the middle of the field. Once Achara reached the top corner of the box he let off a shot, forcing freshman goalkeeper Niklas Neuman to make a save.
Shortly after, GU freshman forward Will Sands beat Nueman with his shot from the left of the goal. However, Maryland junior defender Matt Di Rosa made a goal line clearance while sprinting back towards the goal. The clearance resulted in the referee stopping play to check video review. After a minute’s stoppage, the referee confirmed that the ball had not crossed the line completely.
Dodson bagged the lone goal Monday night.
In the 65th minute, sophomore midfielder Zach Riviere created space in midfield, finding junior midfielder Paul Rothrock on the left wing with a pass. Rothrock dribbled into the box, sending a cross across the penalty spot. The cross was held up by Achara, subsequently landing at the feet of Dodson, who buried his shot into the goal. Dodson ran to the corner flag in celebration, followed by his teammates toward Georgetown’s fan section. The goal reenergized the Hoyas’ fans, as the players began to pump up the crowd.
The two sides fought in a back-and-forth battle during the last 25 minutes. After their goal, the Hoyas slowed down their attack and played conservatively. Maryland drove towards the Georgetown goal but was not able to beat Romero.
Georgetown held on to win the game 1-0. The win against UMD was their final non-conference game of the season; the Hoyas were 7-1 across their non-conference matchups. After the game, GU’s players rushed over to the student section, sharing the victory with their ecstatic fans.
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