No. 8 Georgetown men’s soccer (7-1-1, BIG EAST) extended their win streak with a non-conference 3-0 win over the Princeton Tigers (3-4-1, Ivy League) on Monday, October 2. With one early goal apiece from sophomore midfielder Zach Zengue and sophomore forward Jacob Murrell, the match marked the sixth time this season Georgetown scored in the first 15 minutes of play. It also continued a season-long streak of scoring a goal in the first 31 minutes.
The Hoyas started the game strong, putting consistent pressure on Princeton’s defense and causing the Tigers to make quick decisions. The first shot was taken in the second minute by Princeton senior defender Whit Gamblin, hitting the top of the woodwork. After this first chance, though, the Blue & Gray took dominant possession with three corners and two shots by Zengue and junior defender Maximum Jennings in the eighth and ninth minutes.
The Hoyas finally found the back of the net in the 13th minute. Senior forward Marlon Tabora beat a defender, slid it into the box from the right side, and found the foot of an open Zengue, who tallied his fourth goal on the season to take the lead 1-0. The Tigers attempted to respond quickly, attempting three shots in one minute, but their aggression left them exposed and vulnerable to attack. Just nine minutes later, Georgetown doubled the score on another assist by Tabora as he stole and centered the ball in the box for the Hoyas’ leading scorer Jacob Murrell to tap in the cross and make it 2-0, marking Murrell’s eighth goal on the season and Tabora’s fifth assist.
Despite being down 2-0, the Tigers remained competitive for the remainder of the first half, taking opportunities and retaining possession but struggling to finish chances. This was primarily thanks to Georgetown sophomore goalkeeper Tenzing Manske, who recorded three saves in the half, ultimately keeping the Tigers out of the game. “I was happy to see Tenzing step up with another shutout,” head coach Brian Wiese said after the game.
Within the first five minutes of the second half, the Hoyas had already fired two shots, one by Murrell through the bottom center and one by senior midfielder Kyle Linhares into the top right. Both were saved by Princeton junior goalkeeper Khamari Hadaway. Over the following twenty minutes, possession swung back and forth, with neither team threatening. Despite multiple chances from both teams, the ball failed to find the net until the 70th minute when Georgetown junior midfielder Joe Buck added an insurance goal as he dribbled through the Tigers’ defense and shot from outside the 18-yard box, ricocheting the ball off Gamblin’s head and sending it into the goal to make it 3-0.
Heading into the final 20 minutes, the Tigers remained determined, searching for any opportunity to score. Princeton senior forward Ryan Winkler and sophomore forward Daniel Ittycheria both took shots in the 77th and 84th minutes respectively; both were saved by Manske, marking his fourth and fifth save of the game. In the final three minutes, Princeton took three corner kicks, all of which were batted away. Thus, the game ended in a 3-0 shutout in favor of the Blue & Gray
“It was a tricky game. Princeton is a tough team to deal with, and we did a good job of managing that,” Wiese said. “Everyone is working for each other right now, and I’m excited to get back into league play to see what we can do.”
The Hoyas will return to Shaw Field on Saturday at 1 PM to take on the University of Connecticut (6-4-0, BIG EAST) in a league matchup presented by Invesco QQQ. Follow @GUVoiceSports on X for live updates of the game as well as coverage of all fall sports at Georgetown.
