While it was a blazing afternoon on Shaw field, the Hoyas were even hotter. From the opening kickoff to the final whistle, No. 23 Georgetown women’s soccer (3-0-1, BIG EAST) sent attack after attack down the throats of the Lafayette Leopards (1-2), resulting in six goals from only 16 shots on target and the team’s biggest win since a 6-0 rout of Central Connecticut State during the first round of the 2021 College Cup.
Senior forward Maja Lardner (2), freshman forward Jocelyn Lohmeyer (2), junior forward Henley Tippins, and junior midfielder Shay Montgomery all got on the scoresheet. Every position group oozed class in Georgetown Head Coach Dave Nolan’s relentless 3-4-3 formation, from calm, assured defensive interventions, to pinpoint midfield passing, to an almost telepathic linkup play in the attack. The Leopards, by contrast, looked out of their depth and were unable to cobble together any semblance of a dangerous chance, finishing the match with one shot on target.
The Hoyas started off on the front foot, with lasers from Lardner and Means streaking just wide after a series of incisive attacks. Persistence paid off with Tippins’s first goal of the season in the 10th minute, finishing off a darting near post run into the bottom right corner after a blistering sprint down the right sideline by winger Natalie Means. The move got started by a smart switch of play, giving Means plenty of open space to run like the wind and pass the ball perfectly into the box. Just two minutes later, Lardner robbed a Lafayette center back deep in her own half and drove toward the right corner of the box, dropping it off to Manning, who found Montgomery for the easiest of finishes.
Lafayette sophomore keeper Catherine Apker preserved the 2-0 deficit for as long as she could, corralling several efforts from Lardner and tipping a long, curling shot from Manning over the bar. However, the Hoya tide could not be stemmed. Five minutes before halftime, Brayshaw lifted a ball over the top of the defensive line right into the path of fellow substitute Lohmeyer on the left wing, who left everyone in the dust to slot it across the goal for a picture perfect finish in the bottom right corner.
Heading into the break up 3-0, Coach Nolan could afford to rest his starters for the majority of the second half. The bench players didn’t miss a step though, making the most of this swath of playing time. Before that, however, Lardner made sure to convert the goals her all-around performance deserved. A confident Montgomery, having pulled off a backheel flick and control over a defender’s head, broke through the defense to play a simple ball into the path of Lardner running in from the left. She continued her run with the ball, rounded the keeper, and slotted it calmly into the open net. 4-0 in the 57th minute and she wasn’t done yet, cutting in on her right foot at the top left corner of the box and smashing in a low, near post drive seven minutes later to make the score 5-0 Georgetown.
After that, the Hoyas remained in complete control but didn’t break through again until the 77th minute. Heller’s sky-high long ball should have been secured by the keeper, but she waited too long to go for it. Lohmeyer stretched her foot up to get there first, touching it over the keeper before side-volleying it off the far post and in from an almost impossible angle. A devastating spin from Lohmeyer around her marker 6 minutes from time gave her space to send in a cross that Tippins scrambled home after several ricochets in the box. The referee, however, signaled for a VAR review and eventually overturned the call on the field for an offside in the buildup.
Dominant possession from the Hoyas was the tale of the tape, with players consistently picking out passes in the midfield and finding marauding runs down both wings to create a bevy of chances. Standout performances included senior Erika Harwood’s flawless captain’s performance at left center back, Means’s pacy attacks, Lohmeyer’s dynamism, and Lardner’s tireless holdup play, creating most of Georgetown’s chances while on the field.
Following this match, Lardner and Manning were named Big East attackers of the week and Lohmeyer Big East freshman of the week. Nolan and his players have created a potent, cohesive unit that deserves to shoot up the rankings in the next coaches’ poll.
Georgetown women’s soccer will continue their homestand with a matchup against No. 20 Pepperdine University (2-1-1, West Coast Conference) at 4:00 PM on Shaw Field this Thursday, September 5. For continued coverage and updates on Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on X, formerly known as Twitter.
