The No. 14 Richmond Spiders (6-3, Atlantic 10) defeated Georgetown men’s lacrosse (5-3, BIG EAST) 13-12 after Georgetown’s late comeback bid fell just short. The Spiders controlled the first three quarters of the game, until Georgetown stormed back in the final quarter. However, it was too little too late for the Hoyas, who couldn’t capitalize on an opportunity to tie the game as time expired.
Richmond got on the board first, with junior midfielder Joe Sheridan scoring to put the Spiders up 1-0. Richmond added another goal, and Georgetown did not score until almost ten minutes of game time had elapsed, when graduate attacker Fulton Bayman finally got Georgetown’s first goal of the game. From there, the teams went back and forth, with Richmond leading 5-3 at the end of the first.
Bayman added his second goal of the game in the first minute of the second quarter, but that was the last time the Hoyas would find the back of the net in the first half. Richmond put on the pressure, finding space in the Hoya defense and generating lots of close-range shots. That strategy paid off for the Spiders, as they scored three unanswered goals to end the first half. The break couldn’t come soon enough for the Hoyas; Georgetown fell behind in almost every statistic at the end of the first half—goals, shots, faceoff wins, and ground balls.
Additionally, the Spiders did not miss a beat at the start of the second half. In the first minute, Junior attacker Jack Ricciardi scored to put Richmond up by five. Freshman midfielder Kevin Miller quickly responded for Georgetown, though, firing a long-range effort into the bottom corner.
Two quick transition goals in just a few minutes increased the Spiders’ lead to 11-5. Georgetown looked lost on offense, and the Spiders took advantage of their opportunities. Richmond added one more, but Hoyas freshman midfielder Ben Firlie scored his first and second goals of the game in rapid succession, cutting Richmond’s lead to just 12-7.
Each team then added another goal, leaving Richmond with a 13-8 lead to preserve with just under ten minutes left. At that point, Georgetown fought back with four goals in rapid succession. With the Hoyas winning face-off after face-off, the home crowd began to believe in the improbable comeback. With one minute left, the Hoyas secured possession and one final chance to tie the game. Georgetown searched for an opening, but after a scramble at the net, the Hoyas couldn’t get a good shot on net. Time expired and the Spiders barely held onto their 13-12 win.
Georgetown will face Providence at home on Mar. 29 at 12:00 p.m. EST in the Hoyas’ first BIG EAST matchup of the season.
