On Friday, Sept. 4, Georgetown men’s soccer (4-0-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) took on the Oregon State University Beavers (2-1-1, 0-0 West Coast Conference) under the lights at Shaw Field. Coming off of a thrilling 3-0 shutout against Duke University on Sunday, the Hoyas’ overwhelming attacks and impassable defense proved too much for the Beavers to handle in another 3-0 victory.
Despite intense humidity, the stands were rocking as the Hoyas took control of the game from the kickoff. The Hoya Blue student section behind OSU’s goal enjoyed Georgetown’s first threatening attack sequence on junior goalkeeper John Nicolson only five minutes into the game. Though the shot was booted over the goal, the Hoyas almost immediately regained control. The offensive onslaught continued, with the Hoyas maintaining possession in the Beavers’ half for the vast majority of the first 45 minutes.
OSU’s first attack in the 10th minute was thwarted by an offsides call and another shot, just a minute later, sailed above the crossbar.
The first score of the game came for the Hoyas in the 15th minute after two consecutive corner kicks when senior midfielder Mateo Ponce Ocampo connected with junior midfielder David Urrutia, who then found the back of the goal. Hoya pressure did not let up, as junior forward Mitchell Baker headed in a spectacular goal only four minutes later, pushing the lead to 2-0 off an assist from senior midfielder Eric Howard. Another Georgetown shot strayed just left in the 20th minute, but the deal seemed sealed at that point for the crowd: the Hoyas looked downright authoritarian.
Hoya goalkeeper junior Charlie DeMarco looked at ease in his goal throughout the game, expertly handling OSU’s first shot on goal in the 27th minute.
One goal clearly wasn’t enough for Baker: he netted the ball yet again in the 35th minute off assists from senior midfielder Matthew Helfrich and junior midfielder Jack Brown in an electrifying breakaway 1-v-1 showdown with OSU’s Nicolson. Baker was subbed out for the rest of the first half to a tremendous ovation from the admiring crowd.
The score stood at 3-0 at the culmination of the first half.
The Hoyas came out firing in the second half with five fresh substitutes to combat the Beavers’ fast breaks. With the tone set, both teams dropped into a back-and-forth rhythm trading blows. A near miss by the Hoyas and a close save by the Beavers later, it appeared the pressure was beginning to crack the dam. It was clear the Hoyas had their mental game dialed.
By the time the Beavers were putting some pep back in their step, sloppy play caught up with them. Beavers freshman defender Gavin Wolff drew a yellow card on an aggressive sideline foul shortly into the half, followed by two other yellow cards issued against the Beavers. As the minutes ticked down, the high pressure from the Hoyas began to slip, allowing two shots by the Beavers in the last ten minutes. These kinds of last-minute plays are exactly what the Hoyas should’ve been worrying about after OSU’s comeback victory from the same goal deficit on Sunday. The Beavers scored four goals to secure the victory in the second half of their bout against the Washington Huskies, arriving Friday night threatening to make a pattern out of the Hoyas.
Unfortunately for the Beavers, the relentless effort of the Hoyas defense, led by star junior defender Tate Lampman, washed them away as the clock hit zero. This victory secures the fourth straight win for the Hoyas and their third straight shutout.
Hopes are high that this momentum will carry the Hoyas to new heights this season as they head out on the road to take on the University of Maryland (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten). Tune in Monday, Sept. 7 at 7:00 p.m. EST to see the Hoyas square off with one of the nation’s premier teams.
