The Georgetown field hockey team (2-3, BIG EAST) traveled down south this weekend to Richmond, Virginia, and fell 0-4 to the University of Richmond Spiders (4-1, Atlantic 10) in their first match this Friday. While the Hoyas played a competitive match, the Spiders were able to secure a win on their home turf, taking the Hoyas down to a losing record.
The Hoyas started the game strong, gaining the game’s initial possession, but lost it almost immediately due to a disconnected pass. While the Spiders maintained early control of the ball, Georgetown kept the pressure on, and the teams went back and forth intercepting passes through the first period. Richmond has a special penchant for aerial passes, which proved to be an asset for a Georgetown team proficient at knocking them out of the air.
While the first few minutes of the matchup were firmly spent inside Richmond’s 25-yard line with unrelenting attacks from the Hoyas, Richmond caught a break in the fifth minute, dribbling all the way down the field with little defense to stop them. Spider sophomore forward Reese Miller took advantage of this break, and with a strong pass to the corner that was tipped in by graduate student defender Lillian Buckwalter, Richmond was on the board 1-0.
Georgetown did not delay, quickly getting the ball back downfield., However, they were unable to convert their momentum, ending the period without any shots on goal. The first period remained a track race, with each team struggling to connect passes or pull off a strong offensive push downfield. In the last two seconds, Richmond managed to eke out one final, unsuccessful shot on goal.
Richmond took early control in the second period, with a penalty corner and a long shot on goal within the first few minutes, though both resulted in wide shots. After several more minutes of similar play, the Spiders had two more back-to-back corners, the first with a tough shot on goal saved by sophomore goalkeeper Alex Duff, and the second blocked by a myriad of Hoya defenders. Duff and senior midfielder Izzy Lee blocked one more shot on goal and the first half came to a close, still 1-0 for the Spiders despite obvious dominance from the Richmond offense.
The Spiders came out swinging in the second half with a strong, slow shot on goal within the first two minutes. Luckily, Duff did not need any warm-up time after halftime and was prepared with the block. The first twelve minutes of the fifteen-minute quarter did not see much notable action, except for a green card handed out to Georgetown senior midfielder Elena Perez Alejandro for a foul committed away from the action.
With two minutes to go until the final quarter, Richmond received two penalty corners, neither of which amounted to a goal, and a third blocked shot on goal. While it appeared that the Spiders would have yet another period go by without the scoreboard reflecting their control of the game,senior forward Clara Larripa converted Richmond’s fifth corner of the period, taking the score to 2-0 in the final seconds.
After holding their own for most of the game, the Hoyas fell apart in the fourth period. Starting off again with several threatening shots and penalty corners, Richmond was determined to get some finishes in this game. Despite a commendable performance from Duff during consecutive attacks, Buckwalter sank her second goal of the game, adding a third goal to Richmond’s tally with just over ten minutes remaining.
Fortunately, Georgetown did have a break with 7:35 left in the game. After a Richmond penalty, the Hoyas received their first penalty corner of the game. Lee inserted the ball to Perez Alejandro, who was positioned at the top of the circle, who set up the shot for sophomore midfielder Adelae Chierici. Chierici’s shot on goal – the Hoya’s only of the day – was saved by Richmond’s senior goalkeeper Amanda Cimillo.
The final nail in the coffin came just two minutes before the end of the match. The Hoyas had possession of the ball on their side for several minutes when the Spiders took back control and converted a fatal cross pass, bringing the score to 4-0. While the Hoyas played down to the final second, they were unable to get on the board in the end and the game ended 4-0 in Richmond’s favor.
While the game was tough, a 4-0 score does not necessarily reflect the effort and skill of the Georgetown team. The Hoyas went toe-to-toe with the Spiders for the majority of the game, only letting the game get away in the final quarter. The Hoyas had strong attacks on defense, breaking up countless passes and stealing the ball right out of dribbling Spiders. Alex Duff put up an incredible performance, with two clutch saves, solidifying her position as a commanding force in the Hoya defense. The team utilized substitutions when the game needed a breakup in rhythm, although with such a high number of them, the team is clearly still figuring out the best starting lineup and overall compatibility.
It came down to cleanliness and attack for the Hoyas in this matchup. Richmond simply connected more passes and accelerated on open opportunities. The Hoyas show real potential, but the team must focus on playing slow, accurate passes, and being aggressive on offense to get more shots on goal.
The Hoyas have an opportunity for redemption in Richmond, playing again this Sunday at a neutral site against William & Mary (1-3, Coastal Athletic Association) before traveling to Philadelphia this Friday for their first BIG EAST matchup against Temple (2-3, BIG EAST). For continued coverage and updates on Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on X (Twitter).
