On Friday, Sept. 11, Georgetown men’s soccer (5-1-1, 0-0-0 BIG EAST) took down High Point University (HPU) (2-3-1, 0-0-0 Big South) in an exhilarating 5-1 under-the-lights win. Georgetown’s definitive victory marks a pivotal moment as they dive deeper into the season. This statistical rebound from their 2-3 loss to Maryland just a week prior demonstrates the team’s mental fortitude and consistent drive, even with a comfortable lead.
High Point’s recent fall in the rankings from No. 14 to No. 23 after a loss to South Carolina earlier in the week put both teams mentally on even footing. By the seventh minute, the Hoyas made it clear that they would dominate physically. A lofted corner kick placed the ball at the feet of senior captain Tate Lampman, whose saved shot was recovered by junior midfielder Aiden Godinho to bank the Hoyas’ first goal of the night.
The Hoyas struggled to maintain strong passing connections during the first thirty minutes of play, forcing players to expend extra energy recovering missed connections. As both teams settled into the match, however, Georgetown maintained high defensive pressure—often recovering lost possession in less than twenty seconds.
Conversely, any Panther offensive momentum arose more often than not from counterattack opportunities. On multiple occasions throughout the first half, HPU pushed directly up the right wing to pivot toward Georgetown’s goal. In the 23rd minute, a half-clearance on that overwhelmed right side gifted HPU their best chance of the half: a hard shot from senior forward Daniel Lugo made every Hoya fan’s heart drop, but the ball skidded just left of the post.
In the 31st minute, Georgetown junior forward Mitchell Baker practically stood in the HPU goal and used his height to deter the Panthers’ defense, receiving a lob from senior midfielder Matthew Van Horn. Panther goalkeeper Josh Caron got a hand on the ball, but it wasn’t enough to stop the momentum of Baker’s header.
Georgetown maintained their 2-0 advantage through the end of the first half.
The Hoyas came out of the locker room eager to add to this lead. Just three minutes into the half, senior midfielder Eric Howard buried the ball in the back of the net after two successive volleys deflected off of HPU’s Caron. Hoya fans sporting their team scarves roared with delight at this gritty attack sequence.
The Panthers were motivated to respond with an attack of their own. A hard shot from freshman forward Nick Sarantakos gave hope to HPU fans who made the trek up to D.C., but Hoya keeper Charlie DeMarco quickly quashed any optimism by easily knocking the ball down.
Not to be outdone by his teammates’ brilliant goals, Lampman notched a spectacular one for himself in the 53rd minute while falling backwards inside the box. Punctuated by a backward roll, Lampman was mobbed by his teammates while the stands erupted with pride for their unbelievable defender.
The Hoyas’ four-goal lead didn’t deter the Panthers from pushing forward offensively. By the 62nd minute, HPU earned a free kick just outside of the 18-yard box, and forward Lugo wasn’t going to squander the chance. He buried the ball decisively into the back of the net behind a wall of Hoya defenders. Uplifted by their long-awaited goal, the Panthers shot forward offensively in the subsequent minutes, but only managed to get a single shot off before the Hoyas regained control of the game.
With 13 minutes left in the game, Lampman converted a corner kick for his second goal of the night, sending electric shockwaves through the Hoya crowd and many dejected HPU fans home for the evening. This match marks the first multi-goal performance of Lampman’s career.
In a post-match interview with Georgetown Athletics, head coach Brian Wiese commented, “To be honest, I thought High Point was better than us in the first half. I think the scoreline was a little bit flattering for us. But you nip a goal in on a corner, and then suddenly that shifts them onto their back foot.”
Such a decisive 5-1 win over a top-23 team should give the Hoyas the boost they need to stay at the top of their game as they head into their first conference game next week. Georgetown men’s soccer will return to Shaw Field on Sept. 18th against Marquette University at 7 p.m. EST, which is also available to watch live online through ESPN+.
