Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Hoyas Struggle Against Connecticut, Richmond

A week after recording its first win since the 2007 season, the Georgetown field hockey team (1-10, 1-1 Big East) followed up with a disappointing weekend.

The Hoyas came into their contests in high spirits after knocking off Rutgers for their first ever Big East win, but when the fifth-ranked University of Connecticut Huskies (11-0, 3-0) came to the Hilltop on Friday, the Blue and Gray were seeking simply to keep the game close.

After 10 minutes, it looked as if Georgetown was about to pull off another Big East upset. On the Hoyas’ first corner of the game, co-captains junior defender Annika Bannon and senior forward Kristen Volpe combined to give sophomore midfielder Meggie Taylor a beautiful opportunity to open the scoring. Taylor buried the ball in the back of the cage for her second goal of the season.

Although the Hoyas quickly lost control of the game, holding the lead against one of the best teams in the nation is something they can build on.

Five minutes after Georgetown took the lead, UConn answered with rapid-fire shooting. The Huskies scored four times in the next 20 minutes and took a 4-1 lead into halftime, outshooting the Hoyas 17-1 in the process. The score could have been worse if not for freshman goalkeeper Clodagh Coghlan, who made 10 saves in the half.

The second half was more evenly played, as UConn only managed two more goals, leaving the final score at 6-1.

The game was a wake-up call for the Hoyas. Even though the future looks bright for Georgetown field hockey, contending with the premiere teams in the country will take continued hard work and dedication.

On Sunday, the Blue and Gray had a chance to rebound from their loss by taking on the unranked University of Richmond Spiders (5-6). The game that ensued was one that the Hoyas would like to forget.

Outshot 25-3, Georgetown made Richmond look like UConn, when in reality the Spiders had struggled all season. On a positive note, Coghlan performed admirably for a second consecutive game, making 13 saves and managing to keep the game close. Richmond scored midway through the half, and threatened to score many more times. The Hoyas escaped the first half down only one, without getting a shot on the goal.

It took only two minutes of the second half for the Spiders to score the second time. Richmond dominated the rest of the contest until the final few minutes when Georgetown was finally able to put some pressure on net.

Taylor and freshman forward Annie Wilson both got decent looks on goal from penalty corners, but both shots were blocked, along with the Hoyas’ hopes for a comeback.

The game ended 2-0, capping a disappointing weekend for the team.

The schedule does not get any easier for the Hoyas next weekend as they travel to Syracuse, N.Y., to face Syracuse and Dartmouth. Syracuse (10-1) is a daunting foe, ranked sixth in the nation and unbeaten in the Big East, while Dartmouth (5-4) will also provide a difficult test for the Hoyas’ mettle.”

More to Discover