FIELD HOCKEY | GU Aims for Third Win

The Georgetown field hockey team (2-8, 0-2 Big East) catches a break this weekend, with two home games against nonconference opponents after a rough Midwest road trip last week saw the Hoyas lose to both Louisville and Miami of Ohio.

The Blue and Gray will play host to Monmouth (1-9) Saturday and Lock Haven (7-4) Sunday. They are hoping to use the games to pad their modest win total, which currently only includes victories over Appalachian State and St. Louis.

Mostly, however, the team just seems relieved to play at home again after travel that has taken them as far away as Missouri, Kentucky and North Carolina.

“We have only had one home weekend so far,” Head Coach Tiffany Marsh said. “We are looking forward to having a really big weekend at home. We are really excited.”

Monmouth, which plays in the Northeast Conference, has notched only one win so far this season, a 5-1 victory over St. Joseph’s. Its most recent loss was a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Lehigh, a team that beat Georgetown earlier in the year.

Just over 24 hours later, the Hoyas will take on Lock Haven, which — despite a winning record overall — is just 2-2 on the road this season.

In addition to a chance for confidence-building wins, Marsh also hopes her team will be able to target and eliminate some weaknesses as they head back into league play.

“We have an opportunity this weekend to get back on track,” Marsh said. “This is really a great chance for us to work out the kinks before heading into a huge Big East game against Rutgers.”

Although Georgetown is playing at home this weekend, the game will still be something of a hike for Hoyas fans. After years of hosting teams at American University’s William I Jacobs Recreational Complex, the Hoyas are calling the University of Maryland’s Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park, Md., home this season.

“The move from American to Maryland was just a matter of field availability,” Marsh said. “Maryland has one of the best facilities in the country. I think we are taking a step in the right direction playing at such a nice place.”

Georgetown will make the trip — which Marsh estimated at 20-30 minutes without heavy traffic — on Saturday to face Monmouth at 1 p.m., and again on Sunday, when they meet Lock Haven at 4 p.m.