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

Win Puts GU Atop Rankings

Georgetown’s 8-6 win over Maryland on Saturday was more than just a nice way to start the season. It was more than an impressive road win against a top 10 opponent. For the Georgetown seniors, who have lost to Maryland on opening day for each of the last three years, it was a barrier broken, an obstacle overcome. “It was a tough way to start, with a team of that caliber on the road,” Head Coach Dave Urick said. “It’s a pretty intense rivalry. Emotions ran pretty high during the game. We talked a lot all week about playing with poise and playing with some discipline, and we did that for much of the game.” The Hoyas (1-0) are now ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time in program history. Maryland (2-1), which entered the game ranked No. 5, dropped to No. 6 in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association coach’s poll. “It was a great relief to get that monkey off our back,” senior attacker Trevor Casey said of the game. Freshman attacker Andrew Brancaccio scored three goals, and junior midfielder Dan D’Agnes recorded two goals and an assist to lead the Hoyas. Junior attacker Andrew Baird also tallied a goal and two assists, and junior attacker Brendan Cannon added a goal and an assist in the win. But the player of the game may have been junior goalie Miles Kass, whose 12 saves and strong play in the fourth quarter helped the Hoyas avoid a second-half collapse against the Terrapins. “Miles Kass was very impressive in the goal,” Urick said. “He came up big on some very good opportunities that they had, and he shut the door. That could have been the difference in the game.” Georgetown led 6-1 at the break, but Maryland scored four unanswered goals in the third quarter to pull within one entering the final period of play. D’Agnes’ second goal of the contest, on an assist from Baird with nine minutes remaining, proved to be the game-winner for the Hoyas. Sophomore attacker Jake Samperton, who scored a goal in the second quarter, came up with a key ground ball to maintain the possession that resulted in D’Agnes’ game-winning score. “It seemed like a lot of guys were kind of indecisive, and we were having a tough time getting into the flow that we wanted to, and then all of a sudden we find Dan D’Agnes on the backdoor and he makes a nice cut and we score after a fairly lengthy possession,” Urick said. “I guess the best thing I can say about that possession was that we did manage to hold the ball and make them play some defense for an extended period of time.” Brancaccio’s three goals came with little surprise to those who had seen the highly regarded freshman perform in practice. “He shoots the ball harder than anybody I’ve ever seen,” Casey said. “When he gets his hands free, you know it’s either going in or hitting the goalie pretty hard.” Urick said that he was pleased for the most part with his team’s effort, but stressed that the Hoyas’ performance was far from perfect. “As satisfied as you are with the win, the day after, when you start to look at the tape, you start to shake your head, and you start to wonder how exactly you ended up where you did at the end of the game, because we certainly made our share of mistakes,” Urick said. “Fortunately, we were able to overcome some of those.” Casey also said that the Hoyas need to make some adjustments to build momentum as they head further into the season. “We just need to be smarter and make crisper passes,” Casey said. “Everybody needs to execute a little bit better.” Georgetown has five games remaining against teams currently ranked in the top 20. “I think it’s awfully important to keep these things in perspective,” Urick said. “I told our guys that it’s a marathon and not a sprint. It’s a good win, but it’s a win that we have to put in the rear view mirror and get ready for the next one.” The Hoyas’ next game is at St. John’s on Saturday. They will then take on No. 11 Syracuse in the Orange’s home opener on March 10.

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