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

WOMEN’S LACROSSE | Hoyas Drop 4th Straight Matchup

The No. 14 Georgetown women’s lacrosse team (3-5) fell to No. 15 Loyola Maryland (7-4, 3-0 Patriot League) 8-5 Wednesday night. Georgetown opened the game strongly but failed to maintain its pressure late in the second half. While the Hoyas dominated in draw control, total shots and turnovers, they were unable to consistently beat the Greyhound goalkeeper. The game continued the troubling trend of the Hoyas winning a majority of statistical categories but ultimately failing to grab the win.

The game started out promising for the Hoyas as junior attack Caroline Tarzian and freshman attack Colleen Lovett scored within two minutes of each other, just 10 minutes into the game. Both shots were off free positions on the arc. The game then turned into a back-and-forth matchup between the Hoyas and Greyhounds, with both teams successfully countering the other’s goals.

After falling behind 2-0, Loyola responded forcefully with two goals of its own. In the first half, freshman goalkeeper Maddy Fisher made two key saves which allowed the Hoyas to go into the half with the lead. The freshman played all 60 minutes in the net and recorded five total saves for Georgetown.

“Maddy is very steady, she has the demeanor of a veteran out there,” Head Coach Ricky Fried said. “She doesn’t let things rattle her and we’re pleased with what she is doing and how she’s doing. I think we need to support her better and give up the shots that we want them to take as opposed to some shots, especially earlier in the game, that we can’t afford to be giving up to a good Loyola team.”

After Loyola had rallied to tie the game at two, Georgetown once again rallied off two goals within minutes of each other. First it was sophomore attack Corinne Etchison off an assist from senior midfielder Kelyn Freedman. One minute later, Freedman notched a goal of her own, as she hurdled the goalkeeper to score her 14th of the season. This gave the Hoyas their biggest lead of the night, making it 4-2. The Greyhounds would score another goal before halftime, but they entered the locker room trailing the Hoyas 4-3.

Loyola’s defense was unique compared to the other defenses Georgetown has faced this season. Its setup forced Georgetown to closely approach the arc before making a move. The Hoyas were not able to play their usual spread offense and their ball movement around the outside of the cage could not penetrate the inner arc. Greyhound sophomore goalkeeper Molly Wolf was particularly aggressive and on multiple occasions took the ball up to midfield herself.

“I think Molly Wolf played a heck of a game and we took some poor shots,” Fried said. “Add those two things up and end up 5-for-18. If we’re shooting at that rate, we’re going to have a hard time beating anybody, much less a team of that quality.”

Georgetown dominated possession at the start of the second half but struggled to score. Senior midfielder Hannah Franklin was finally able to crack Wolf on an unassisted shot, fighting off three Loyola defensemen to give the Hoyas a 5-3 lead. Franklin’s goal would be Georgetown’s last of the night, as Loyola went on to score five unanswered.

Greyhound junior attack Annie Thomas contributed two goals and an assist in the rally. The last goal came with nine seconds left in the game to cement the Loyola victory.

Though the Hoyas ultimately outshot the Greyhounds 18-17, nothing seemed to go in their favor. Misfired free-position shots and turnovers were just two of the factors working against the Hoyas late in the game.

“I think [Loyola] packed it in; they played tight and we shrunk the field to match them. It’s the first time we played a team that packs it in a little bit more and I don’t think we responded very well at all,” Fried said. “When our best players aren’t creating things for us, we’re going to have a hard time at the end of the day.”

Looking ahead, Georgetown will play host to Louisville (6-3) this Saturday in its first Big East game of the season. It will be the first time Georgetown faces a non-ranked opponent since its first game of the season. Although unranked, the Cardinals have many skilled players. Senior attack Nikki Boltja has received Big East Offensive Player of the Week three times this season and leads the team with 37 goals and 10 assists. Teammate sophomore midfielder Kaylin Morissette has 21 goals and 71 draw controls in just nine games this season.

The game is slated to start at 2 p.m. at the MultiSport Facility.

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