With just 3:23 left in the second half, freshman midfielder Hannah Franklin scored the unassisted game-winning goal for the No. 13 Georgetown women’s lacrosse team in their first victory of the season over Johns Hopkins on Wednesday. The back-and-forth game ended in a 12-11 win for the Hoyas, who improved to 1-3 on the season.
The teams traded goals at the beginning of the first half, with Hopkins (4-2) taking an early two-goal lead. Georgetown responded with a five-goal run, led by senior attack and captain Jordy Kirr, and took a 7-4 lead at the break. The three-goal advantage was its first halftime lead of the season.
The Blue Jays responded with a three-goal run to open the second-half, taking their second lead of the contest. Hoya sophomore midfielder Kelsi Bozel buried a penalty shot with just 7:40 left to tie the score at 10. Hopkins tallied one more before the end of the half, but senior midfielder and captain Mary Beth Brophy managed to tie the game once again before Franklin found the back of the net with the game-winning goal.
Going into the game, Head Coach Ricky Fried said the team would be focusing on keeping possession, making plays and capitalizing on offensive opportunities. The Hoyas did just that, as Kirr led with four goals while Brophy tallied two. Six other players scored in the victory, demonstrating the strength and balance of the Hoyas’ offense.
In goal, freshman Barb Black recorded eight saves in her first career start to help lead the team to its first win.
The victory over Hopkins followed three losses in Georgetown’s first three games of the season. The Hoyas dropped all three to nationally ranked opponents, two of whom are ranked in the top five.
Georgetown suffered a tough loss in its season opener against No. 2 Northwestern, who entered the game on a five-game winning streak. The Hoyas took an early 2-1 lead in the first half, but the Wildcats responded with nine goals and finished the half ahead, 11-5.
Georgetown fought back against the 2010 national runner-up in the second half, but Northwestern’s offense proved too powerful as the Wildcats claimed a 24-15 victory. Sophomore attack Dina Jackson and senior attack Kathleen Dwyer led Georgetown with three goals each, while four other players scored two goals apiece.
Over break, the squad suffered their second loss of the season to No. 14 Florida. Despite coming off a second half rain delay fired up for a comeback, the Hoyas could not keep up with the Gator offense. Kirr and sophomore midfielder Sophia Thomas racked up two goals a piece as Florida defeated Georgetown, 17-10.
Last Saturday the Hoyas dropped their third game of the season 13-5 to No. 3 Duke (6-1). Jackson opened the game with a goal at 28:53 in the first half, but the Blue Devils responded with a 7-0 run.
The Hoyas entered the second half trailing by just four goals, but the Duke offense came out strong with three consecutive scores. Bozel answered the run with her second goal of the game, but Duke pulled ahead once again on another three-goal run. Thomas added the Hoyas’ final goal in the closing seconds.
Georgetown outshot the Blue Devils, 25-24, but the biggest statistical differential was in saves. Black and senior goalkeeper Lauren Thomas combined for six saves in net, while Mollie Mackler tallied 15 for Duke.
After a disappointing start to the season, Fried worked on improving the team’s speed and execution.
“It’s not about just one point. It’s about bringing it all together. We need to focus more on us, and not on what the other team is doing,” he said. “Our strongest point has been staying together as a team and looking ahead in the season rather than behind.”
With their first victory out of the way, Georgetown has a chance to start a winning streak at North Carolina tomorrow. The Hoyas face off against the No. 5 Tar Heels at 1 p.m.
