The Georgetown men’s lacrosse team won its second straight game April 21 in a dominating performance over the visiting NJIT Highlanders. Thirteen graduating Hoyas played their final game on Cooper Field, leading the team to a win on Senior Day. The victory also propelled the team to No. 17 in national polls and a 9-4 record on the year.

Head Coach Kevin Warne praised the leadership of his seniors.

“I give the seniors a lot of credit,” Warne said in an interview with The Hoya. “They help our guys understand how we are going to do things, why we are going to do things and they have done a great job of making sure that everyone is adherent to the process.”

Reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Week, senior goalie Nick Marrocco, recorded the 613th save of his career. He remains the NCAA leader in career saves among active players.

On attack, six different Hoyas found the back of the net. Junior attack Robert Clark scored three times in the first two minutes of the game and finished with five goals. Sophomore attack Jake Carraway tallied four goals and four assists for eight points, while senior Matt Behrens combined three goals and an assist for four points. Junior midfielder Derek Altobello also got in on the action by scoring his first career goal on the Hilltop. Eleven of Georgetown’s 15 goals were assisted.

Senior faceoff man Peter Tagliaferri contributed to Georgetown’s control of possession as he went 9-for-11 on faceoffs, and collected a team-high of six ground balls in the game.

Jake Carraway earned Big East Attack Player of the Week for his eight-point performance in limited playing time. Carraway impacted many phases of the game, collecting two ground balls and causing a turnover in addition to his eight points. This is his second time receiving the award this season.

Warne lauded Carraway’s work ethic and drive to succeed.

“Jake’s done all the right things to put himself in the best possible position on the field,” Warne said. “To do that he’s been one of our hardest workers in the weight room, will watch film and shoots extra. He’s as competitive a kid as I’ve ever coached. His best days are in front of him.”

Freshman defenseman Gibson Smith was named to the Big East Men’s Lacrosse Weekly Honor Roll for his performance in the game against NJIT. Smith led a stifling Georgetown defense that allowed only a single shot on goal in the first quarter and held NJIT scoreless for the opening 21 minutes. He also recorded five ground balls and caused a turnover in the game.

Robert Clark’s hat trick helped Georgetown jump out to a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Five more goals in the second quarter provided the Hoyas with a 12-3 halftime cushion, which gave the team an opportunity to showcase its younger talent. Freshman goalie Owen McElroy did not allow a goal, while freshmen Kevin Petrillo and Niko Gekas recorded their first career goals. Freshman Cade Heverly also went 6-for-8 on faceoffs. The Highlanders capitalized on man-up situations, however, and managed to tie the Hoyas 3-3 in the second half, ending the game 15-6.

The win and other conference results on the day secured Georgetown a spot in the 2018 Big East tournament — their first since 2015 — to be held at Villanova. Before the May 3 tournament, Georgetown will travel to New York to face St. John’s in its season finale Saturday, April 28.