Coming off an impressive 4-2 win against Lock Haven University last week with senior forward Vivienne Trumpbour posting a hat trick, the Georgetown University field hockey team entered its Friday afternoon matchup against the University of Connecticut seeking their first conference win of the season. However, it was the Huskies who controlled the tempo throughout the game, leaving the Hoyas on defense.

The Georgetown Hoyas (1-8, 0-2 Big East) fell to the UConn Huskies (3-6, 1-1 Big East) 4-0, as the Hoyas failed to produce a consistent attack and faced their eighth loss of the season. While Georgetown’s defense kept the game close in the first half, UConn’s strong offense proved too much to handle, whittling away at the Hoyas’ defensive resolve. 

After a relatively slow start from both teams, it was the Huskies that applied initial pressure, taking advantage of sloppy Hoya turnovers to rattle off multiple shots on goal. As the opening quarter progressed, UConn continued to press their advantage, with an attempt by forward Julia Bressler ringing the post in the dying seconds of the quarter. 

After a Husky-dominated first period, the Hoyas came out strong in the second with their first push into the offensive third of the field, but they were unable to get a shot off. UConn responded quickly, earning a penalty corner, and forward Madi Herb put away a deflected save for the game’s opening goal. 

Following the goal, the Huskies further pressured the Hoya defense, with Herb firing off another shot on goal. Georgetown needed another save with two minutes to play in the half, and the Hoyas reached the half only one down. Heading into the break, UConn outshot Georgetown 15-0, with 11 shots on goal. 

The Hoyas came out with much more energy in the second half, earning 2 early penalty corners, and posting their first shot of the day courtesy of first-year midfielder Darby Campbell. 

Again responding quickly, the Huskies pushed back, as midfielder Sol Simone dribbled through the Hoya defense for an unassisted goal six minutes into the half. Georgetown pushed back following the goal, earning its second shot of the day, but they were again unable to maintain possession and UConn set the tempo for the remainder of the quarter. After a few more Husky offensive incursions, Georgetown entered the final quarter down 2-0. 

In the final quarter, the Hoyas again came out strong, with their first consistent in the form of powerful shots from Trumpbour and junior midfielder Emma van der Veen. Following this brief foray into UConn territory, the Huskies dominated time of possession and shots for the remainder of the game. 

Herb added an assist alongside her second-quarter goal, lofting the ball over the Hoya defense, where it was forcefully put away by forward Julianna Kratz. After additional Husky pressure, Kratz added another goal to her tally four minutes later, dribbling through Hoya defenders for an unassisted goal. 

The 4-0 scoreline reflected UConn’s offensive dominance, as it dominated Georgetown 21-2 in terms of shots on goal. Despite this shot imbalance, the two teams kept the game relatively competitive until the fourth quarter, largely thanks to first-year goalkeeper Ella Fahey. In her first career start, Fahey turned away a remarkable 17-of-21 shots, giving the Hoyas a real shot at leveling the game until midway through the fourth quarter. 

Georgetown will look to bounce back and earn their first Big East win of the season when they host Quinnipiac (3-4, 1-1 Big East) on Friday in their second consecutive conference matchup. The Bobcats are in strong form with wins in three of their last five games and will certainly give the Hoyas a challenge.