Georgetown University graduate midfielder Alex Vardaro faced enormous expectations heading into his first season as a Hoya. Tabbed the seventh-best player in the nation by Inside Lacrosse and named a second-team Preseason All-American by the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, the Princeton University transfer joined a Georgetown men’s lacrosse squad that lost four of its five top scorers from a season ago.
With back-to-back 5-point outbursts, it is safe to say that Vardaro is beginning to live up to those expectations. Behind Vardaro’s performance, the No. 11 Hoyas (7-2) secured a comfortable 14-8 win over the then No. 18 Richmond Spiders (6-4).
The Hoyas’ defensive performance — with first-year goalie Anderson Moore posting 14 saves — matched their strong offense, as the Hoyas needed just three quarters to net all 14 goals against a high-ranking Spider defense.
Following a blowout 21-9 win over Dartmouth (3-6) at home, the Hoyas were once again prepared for a test against a then-ranked Richmond team. First-year midfielder Joe Cesare opened up the scoring for Georgetown with a sidearm shot four minutes into the game. However, Richmond’s offense quickly responded with a goal of their own.
Later in the first quarter, graduate midfielder Graham Bundy Jr. ripped an underhand shot from deep to make the score 2-1 with 4:49 remaining in the quarter. Once again, a Richmond response followed with a man-up goal just over a minute later.
Eager to regain the lead, Bundy Jr. scored another shot from distance, putting the Hoyas up 3-2 toward the end of the first quarter. However, the Spiders managed to tie up the game heading into the intermission, scoring with just one second remaining.
To begin the second quarter, Vardaro created space off of a quick split dodge and nailed the top right corner of the net, giving the Hoyas a 4-3 advantage. The relentless Richmond offense then followed up with a goal of their own with 10:26 remaining, tying the score at 4-4.
After the long back-and-forth contest, the Hoyas launched a strong run, beginning with goals by Cesare and sophomore midfielder Patrick Crogan to move the lead to 6-4. Then, Vardaro ran from behind the crease and received a helpful pick from senior midfielder Dylan Hess, halting his defender and giving Vardaro the freedom to increase his angle and score Georgetown’s seventh goal of the game.
The Hoyas continued to pour it on the Spiders, as Crogan followed with a highlight reel, behind-the-back goal with 2:53 remaining in the half. The onslaught continued with a quick face dodge from Vardaro, who snuck the ball between the goalie’s legs to give him a hat-trick in just the second quarter alone.
Graduate faceoff James Ball sparked Georgetown’s dominant run, winning 6 straight faceoffs during the second quarter. Heading into the half, Georgetown now led Richmond 9-4.
At the start of the third quarter, the Hoyas had no trouble getting back into their offensive rhythm. Like clockwork, Ball won another faceoff, and Vardaro scored on the ensuing possession.
Nevertheless, Richmond was able to fire back with a run of their own. The Spider offense netted 3 goals within 1:37 to cut the Hoya lead to 10-7.
In retaliation, the Georgetown offense delivered 4 straight goals throughout the rest of the quarter, including a pair of unassisted scores from senior attackman Aidan Carroll and Vardaro’s fifth of the day. The Hoyas had a significant 14-7 lead at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Georgetown looked to simply drain the clock and walk out with a respectable victory, holding the ball for the majority of their possessions. Moore started the period with 3 straight saves, which set the tone for the remaining minutes. The Spiders attempted 12 shots during the quarter, but were only able to score once.
The final 14-8 victory marked Georgetown’s sixth straight win, with Vardaro’s 5 goals leading the team and Carroll contributing 2 goals and 2 assists. Bundy Jr. also continues to impress, with 2 goals and an assist. The defense was once again excellent, holding their opponent to 10 or fewer goals for the sixth straight game.
Despite the slow start, the Hoyas have started to heat up. Following an underwhelming start to the season, Vardaro has become an instrumental aspect of Georgetown’s victories. Paired with the Hoyas’ strong supporting cast, the team looks dangerous as they wrap up their nonconference schedule.
The Hoyas began their Big East play March 30 at Providence (4-6), winning 15-10 and will look to remain hot. They next play at home against Marquette (4-6) on April 6.
