Having lost three consecutive games, the Georgetown men’s lacrosse team (3-7, 0-3 Big East) entered Saturday’s game desperate for a win. But the Hoyas were outmatched against No. 6 Denver (8-2, 2-0 Big East), a newcomer to the Big East, and stumbled to a 17-9 loss at the MultiSport Facility.

Georgetown was able to keep up with Denver in the first quarter. Senior attack Jeff Fountain put the Hoyas on the board early, scoring off of an assist from junior attack and co-captain Reilly O’Connor at 14:19. When the period ended, Georgetown trailed by only one goal with a score of 4-3. Georgetown struggled in the second quarter, however, and would go on to commit seven of its 20 turnovers.

Georgetown Head Coach Kevin Warne acknowledges that Denver’s skill at creating scoring opportunities off of turnovers factored significantly into the loss.

“That’s a very good team,” Warne said. “If you turn the ball over, they’re going to come down and attack you on the other [end of the field]. … If you make the slightest mistake against a really skilled team, they’re going to make you pay even if it’s covered or not.”

Denver took advantage of these turnovers and a three-minute extra-man opportunity and outscored Georgetown 5-2, which gave them a 9-5 lead at the half.

The Hoyas, however, responded in the third quarter. Fountain and senior midfielder Grant Fisher each scored a goal entering the final quarter, Georgetown was seemingly in striking distance, only trailing 11-7.

Georgetown, though, was unable to carry this established momentum into the quarter though. Denver dominated the fourth quarter, and opened it by scoring six consecutive goals. This run sealed the victory for the Pioneers as they held a 10-goal lead with 2:48 remaining.

Freshman midfielder Eduardo White scored the final two goals of the game in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. He scored one with 18 seconds remaining and the final as time expired.

In the game, Denver had an efficient day shooting as it scored 17 goals on just 35 total shots.

“Those guys can shoot into a coffee can,” Warne said. “They’re really good shooters. If they clear their hands, there’s a very good chance that it’s going to go in.”

One scoring threat in particular came from Denver junior attack Wesley Berg. Berg replaced freshman attack and offensive specialist Zach Miller, who currently leads the Pioneers with 32 points. Although Miller did not play in the game on Saturday againts the Hoyas, Berg stepped up to play a key role in the offense, finishing with six goals and three assists.

Warne believes that Berg’s presence was a major asset to Denver’s offense.

“I think because [Miller] wasn’t here, they needed somebody. … [Berg] just decided ‘Hey, everything’s going to go through me, I’m going to make the decisions,” Warne said. “He was able to clear his hands a lot [to shoot], which we weren’t excited about. I think he just decided to be what a senior does.’”

While Denver proved capable of capitalizing on the offensive opportunities it created, Georgetown did not. Although redshirt senior defender and co-captain Tyler Knarr won 20 of-27 faceoffs, Warne believes that Georgetown’s inability to take advantage of possession cost it the game.

“When Tyler wins 20-of-27, that means we have the ball a lot more than they do, and we just didn’t capitalize … and that’s what hurt us,” Warne said.

Denver’s presence as a new conference rival and as the leader of the league sets a certain standard of play for the entire conference. Warne hopes the Hoyas will emulate the Pioneers’ intensity and skill as the season progresses.

“They’re the standard,” Warne said of Denver. “They’ll be a top-five team probably after this week, and they’re really, really good. And if we want to be really good, we’ve got to play to their level and play above their level. … We’re not there yet. We’ll get there. Without a doubt we’ll get there, but for right now, we’ve just got to keep working and just concentrate on the things we need to do just to get better, so we get better every game. And then we’ll get better at the end of the season than we were today, and if it ends up that way, then we’re in good shape.”

Georgetown will return to the field Saturday when it hosts Providence (3-7, 0-2 Big East) at 3 p.m. The Hoyas currently stand 0-3 in conference play, and Warne acknowledges the increased importance of notching a win against the Friars.

“[We need to] keep practicing [and] accentuate the positives,” Warne said. “Basically for us, our playoffs start now. … We’re 0-3 in the conference. That’s the reality, and we have to get a win this week against Providence, who’s going to be very motivated, and they’re building their program as well. They’re going to be good. [It will be] a good test on Saturday.”