The Georgetown University men’s soccer team (5-2-2, 1-0-0 Big East) overcame a halftime deficit with a dominant second-half performance, defeating No. 25 George Mason University (GMU) (3-2-1, 0-0-1 A10) 5-2 Tuesday, Sept. 23 at George Mason Stadium in Fairfax, Va. The Hoyas won their fourth consecutive game, while the Patriots suffered their second home loss of the season.
The Hoyas wasted no time getting on the board. Just four minutes in, senior midfielder Max Viera drove the ball down the left side to pass to senior midfielder Zach Zengue on top of the box. After being blocked, sophomore forward Mitchell Baker calmly tapped the loose ball in, giving Georgetown a 1-0 lead.
The Hoyas dictated most of the play in the first half, firing off chances on the Patriots’ backline. Junior midfielder Matthew Van Horn, sophomore midfielder Jack Brown and Baker forced saves from the Patriots’ goalkeeper. Junior midfielder Matthew Helfrich and Viera constantly created danger down the flanks. Georgetown outshot the Patriots 11-5 in the first half.
Despite the early lead and strong offensive chances from Georgetown, GMU made the most of their few chances in the first half. To tie the game up 1-1, Patriot forward Kelly Janssen charged the box to finish a half-volley on top of the six-yard box in the 38th minute. Janssen scored again six minutes later, scoring off a deflected pass to give GMU a 2-1 lead at the half.
The Hoyas tallied 8 corner kicks in the first half and 8 free kicks off of fouls, creating chances for defensive players.
A Georgetown corner kick from Van Horn sent first-year defender Will Caldwell in the air to tip the ball off his head, sending the ball barreling to the top right corner, but ultimately missing the goal. Off a free kick delivered by Van Horn, junior defender Oliver Stafford tried to capitalize on a deflection but was unable to convert for a Hoya goal.
Georgetown returned from halftime looking composed and determined to take back control of the game. The equalizer came in the 71st minute when Zengue’s free kick bounced off a GMU defender and into the back of the net, making the score 2-2.
The Hoyas took the momentum from the second goal and ran with it. In the 78th minute, Van Horn’s corner kick reached sophomore defender Jack Lindimore, who soared above the defender to restore Georgetown’s lead. Less than a minute later, Zengue went for a rebound in the box and was taken out by a Patriot defender, calling for a penalty kick. Van Horn finished the penalty kick in the bottom right corner of the goal to increase the Hoya advantage to 4-2. To cap their victory in the 84th minute, a handball in the box from a Patriots defender awarded the Hoyas another penalty kick. Zengue finished the kick to claim a 5-2 victory.
Head Coach Brian Wiese said his team’s tenacity shined in their match against the Patriots.
“It was really good to see the guys come to a team that’s having a great season, a really talented group, go down on the road and find a way to come back and win, which is a testament to the older guys on the team,” Wiese told Georgetown Athletics.
Georgetown outshot GMU 28-8, and the Hoyas were awarded 14 corners to the Patriots’ 3. Zengue ended with 2 goals, marking his third consecutive game with a multi-goal effort. Senior goalkeeper Tenzing Manske earned 2 saves in the victory.
Georgetown will return to Shaw Field on Saturday, Sept. 27, for a Big East doubleheader. The Hoya women’s soccer team will face the University of Connecticut at 5 p.m. followed by the men’s game against St. John’s University at 7:30 p.m. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
