The Hoyas just flipped the script on the Greyhounds. Last season, the Georgetown University men’s lacrosse team started their season with a painful 18-10 loss to the Loyola University Maryland Greyhounds. But this year, the team’s collection of returners and key additions didn’t allow history to repeat itself. In their season opener, No. 11 Georgetown (1-0) cruised to a commanding 13-6 win over Loyola (0-1).
Despite their eventual dominance, the Hoyas got off to a slow start. In the first quarter alone, Georgetown committed a whopping 8 turnovers, resulting in a 4-1 deficit.
After a weak first quarter performance came a brilliant second quarter for the Hoyas. Georgetown opened up the second frame by ending a scoring drought of over 13 minutes with a goal by first-year attackman Kevin Miller at the 11:26 mark.
A minute later, a goal by graduate attackman Aidan Carroll provided some much-needed momentum for the Hoyas. A Loyola defensive confusion left Carroll wide open in front of the net, with an angle for an easy shot on the goaltender.
After another Georgetown goal, Miller continued to add to the stat sheet in his young career. Graduate transfer attackman Fulton Bayman dodged from behind the crease to free up room and find his fellow newcomer Miller on the doorstep. The goal gave the Hoyas their first lead of the game, sitting at 5-4.
Spectacular play from first-year faceoff Ross Prince, who went 5-0 at the stripe, highlighted the quarter. The Hoyas’ defense also allowed only 2 Loyola shots on goal while the offense cleaned things up, committing only 1 turnover. The metrics gave Georgetown an extreme advantage in time of possession, putting Georgetown in the driver’s seat.
To start the second half, the Hoyas picked up right where they left off. Prince won back-to-back faceoffs within the first three minutes, leading to goals from junior midfielder Joe Cesare and Bayman.
The Greyhounds finally put a stop to the Hoyas’ brutal 6-0 run with a score at 12:00 in the third quarter. They soon scored another goal, but their defense once again suffered a mishap. Bayman capitalized on a Loyola mixup to score his second of the day, before adding to the lead by assisting first-year attackman Jack Ransom on a quick fast-break play off the faceoff.
The final minutes of the third were full of drama. Sophomore goalkeeper Anderson Moore made a highlight point-blank save on a midfielder, refusing to let Loyola come back. Then, with 26 seconds remaining, Cesare beamed a shot into the top left corner that hit so hard it ripped the net.
Since the ball came out of the net, the referees initially called it a non-goal and play resumed. But seconds later, the game stopped and the shot was reviewed under video replay. Referees ultimately awarded Cesare the goal, his third of the game, while maintenance fixed the hole that he had just created in the net.
While drama-filled, Georgetown ended the quarter with a comfortable 10-6 lead. With their continued dominance at the faceoff, a win seemed to be on the horizon.
In the fourth, the Hoyas opted to play more passively to maintain their lead. However, Georgetown still scored some impressive goals. Junior midfielder Patrick Crogan scored his first of the season off of a hitch move that shook his defender and a high-bounce shot to beat the goalie.
Five-star recruit and first-year midfielder Ben Firlie scored the first goal of his collegiate career midway through the quarter. His shot found the top right corner of the net after a split dodge down the alley.
Miller added to his impressive debut with his third goal of the day, finding the back of the net with 4:53 remaining. From here, the Hoyas kept their lead by holding the ball on offensive possessions and locking the Greyhounds down on defense.
Players old and new shone in the Hoyas’ 13-6 win over Loyola. Moore posted a solid .700 save percentage, while the rest of the defense, full of seasoned returners, limited the Greyhounds in the final three quarters. Due to team penalties, the team played man-down on five occasions during the game, yet only allowed one goal off of power play opportunities for the Greyhounds.
The addition of fresh faces certainly helped the Hoyas in the matchup. University of Notre Dame transfer Bayman seemed to find his role on the team, leading them in points with 2 goals and 2 assists. Prince had an amazing collegiate debut, winning 16 of 20 faceoffs, giving the offense an abundance of opportunities.
This coming Saturday, Feb. 8, the Hoyas will look to avenge another loss from the beginning of last season, taking on a strong opponent in No. 8 Johns Hopkins University away at Homewood Field.
