As the last minute of regulation ticked away during Wednesday’s game between No. 16 Georgetown and No. 6 Duke, it appeared that the Hoyas were headed to overtime for a second straight game. But with only five seconds remaining on the clock, junior attack Caroline Tarzian ripped a shot past sophomore Duke goalie Kelsey Duryea to give Georgetown (3-1) a dramatic 11-10 victory.

The Hoyas have won two straight games against ranked teams in very different fashions, but one thing has stayed constant: Tarzian’s ability to score with the game on the line.

Prior to the game, Head Coach Ricky Fried had emphasized his team’s need for accurate shots on goal against the Blue Devils (3-3).

“We’ve been averaging 30-plus shots per game and that’s generated by the way we play offense,” Fried said. “We don’t need to get better opportunities, we just need to be conscious of our shots and where we are placing them.”

In the first half, however, it was Duke who struck first, scoring just under 10 seconds into the game.

Although not an optimal start, the Hoyas were soon able to climb back into the game when senior midfielder Hannah Franklin scored her first of two goals to tie the score three minutes later. The tie was short-lived, however, as Duke then went on a two-goal run, making the score 3-1. The Blue and Gray then were able to rebound nicely with three straight goals, starting with one by sophomore midfielder Natalie Miller. Tarzian and senior midfielder Courtney Caputo then added to the lead.

Duke responded to even the score at four with 16:31 left to play, but senior midfielder Kelyn Freedman scored off an outstanding feed from Miller to give Georgetown the lead once again. Franklin and senior attack Meghan Farrell scored to extend the advantage to 7-5 at halftime.

Most of the Hoyas’ first-half goals came from low shots that Duryea had a difficult time tracking.

The back-and-forth nature of the first half then carried over to the beginning of the second. Duke once again made the first move, scoring within the first minute of play. Georgetown was able to notch two more in response to establish a three-goal lead. However, with the 9-6 advantage, the Hoyas gave up a four-goal run to the Blue Devils, allowing them to carry a 10-9 lead into the closing stages of the game.

With 7:29 remaining on the clock, the Blue Devils scored what appeared to be their 11th goal. However, it was waved off because of a Duke foul, and so on the ensuing two-minute advantage, the Hoyas were able to tie the game at 10 on a goal by sophomore attack Corinne Etchinson.

That score would hold until the last minute of the game. After Duke was whistled for a foul with 10 seconds remaining, Tarzian took the ball on a restart and found four Duke players waiting for her close to the goal. She was able to get a quick shot off, though, leaving the Blue Devil defenders to watch as it sailed into the back of the net.

Though Georgetown was dominated on draw control, 15-7, the team’s lack of fouls was able to even out the possession game. The Hoyas’ defense was able to create turnovers and out hustle the Blue Devils, which also helped make up for the draw deficit.

Prior to the game, Fried had stressed Georgetown’s need to contain the talented Duke offense.

“I think the biggest thing is defensively we have to make fewer mistakes,” Fried said. “We have to make sure that the shots we give up are making them work and that we don’t give up easy shots.”

Georgetown did just that as it allowed only 19 shots in the whole game and 13 shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Barb Black played the majority of the game in the net for the Hoyas and recorded two saves. Black also helped contain the offense as she left the cage on numerous occasions to help her defense double-team behind the net.

It was the first time Georgetown had defeated Duke in the last 10 meetings between the two schools, including an 11-10 victory for the Blue Devils last season. While the games are almost always close, the Hoyas have not been able to come out on top — until Wednesday.

Georgetown will take on its third straight ranked opponent this weekend when it plays No. 19 Stanford (3-1) this Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will take place on the Multi-Sport Facility and will be the Hoyas’ first game back at home since their season opener.