After a hotly contested first half against Butler on April 18, the Georgetown women’s lacrosse team achieved a runaway win with 18-7 over the Butler Bulldogs. 

The Hoyas (6-7, 5-3 Big East) won their third game in a row with 13 goals in the final 23 minutes and completed the series sweep against Butler (1-9, 0-8 Big East), who they defeated 19-6 on April 16.

In the opening minutes of the game, Butler’s offense pushed into Georgetown’s defensive area, but the Bulldogs found themselves unable to score. Georgetown’s lethal counterattack culminated in two early goals for the Hoyas, from senior midfielder Caroline Frock and graduate attacker Michaela Bruno. 

After both teams swapped possession for a few minutes, Butler put itself on the board with 21:07 left in the first half. 

The Hoyas scored three more goals in the first half, but the Bulldogs scored four of their own, clawing their way to a 5-5 stalemate at halftime. 

Butler’s tenacity in the first half extended into the opening minutes of the second half, as junior midfielder Kailee Callaghan scored with 27:43 remaining in the game to put the Bulldogs up 6-5. This move gave Butler its first lead of the game, as it looked to lock up its first conference win of the season.

However, Georgetown switched gears and never looked back. Motivated by Head Coach Ricky Fried and his coaching staff, the Hoyas scored 13 unanswered goals to give the team a commanding 18-6 lead. 

Apart from Butler’s goal early in the second half and a consolation goal as time expired, the team never threatened Georgetown in the second half. The Hoyas played the majority of the game in the Bulldog’s defensive area, firing shots on goal and celebrating as those shots found the back of the net. 

Butler’s offense produced 17 shots throughout the game, but its attackers had no answer for Georgetown’s swarming defenders and the shot-stopping abilities of sophomore goalkeeper Emily Gaven, who had nine saves for a season-high save percentage of 60%. 

Georgetown’s stout defense was the team’s second-best defensive outing of the season — the Hoyas conceded six goals to the Bulldogs on April 16, marking a season low.

Further, Georgetown’s crafty offense and powerful attackers were on full display, as 12 of the Hoyas’ 18 total goals were unassisted. Of the six assisted goals, Bruno and junior attacker Ali Diamond each contributed two assists, while Frock and graduate midfielder Natalia Lynch both logged an assist as well.   

The Hoyas’ performance in the attacking area was their fourth-highest offensive goal tally of the season, as they scored 19 against Butler and Villanova and 20 against Marquette. 

Eight players were involved in the scoring for Georgetown, as first-year attacker Kylie Hazen scored four goals, and Bruno, Lynch and senior midfielder Mary Pagano notched three apiece. Hazen’s four goals extends her tally to 28 for the season, while Bruno and Lynch are close behind at 27 and 25 goals. 

The Hoyas are currently tied for second in the Big East standings, but they will hope to leapfrog UConn this weekend as they travel to Storrs, Conn., for a two-game series against the Huskies on April 23 and April 25.