Having dropped their home opener 13-6 to Rutgers, the Georgetown University women’s lacrosse team sought a reset as they took on the Harvard Crimson at Cooper Field on Feb. 23.

However, Harvard (3-0) rode a huge first quarter to dispatch Georgetown (2-3) 20-4, handing the Hoyas a second consecutive loss.

The Crimson came out strong in the first, winning possession at the opening draw and marching quickly into Hoya territory. Within 90 seconds, Harvard ended their first possession of the game with a goal to open the scoring.   

Two straight fouls by Georgetown yielded free positions for Harvard, and the Crimson capitalized both times to go up 3-0. Facing a three-goal deficit after just three minutes, the Hoyas desperately needed to find their rhythm.

Struggling in the circle, the Hoyas ceded draw control to the Crimson once again. Georgetown’s defense, however, stood firm, and junior goaltender Leah Warehime earned her first save of the afternoon.  

Having spent the early minutes of the game playing in their own half, the Hoyas finally had an opportunity to challenge the Crimson defense. Following the save, the Hoyas settled into Crimson territory and sophomore attacker Gracie Driggs punched in a shot on goal, giving Georgetown its first score of the game.

Minutes later, junior attacker Emma Gebhardt put another past the goalie, dropping Harvard’s lead to just one goal with about half of the first quarter still to play.

Just as the Hoyas looked poised to take control of the match, the momentum drastically shifted — the Crimson scored eight unanswered goals in the final eight minutes of first-quarter action, extending their lead to 11-2.

Nonetheless, the Hoyas entered the second quarter with resolve, seeking to stay competitive and claw their way back from a tough deficit. After winning the opening draw, Georgetown drove downfield, but failed to score. Even so, the defense stood firm, applying more pressure and holding the Crimson scoreless through the opening minutes of the second period.  

Unfortunately for Georgetown, Harvard eventually managed to break through the Hoya defense, scoring their 12th goal of the afternoon on a leaping shot. This was all Harvard needed to return to their scoring ways, adding another three goals to the stat sheet by the end of the second quarter.  

Trailing 15-2 at halftime, the Hoyas needed an incredible display of both firm defense and explosive offense to remain in the game. Despite losing the opening draw, the Hoyas gained possession and had a few opportunities to score. They failed to capitalize on those early possessions, and Harvard responded with its 16th goal after roughly three minutes.

A combination of fouls and turnovers by Georgetown further played into the hands of Harvard, and the Crimson led the Hoyas 19-2 at the end of the third quarter.  

Not yet willing to throw in the towel, Georgetown remained competitive in the fourth quarter. After gaining possession and searching for an opportunity, the Hoyas finally broke through the Crimson defense. After about two and a half minutes, senior midfielder Tessa Brooks scored off a free position shot, breaking the Hoyas’ long scoreless streak and injecting new life into the offense.

A few minutes later, Georgetown capitalized on a Harvard turnover, with sophomore midfielder Leanna Tsahalis adding another goal to the Hoyas’ total to cut the deficit to 19-4.  

Despite this late spark, the game proved out of reach for the Hoyas. Another late goal by Harvard made the final score 20-4 as time wound down.  

Harvard dominated Georgetown in nearly every statistical category as the team outshot the Hoyas 33-14 (29-9 on goal), forced 12 turnovers while only ceding 9, won 17-of-27 draws and went 5-of-6 on free position shots. 

Crimson attacker Riley Campbell stood out with 8 points on 5 goals and 3 assists, along with 3 draw controls. Fellow Harvard attackers Callie Hem and Caroline Mullahy both had 6 points.

Of note is Georgetown’s decision to sub in first-year goalkeeper Olivia Shinsato for Warehime at the half. The defense did neither goalie any favors, as they combined for a .310 save percentage.

The Hoyas fell 10-9 on the road against No. 15 Johns Hopkins (4-2) on Feb. 28. Georgetown will look to break its three-game losing streak against Delaware (4-1) at home on March 2.