No. 11 Georgetown held Butler University scoreless through double overtime Sunday to earn a draw, remaining undefeated in Big East play this season. 

The game remained even throughout play at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl, with both teams finding opportunities on net but ultimately failing to capitalize. Following the tie, Georgetown (10-2-3, 4-0-2 Big East) remains first-ranked in the Big East Conference and Butler (8-4-3, 3-1-2 Big East) holds on to the second spot.

Georgetown defeated Butler during each of their two matchups last season and looked to extend the winning streak this year. From the whistle, possession switched sides several times, allowing the Hoyas to tally three shots and the Bulldogs to record two in the first 45 minutes of play. The match proved physical between the two teams, with Georgetown drawing 11 fouls and Butler drawing 16 fouls over the course of the match. 

A promising opportunity came for the Blue and Gray in the 43rd minute with a shot from senior forward Paula Germino-Watnick. Germino-Watnick powered the ball toward the net but sent it just wide of the post, sending the Hoyas to the break without a goal. Germino-Watnick went on to record six shots in the game, accounting for the majority of the Hoyas’ offensive chances in the 110 minutes of play. 

Georgetown earned another look on goal at the end of regulation in the 89th minute. Both a corner kick and shot culminated from the team’s final play, with sophomore forward Boo Jackson sending in a shot that was ultimately blocked by the Bulldogs’ defense. 

Butler answered Georgetown’s offensive pressure with several chances of its own, including one in the 54th minute of play. The chance arrived when Butler’s offense broke away down the right side of the field and crossed it into the feet of Butler forward Katie Soderstrom. Soderstrom slipped the ball toward the net unchallenged by the Hoyas’ defense but was ultimately stopped by freshman goalkeeper Anna Leat. Butler followed up the play with another shot in the 56th minute that traveled wide of the net. 

Another opportunity arose for the Bulldogs in the opening minutes of the first overtime. Butler’s offense sent a free kick into the box, finding the head of senior forward Annika Schmidt, who directed the ball toward net before it was deflected. Butler midfielder Celia Gaynor won the deflection and sent another shot back in, resulting in the ball ricocheting off the crossbar. Despite such chances for both sides, the teams exhausted all 110 minutes of double overtime play without finding the back of the net. 

While Georgetown outshot Butler 11-9 on the day, the Bulldogs put five shots on frame to the Hoyas’ one. Georgetown had the advantage in corner kicks, earning seven to Butler’s two. 

Leat has since earned recognition as the Big East Freshman of the Week for recording her sixth and Georgetown’s eighth shutout of the season with five saves in the match. Leat now holds a 0.755 save percentage on the season and has an average of 0.91 goals allowed per game. She has now been recognized as the Big East Freshman of the Week three times this year. 

Head Coach Dave Nolan expressed satisfaction with the game, despite his team not securing a victory in the end. 

“This was another hard-fought game on the road against one of our biggest conference rivals. It’s not an easy surface to play on but we tried our best to make something happen,” Nolan said in an interview with GU Hoyas. “Unfortunately, the two teams canceled each other out, and the key was to try to score on a set piece and make sure they didn’t do likewise. We finished stronger but couldn’t find that moment.” 

With the draw against Butler, Georgetown extends its unbeaten streak to 10 games and tallies its second consecutive draw following a 2-2 tie with Creighton University last week. The Hoyas next head to Chicago to face DePaul University on Thursday at 3 p.m. in another Big East matchup.