Georgetown went into Saturday’s game at Kehoe Field against Bucknell in dire need of a win. Reeling from three tough losses in a row and an absent offense, the Hoyas finally stepped up. After falling behind in the first half 3-1, the Hoyas rallied with three second half goals to beat the Bison 4-3.
With 6:30 remaining in the second half and the game tied at three, Georgetown capitalized on a free-ball in the circle when freshman forward Lindsay Moramarco punched in the game-winner, her first career goal as a Hoya.
“The whole front line did a lot of the work and I was just a little lucky to be there,” Moramarco said; she scored the goal after coming in off the bench.
The game began with a promising start, as freshmen midfielder Alice Murnen scored her first career goal off a penalty corner taken at the six minute mark. Following the quick goal, Bucknell answered with three goals to end the half, including two assists from sophomore Amanda Faust, Patriot League Rookie of the Year last season.
The second half was a much different story. The Hoya offense came out and controlled play. Five minutes into the second half, sophomore midfielder Maggie Farrand got the rally started with her second goal of the season after a tough fight for possession in the Bison zone.
Following a Bucknell turnover, sophomore defender Katie Devaney was able to advance the ball into the Bison’s zone for a pivotal Hoya possession. Freshman forward Willemijn Wijsman took charge and tied the game at three with a goal off of a penalty corner. After taking the corner, Wijsman hustled into the circle and was able to beat Bucknell freshman goaltender Diana Bartley.
“Bucknell is a good team but we really stepped up in the second half. We scored early in the game and then dropped back and weren’t aggressive enough,” Wijsman said.
The second half was the true realization of the Hoyas’ potential. The defense, led by juniors Lauren Sheets and Kristen Twomey, did not allow a shot in the half, while the Hoya offense controlled the tempo with seven second-half shots.
“There was a huge gut check at halftime and we realized that we could play better,” Georgetown Head Coach Laurie Carroll said.
The halftime gut check paid off, as the Hoyas played their best field hockey of the season during the second half. “She just reminded us that we’re better than we’ve been playing. We knew that we didn’t want to lose again on our home field,” Twomey said, whose speed and agility contributed to Bucknell’s stagnant second half offense.
The four-goal total for the game, three by freshmen, showed the talent and potential the team has been looking for on the offensive side of the ball all year.
“Strategically we didn’t change anything at halftime, we just decided it was time to go out and compete. We knew that we just hadn’t shot enough in the first half with only three shots. We stepped up and decided to take more risks on attack,” Carroll said.
Georgetown hopes the win will give them the poise and self-assurance to play well in its first season in the Big East. “We have a lot of tough games and we’ve played pretty well but today we really just put it all together,” Wijsman said.
The victory improved the Hoyas’ record to 3-5 and sixth in the Big East while dropping Bucknell, third place in the Patriot League, to 4-4. The Hoyas play today at 3:30 p.m. at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
The victory improved the Hoyas’ record to 3-5 and standing to sixth in the Big East, while Bucknell, third place in the Patriot League, drops to 4-4. The Hoyas play today at 3:30 p.m. at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
