With a 4-2 victory on Tuesday at the University of aryland-Baltimore County, the Hoyas (4-5, 0-1 Big East) pulled out a close game and came away with the confidence they need heading into a three-game road stretch against conference foes Syracuse, Rutgers and No. 10 Connecticut.

“The comeback against Bucknell and this victory against UMBC were really necessary heading into this Big East stretch,” Head Coach Laurie Carroll said.

The victory at UMBC Stadium was highlighted by two goals from standout freshman forward Lindsey Moramarco. After scoring her first collegiate goal against Bucknell to give the Hoyas the win on Saturday, Moramarco wasted no time against the Retrievers, giving Georgetown a 1-0 advantage in the fifth minute off of a pass from sophomore midfielder Maggie Farrand. UMBC answered with a minute left in the first half with a goal from freshman forward Mary Strain off a penalty corner.

The Hoyas gained a 2-1 edge on a goal from freshman forward Chelsea Aiken and Moramarco stretched the lead to 3-1 with 16 minutes to play in the second period. UMBC cut the lead to a single goal, but Farrand iced the game with four minutes remaining to improve Georgetown’s record to within a game of .500.

The Hoyas have been led by their impressive freshmen class, which includes four forwards, three midfielders and two defensemen. “It’s not as though they’re [the nine freshmen] getting more comfortable, it’s more that they’ve been ready to go since they were recruited,” Carroll said. “You’ll see five or six freshman on the field at a time and that’s what we expected.”

Georgetown’s offensive output has increased dramatically in the past two games. Over the first seven matches, the Hoyas totaled a mere five goals. In the victories over Bucknell and UMBC, the team tallied eight. The balanced attack has been led by Farrand, Moramarco, freshman forward Willemijn Wijsman and sophomore forward Katie Lachman, who each have three goals.

“We have a balanced attack because we don’t have a superstar,” Carroll said. “We rotate four forwards into three spots and they are all capable of scoring. I can really attribute the balanced attack to the young attackers who are really hungry for goals.”

In the past three games, the Hoyas have played best in the second half. In a loss against then-No. 15 Providence, and the wins over Bucknell and UMBC, Georgetown out shot their opponents 23-6 in the second half and outscored those three teams 6-2.

“The last two games, we’ve played our second halves really well. Now we have to play the first half really well. We can’t play the way we’ve played our last two first halves against Big East teams and expect it to be a close game,” Carroll said.

The Hoyas are unfazed by their imposing Big East schedule. “Even though we were a bit unlucky,” Carroll said, “we played a great game against Providence and totally dominated the second half. That game gave us the confidence to win these last two games, and we’re definitely ready for this Big East stretch.”

The road trip is a welcome one for the Georgetown squad. “When we’re on the road, there really aren’t a lot of distractions,” Carroll said. “Everything we do is preparing for the game. Whether it’s the team meal or the team meeting, we’re all together.”

Heading into what could be the most important stretch of the season, the Hoyas aim for constant improvement. “We’re looking to play a full, solid game of hockey. We want to bring energy and confidence to the game right away,” Carroll said.

Georgetown will be looking for the first Big East win this Sunday at 1 p.m. against Syracuse.