BOSTON – It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and the Hoyas learned that the hard way Monday, losing to the 11th-ranked Boston University Terriers, 10-8. Monday’s game followed closely on the heels of a sloppy 12-8 Georgetown victory over Boston College on Saturday.

“We expected to walk out on the field and win, and it doesn’t work that way,” Georgetown Head Coach Ricky Fried said after Monday’s loss. “The other team wants it as badly as we do, and if we don’t execute, bad things happen.”

The Terriers (10-1, 2-0 America East) jumped to a four-goal lead in the first 17 minutes of play, dominating the Hoyas (8-3, 3-0 Big East) in time of possession. Georgetown sophomore attack Coco Stanwick finally put the Hoyas on the board with a free-position goal with less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

Boston freshman midfielder Lauren Morton scored her second, taking a pass from senior mid Alyssa Trudel in front of the Georgetown net. Georgetown senior attack Hollis Pica answered with a goal but was whistled for a crease violation. Fifty seconds later, BU freshman attack Jenny Hauser scored her first of three on the afternoon, giving the Terriers a 6-1 edge.

“It could’ve changed the momentum,” Fried said of Pica’s called-off shot. “Who’s to know? We had opportunities. We didn’t make the most of them.”

Senior attack Sarah Oliphant narrowed the Terriers’ lead to four goals, putting up her only tally of the afternoon with 2:07 left in the half. Boston University outshot Georgetown 15-8 in the first half and led 6-2 at the break.

The Hoyas showed moments of hope in the second half, coming out and methodically running their offense for a Stanwick goal just three minutes in. But they were unable to capitalize on a series of free position shots in the middle of the half, and the Terriers kept digging a deeper hole for the Hoyas.

With 10 minutes on the clock, Stanwick made the score 4-8, but the Terriers answered right back. The Hoyas scored three goals in the final six minutes, but the hole was too deep to climb out of.

“We played ten minutes out of the game, and the other team’s athletic and aggressive and wants it.” Fried said. “It meant more to them than it meant to us today. We fought hard at the end but we need to fight for more minutes than that.”

The Hoyas had similar problems Saturday against the Boston College Eagles. The unranked Eagles (6-4, 1-3 Big East) led the Hoyas once, forced two ties and pulled to within one on three occasions before Georgetown pulled away for the win.

“When we needed a goal, we played well. When we needed a stop, we played well. But it’s in between those points when we get caught up, running around,” Fried said Saturday. “We’re just not thinking about what we’re doing. That’s the difference between when we’re good and when we’re okay.”

The Hoyas opened the game striking twice for goals in the first three minutes. Georgetown’s defense faltered, though, and Boston College capitalized, stringing together three goals in just over eight minutes to take its first lead.

The Eagles were led offensively by senior attack Susie Breaznell, who tallied a game-high five goals. After she scored her first, junior mids Elizabeth Kadison and Lizette Blohm contributed one apiece for a 3-2 game.

Needing a goal, the Georgetown offense righted itself once more to put together four unanswered, including scoring twice on free position shots. Senior midfielder Allison Chambers scored two of her three, while Stanwick and senior mid Lauren Redler added one to regain the lead.

The Hoyas’ tenuous 6-3 lead lasted only three minutes as the Eagles pulled back to within one on goals from Breaznell and sophomore midfielder Katie Wagoner. With under a minute to go in the first half, though, Georgetown senior attack Catherine Elbe put up her first of three, pushing a low roller past the BC goalie.

Georgetown’s offense remained streaky into the second half, missing a handful of early opportunities. Its defense also struggled, as Breaznell again pulled her team to within one goal on a free position shot with 23:29 remaining.

But junior attack Lucy Poole and Pica scored one apiece within two minutes to give the Hoyas a 9-6 edge that the Eagles were unable to fully recover. Breaznell scored twice more for BC, including a free position goal in the last three seconds of play that closed the Hoyas’ margin of victory to four goals after Elbe had scored twice and senior attack Sarah Oliphant added one.

All season, Fried has emphasized his team’s need to play its own game. “It’s not selfish lacrosse we’re playing,” he said after Saturday’s victory, “but we’re playing down to the level that our opponent is right now. If we can focus on us a little bit more we’re going to be more successful.”

The Hoyas played the same caliber game on both Saturday and onday with the difference in opponent allowing them to pick up a win in the first game but costing them a loss in the second. The Hoyas next face Big East opponent Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., on Saturday.

“They lost a lot of players from last year, but it’s a Big East game. We need to make a decision that we’re going to come out and play 60 minutes,” Fried said.