Georgetown field hockey collected only three wins over the course of its 2004-05 season, but on Friday at Kehoe Field, the 2005-06 Hoyas matched last year’s win total – and did so in half as many games.

In its 3-1 victory over St. Francis (Pa.), Georgetown (3-7) dominated the game offensively, totaling 34 shots, 21 of which were in the first half. St. Francis (0-10, 0-2 NEC), meanwhile, managed only two shots in the first half and none in the second.

“We wanted to control the time of possession and really dominate the game,” Head Coach Laurie Carroll said. “I think we did that.”

“We definitely had more shots in the circle,” junior forward Jen Kosloski said. “That’s what we’ve been lacking.”

The onslaught of shots from Georgetown kept St. Francis junior goalkeeper Kristen Onto on her toes as she made 11 saves on the game.

“We definitely created opportunities,” Carroll said, but she added that the team needed “to do a better job of finishing.”

Sophomore midfielder Deirdre McShea opened the scoring at 13:39, recovering a turnover in the goal box following a Georgetown corner.

The Hoyas added to their lead at 20:28 when Kosloski scored off an assist from sophomore defender Lauren Sheets.

The Red Flash got onto the board at 31:25 on an unassisted goal by freshman forward Kristi-Anne Chin, making the score 2-1 on St. Francis’ only shot on goal in the game. The goal was the first of her collegiate career.

Following halftime, the score stayed stagnant until 52:22, when freshman forward Maggie Farrand heaved the ball into the net as the players scrambled during a Hoya corner. The rookie continues to lead the team in all scoring categories with 12 points on four goals and four assists.

Georgetown had 17 corners on the day and scored off of two while St. Francis had none, and the Hoyas preserved their 3-1 lead until the buzzer.

Two days later, Georgetown played host to St. Joseph’s, a team which Carroll described as having “a great hockey tradition,” and the Hawks lived up to their reputation as they beat the Hoyas 2-1.

St. Joe’s (7-3, 0-0 Atlantic 10) got off to a quick start as junior forward Lauren Luft scored off an assist from junior midfielder Maureen Casserly at 5:14 to go up 1-0.

Georgetown evened the score at 1-1 as McShea sent a pass to fellow sophomore midfielder Lauren Gallagher, who put it in the goal at 14:23.

The Hoyas nearly scored a go-ahead goal before the first half elapsed, but the referee ruled that the ball was hit outside the circle, so it did not count and the score remained tied at 1-1.

The deadlock did not end until 55:54, when senior forward Katelyn O’Brien scored the game-winner, her eighth goal of the season. Senior midfielder Shelley Meier contributed an assist on the play.

On the game, St. Joe’s outshot Georgetown 12-3 and had the same margin over the Blue and Gray in corners. In goal for the Hoyas, junior Abby Winer had five saves while sophomore Rebecca Cunfer had two for the Red Flash.

“I think it was a well-fought game,” Carroll said. “St. Joe’s is a great team. We knew it would be a tough game. I think we stepped up to the challenge, but we’ve been on the short end of the stick in the 2-1 games.”

Despite suffering their fifth one-point loss this season, the Hoyas are still upbeat.

“I think we’re much improved. Every day we get better. We’re so much better than we were last year,” Carroll said. “The thing is, our opponents are getting better, too.”

After the victory over St. Francis, Kosloski, the junior forward, said that Winer has made an impact on the team recently as the goalie has been getting comfortable in her starting role.

“Abby … has become more vocal,” Kosloski said, and Winer’s newfound leadership influences the team “starting from the back all the way up the field.”

Winer won the starting role after an early season tug-of-war with freshman Deirdre Crovo. Carroll said that having stability in the net “certainly gives the rest of the team confidence.”

“I think that’s the ironic thing – now that our goalkeeper position is pretty solid right now, our goal production has kind of dropped off,” Carroll added. “We need to step up, like Abby’s done, on the attacking, because she’s been saving the ball. … And that’ll be the difference between winning and losing, really.”

The Hoyas have the week off before facing Davidson (6-11, 3-1 Southern) on Saturday and Appalachian State (9-6, 2-1 Southern) on Sunday. Both games will be held in Davidson, N.C.

“Going into the second [half of the] season, we just need to bring some confidence and mental toughness into these games, and hopefully these 2-1 games will flip the other way for us,” Carroll said.