Though fans made their presence felt in the University of Pennsylvania men’s lacrosse team’s home game, the Georgetown Hoyas were resilient, defeating the Quakers 10-8. The Hoyas ruined UPenn’s return to Franklin Field after a more than 700-day absence.

The No. 3 Hoyas’ (2-0) staunch defense extinguished the No. 11 Quakers’ (0-1) return to play. Both teams entered the game with aspirations to play in the lacrosse championship tournament, but Georgetown remained undefeated while Penn remained winless.

Georgetown came into the 12 p.m. game in Philadelphia hot off a 16-8 win over No. 16 Johns Hopkins. They carried this momentum into their second matchup of the season, dominating the first quarter against the Quakers. 

The Quakers seemed to be shaking off the rust after the Ivy League canceled its 2021 spring schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Just over three minutes into the match, Georgetown graduate attacker Connor Morin was able to find the back of the net to take the early lead. After an answer from the Quakers and back and forth goals, the Hoyas scored 4 unanswered, including 2 goals from junior midfielder Graham Bundy Jr. Registering 17 shots against Penn goalkeeper Emmet Carroll, the Hoyas were able to take a 5-2 lead early.

Penn started to settle into their groove in the second quarter, though. Georgetown’s onslaught of shots decreased as the Quakers stepped up their defense. The Hoyas’ only goal of the quarter came from sophomore midfielder Dylan Hess after Morin screened Penn goalkeeper Carroll perfectly. The momentum from the Hoyas’ electric first quarter was gone as the Franklin Field crowd showed its excitement for Penn’s return. By halftime, the Quakers narrowed the Hoyas’ lead to 6-4.

Throughout the game, Georgetown’s defense wavered, but it didn’t break. Within the first few minutes of the second half, Hoyas senior attacker Dylan Watson picked up a pair of low to high shots to stay hot from his 6-goal performance against John Hopkins. The Quakers were able to match the energy with 2 goals.

With their lead still at 2 points, Georgetown graduate goalkeeper Owen McElroy made an excellent save to transition, allowing senior midfielder Zachary Geddes to go coast-to-coast and extend the Hoyas’ lead to 3. 

As the fourth quarter rolled around, the Hoyas became more conservative with their strategy, choosing to sacrifice seconds on the shot clock in order to get the right personnel on defense. However, hope was not lost for the Quakers. With a quick substitute at midfielder, Penn attacker Dylan Gergar was able to take the Hoyas by surprise and get a hat trick. Then, the Quakers added another, as Gergar hit a behind-the-back shot for his fourth goal at 2:33. After a quick timeout to reevaluate, Morin beat his man, letting go of a low-to-high bounce shot and sealing the victory for his squad.

McElroy and senior face-off James Reilly were key players for the Hoyas. McElroy saved 11 shots, while Reilly added a goal and won 14 out of 22 face-offs to keep the Hoyas in possession. Despite a strong defensive effort, some questions remain for the offense. Will the Hoyas be able to muster more of a push against the higher scoring teams in the country?

This win was an important one for the Hoyas as they contend for the National Championship. Their next game is Saturday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m., as the Hoyas arrive in South Bend, Ind., to take on the No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0). The game will be a tough contest as Georgetown looks to start the season off with its third-straight ranked win and firmly put itself in the conversation to be the top team in the country.