The No. 12 Georgetown men’s soccer team appeared to be on the verge of a dominant win versus Fordham on Labor Day, going up 3-0 in the first 50 minutes of play. 

However, the Rams netted three goals on Shaw Field in the final 39 minutes, including a crowd-silencing 90th-minute strike, to secure the draw for the visitors against the reigning Big East champions. Georgetown had dominated possession for the majority of the first half.

The Rams (2-0-2) started off strong with graduate midfielder Kai Griese almost greasing one past veteran senior goalkeeper Ryan Schewe in just the third minute of play, narrowly missing the right-side post. For the rest of the first half, though, Georgetown (2-1-1) dominated possession. A great shot from senior midfielder Kyle Linhares almost found its way home in minute 21, disappointingly sailing off the woodwork, but the Hoyas made sure to capitalize on their next opportunity. 

In minute 27, they jumped ahead 1-0 from junior defender Maximus Jennings’ first career goal on the Hilltop, a header that showcased his 6-foot-frame and impressive hops. Following Jennings’ goal, junior midfielder Cole Parete and sophomore midfielder Zach Zengue also netted the first goals of their careers in minutes 39 and 49, respectively. 

Senior midfielder Trevor Burns assisted on two of the Hoyas’ three goals on the day, one a pinpoint cross for Jennings’ header mere seconds after being subbed in, and another a quality through-ball which 

Parete crossed in and finished. These assists marked Burns’ first points on the year, and he certainly seemed poised for more. 

Linhares, who ranked fifth in the Big East in assists last year, assisted on Georgetown’s third goal of the game, lofting the ball to the back post for a Zengue header at the beginning of the first half. The senior midfielder from Teaneck, N.J. has had a strong start to the season, racking up three goals and two assists in only four games. 

With their team up 3-0, the home-field crowd at Shaw was beaming. High-fives abounded all around, chants emanated from the stands and some fans even exited the stadium, assuming the victory was all but sealed. This feeling of an assured victory was short-lived, as three minutes after the perfectly executed set piece from Linhares and Zengue, the Rams scored a header following a well-orchestrated team move of their own. The hot, thick air at Shaw Field got a bit more tense. 

Not even eight minutes later, in the 59th minute, the Rams scored once more to cut the deficit to one goal, 3-2. With the goal, the momentum swung firmly in Fordham’s favor with just over 30 minutes remaining. Fordham continued to dominate the rest of the game, almost scoring again to equalize in both the 69th and 71st minutes. 

Jennings however, made a miraculous goal-line clearance on a goal-bound Fordham shot, heading the ball over Georgetown’s open net to keep the Hoyas ahead. For a minute, it looked as if Georgetown might hang on to victory by the skin of their teeth, as what seemed likely to be the Rams’ last opportunity was kicked wide in the 89th minute. 

In a thrilling conclusion to the match, a Rams header nestled into the back of the net following a cross into the box with 10 ticks left on the clock, completing the improbable comeback, 3-3. After being out-chanced 12-5 in the opening half, Fordham logged an 11-8 shot advantage in the final 45 minutes of play, including a 6-2 edge in the final 22 minutes. Fordham had nine saves on the day, while Georgetown had three. 

After the game, head coach Brian Wiese said he was impressed by Fordham’s comeback and unsatisfied with his own team’s performance. 

“You have to give Fordham a ton of credit, they were down 3-0 away from home and they made plays and scrapped three goals,” Wiese told Georgetown Athletics. “That being said, it’s a hugely disappointing result for us, the guys didn’t finish the job. It’s a hot day, it’s the second game in a weekend and they thought they had won, but goals change momentum. The disappointment collectively is that we switched off at moments as a team and they made us pay.

The Hoyas are now 2-1-1 on the season following a dominant performance against No. 8/8 Pittsburgh as well as a crushing loss against No. 7/8 Stanford. The team will turn their attention toward a highly-anticipated rivalry game versus the No. 20 Maryland Terrapins (1-2-1) this Friday, Sept. 8 in College Park, Md.