Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

FIELD HOCKEY | Georgetown Tops Rider, Loses to Lehigh on Road Trip

Junior+midfield+Kylee+Cunningham+strikes+the+ball+for+the+Hoyas.
Junior midfield Kylee Cunningham strikes the ball for the Hoyas.
GUHOYAS | Junior midfield Kylee Cunningham strikes the ball for the Hoyas.

The Georgetown field hockey team faced Rider and Lehigh last weekend, adding a win and a loss to their record. In contrast to the five-game undefeated start to the 2018 season, the Hoyas have started slower this year, but hope to storm into Big East action strong starting next week. With the increased importance of the upcoming conference play, these games were valuable tune up games for the journey ahead.

The Hoyas (3-3) traveled Friday to Lawrenceville, N.J., where they faced off against the Rider Broncs (3-2) in what became a fierce defensive battle. Although Rider attempted 10 shots, sophomore goalkeeper Ciara Weets’ six saves proved critical, paving the way for a 1-0 victory after junior midfielder Kylee Cunningham’s late second quarter goal. This matchup was the Hoyas’ fourth-straight game to be decided by a single goal, getting the team lots of experience with close games, a trait which becomes a necessity if the team looks to perform well in the very competitive Big East.

Georgetown took four penalty corners compared to Rider’s eight, proving the significance of the defensive effort. The Hoyas have been consistently effective on the defensive side this season, conceding one or zero goals in half their games. In just the first five games, Weets totaled 32 saves. These saves earned Georgetown’s first-ever win against the Broncos.

Riding the high of Friday’s victory, the Hoyas went Sunday to Bethlehem, Pa., to face off against a strong Lehigh team with a 3-1 record and a stout defense. The Hoyas dominated this matchup last season, winning 7-1. The year proved to make a difference, however, and Lehigh’s defense caused this drastic change. 

While Weets again made several critical saves, recording seven saves over the course of the game, increasing her total to 39 saves over the season, the seven were not enough to fuel the Hoyas to victory. Lehigh’s formidable offense snuck in the crease enough times to pull away. Although the Hoyas would attempt 12 shots, with six hitting on target, the Mountain Hawks conceded nothing. 

Lehigh had five penalty corner opportunities, compared to Georgetown’s four. After Lehigh’s forward Drew Pecora took the early lead in the second quarter, the Mountain Hawks ran away with two late goals. With five minutes remaining in the second quarter, midfielder Maddie Monahan made it 2-0. In the third quarter, Pecora got her second goal of the day, making the final score 3-0.Next weekend, the Hoyas will return to the Hilltop, resuming Big East action against Villanova on Sept. 20. Georgetown lost 2-5 to their Pennsylvanian rival last year. This time, the game will be played on the Hoyas’ home field, and Georgetown hopes to avenge last seasons’ 5-2 loss and start a winning streak to set the team up well for the Big East tournament. After Villanova, the Hoyas play two more games in Cooper Field against La Salle, which Georgetown defeated 3-2 last season, on Sept. 22 and Quinnipiac, a Big East opponent who topped the Hoyas 2-1 last season, on Sept. 27. 

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