Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

FIELD HOCKEY | Top Ranked UMD Dispatches GU 9-0

CHRIS/GRIVAS
CHRIS/GRIVAS

The Georgetown field hockey team (2-15, 0-6 Big East) knew that playing two nationally ranked opponents would be a challenging task, especially on both teams’ senior day. However, it did not expect to be outscored 14-1.

On Friday when the Hoyas took on No. 17 Temple (14-4, 4-2 Big East) in Philadelphia, the Owls took an early lead just over six minutes into the game. Senior forward Lauren Hunt tipped a shot in front of the net past freshman goalkeeper Rosalie Nolen. Junior forward Amber Youtz added another goal for the Owls to give Temple a 2-0 lead going into halftime.

The Hoyas came out strong in the second half and had an early scoring opportunity off a drive started by sophomore forward Sarah Butterfield. Soon after, Georgetown got an opportunity from a penalty corner but was unable to convert. Thirteen minutes into the second half, sophomore midfielder Taylor Craig scored to put the Blue and Gray on the board. Craig capitalized on a rebound off Temple’s redshirt junior goalkeeper Lizzy Millen for her first career goal.

“[The goal] was definitely a big shift for us,” Head Coach Tiffany Hubbard said. “Taylor has been working so hard, and to see her to finally get her first goal was great. It gave us a lot of momentum going forward.”

The Owls rallied and scored a goal two minutes later to pull away from Georgetown. Youtz added her second goal of the game for her 100th career point off a rebound from Nolen. Temple notched two more goals to eventually win the game 5-1. Nolen was credited with 13 saves and faced 27 shots for the Blue and Gray. Freshmen midfielder Devin Holmes and junior defender Elizabeth Mueller both had defensive saves for the Hoyas.

“We came within a goal, then they scored quickly, and you could feel the momentum shift. We always seem to put together a great first half, and then we usually hit a wall. I think we fell apart both mentally and structurally,” Hubbard said.

After a day off on Saturday, the Hoyas faced the best team in the nation, No. 1 Maryland (17-1, 5-0 ACC), on Sunday in College Park, Md. Georgetown suffered its worst loss of the season as Maryland showed no mercy in racking up nine goals to Georgetown’s zero. The Terps scored their first goal in the third minute of the game, when sophomore defender Sarah Sprink put the ball past Nolen off a penalty corner.

The Terps notched four goals in the first 15 minutes of play, and the Blue and Gray trailed by seven going into halftime. Although the Hoyas had scoring opportunities, they were minimal. The team had five shots as well as three penalty corners, but the Hoyas were shutout for the ninth time this season.

The Terps scored six of their nine goals off penalty corners. Maryland ended the day with a total of 13 penalty corners in Georgetown’s defensive zone.

“I was shocked at [Maryland’s] caliber of play. It felt like a completely different game coming at us. They played a very finessed, high-tempo game,” Hubbard said. “They’re No. 1 in the country for a reason.”

Although Georgetown did not fare well on Sunday, the game was bittersweet for Hubbard and Assistant Coach Melissa Vassalotti, both of whom played for Maryland during their college careers. Hubbard and Vassalotti’s presence added to the atmosphere of Maryland’s senior game, as the Hoya coaches had been honored just a few years ago.

“It’s always weird playing your alma mater, and I have such respect for the Maryland program. It was such a great experience overall,” Hubbard said. “It was a little emotional for us, but it was a full-circle type of thing.”

Despite the lopsided losses, there are lessons to be learned from the weekend. The team gained experience playing two of the top competitors in the nation and in both games, the Hoyas’ goaltending was impressive, considering the whopping 59 shots taken between the two games.

The Hoyas will play their last game of the season against Villanova (3-11, 0-6 Big East) on Saturday at 3 p.m. in College Park, Md. Senior midfielder Caitlin Samela and senior forward Katie Dempsey will be honored prior to the game as part of the Hoyas’ senior day.

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