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

Men’s Lacrosse | GU’s Season Starts At No. 2 Notre Dame

CLAIRE SOISSON/THE HOYA Sophomore midfielder Peter Conley (No. 24 this season) led Georgetown’s offense in 2014 with 24 goals and 37 points. Last month, Conley was named to the Preseason All-Big East team for 2015.
CLAIRE SOISSON/THE HOYA
Sophomore midfielder Peter Conley (No. 24 this season) led Georgetown’s offense in 2014 with 24 goals and 37 points. Last month, Conley was named to the Preseason All-Big East team for 2015.

After completing months of training and two preseason scrimmages, the Georgetown men’s lacrosse team will finally open its 2015 schedule when it travels to South Bend, Ind., for a matchup against No. 2 Notre Dame.

Georgetown hosted exhibition matches against the University of Maryland Baltimore and No. 18 Drexel on Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, respectively, which provided the first opportunities of 2015 for the Hoyas to suit up against their opponents.

Head Coach Kevin Warne believes that after a long preseason of scrimmaging their own teammates, it was beneficial for the Hoyas to apply their skills to a real game situation — especially in preparation for an opening weekend against a formidable ranked opponent.

“We’ve got to make sure we do things our way — the right way — consistently, and I think scrimmages are a great evaluation of whether we’re consistent enough [and] whether we’re applying what we learned in practice,” Warne said.

With a 2015 slate that features five top-10 teams, an early matchup against a talented Drexel squad was an especially welcome opportunity.

“We just played a top-20 team, and that’s the kind of caliber team that we want to emulate,” sophomore midfielder Peter Conley said.

With the preseason drawing to a close, senior midfielder and co-captain Joe Bucci says that Georgetown is refocusing on the challenges of the regular season ahead.

“We definitely have been working on changing our image and becoming the team that we want to be,” Bucci said. “Moving forward, we have to be a little more disciplined and play with a little more energy at times, but I think we’ve done a good job both offensively and defensively.”

Saturday will also mark the beginning of Notre Dame’s regular season. The Fighting Irish are a perennial lacrosse powerhouse; they return many players from a 2014 squad that won the ACC championship and advanced to the NCAA national championship before falling to Duke.

Notre Dame’s roster is as deep as it is experienced — it currently boasts a freshman class ranked second nationally.

Particular threats from Notre Dame include junior attack Matt Kavanagh, a preseason All-American who led the Fighting Irish offense in 2014 with 42 goals and 75 assists. Kavanagh can find open connections between teammates just as well as he can find the back of the net, and he will be a difficult offensive threat to contain. Sophomore midfielder Sergio Perkovic will also help lead Notre Dame’s attack; Perkovic had a breakout freshman season with 28 goals, five of which were scored in Notre Dame’s NCAA championship effort against Duke.

As of right now, Warne is less concerned about individual opposing talents than he is about addressing early season goals for his own team.

“We can’t play to a jersey,” Warne said. “We have faceless, jersey-less opponents. Early on in the season, you have to play yourselves and make sure you’re doing all the things you need to be doing. … They’ve got some guys that we’ll make a game plan for, but we need to make sure our foundation is really strong.”

Georgetown will also bring a deep roster to Saturday’s game. Several of the Hoyas’ freshmen have already started to make their mark on the team; in particular, freshman goalie Nick Marrocco is touted to have a strong rookie season as he anchors the Hoyas’ defense in the net.

Senior midfielder and co-captain Charlie McCormick says that Georgetown’s freshmen will likely step into important roles early in the 2015 campaign.

“They’re a really talented class on both sides of the ball — both offensively and defensively, we have guys in starting positions that really need to have an impact,” McCormick said.

For Georgetown’s seniors, Saturday’s game is an important milestone in their careers. Facing off against Notre Dame not only marks the beginning of their last season on the Hilltop, but it is also a chance for vindication against a former Big East rival — the Fighting Irish switched to the ACC after the 2013 season, and Saturday will be their first appearance on the Hoyas’ schedule since they left the Big East. Georgetown’s seniors are 0-2 in their past efforts against Notre Dame, which included a 9-7 loss in 2012 and a 10-8 loss in 2013.

“We missed them last year, and we haven’t beaten them yet, so as seniors, we’re definitely fired up,” McCormick said. “It’s an opportunity for us to take what we’ve learned in the preseason so far and see what we’re made of and what we can do in the face of a big challenge.”

Opening faceoff between Georgetown and Notre Dame is slated for 12 p.m. at Arlotta Stadium in South Bend, Ind.

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