After the first two games of their season were postponed, the No. 5 Georgetown University men’s lacrosse team opened the season with a 12-9 win over the University of Pennsylvania Quakers in Philadelphia on Feb. 14.
Georgetown (1-0) and Penn (0-1) are familiar foes, having played each other in the regular season each of the past four seasons. The Hoyas prevailed in three of those games.
The highlight of the game for Georgetown was the debut of the Connor brothers, both transfers from Colgate University. Graduate attacker Rory Connor scored 5 goals in the first half, followed by another 2 and an assist in the second half. His 7 goals are tied for the eighth-most in a single game in team history. Junior attacker Liam Connor logged 5 assists, including 3 on his brother’s goals.
Sophomore faceoff specialist Ross Prince won the opening faceoff, resulting in a contested ground ball that was picked up by junior midfielder James Carroll. However, a feisty Penn squad struck first, turning a ground ball and successful clearance into a 1-0 lead just two minutes into the game.
Rory Connor responded with Georgetown’s first goal of the season, and his first as a Hoya, off a feed from his younger brother, which he quickly fired into the net. Penn again took a one-goal lead, before the elder Connor struck again with his second of the game to tie it at 2-2.
With 7:44 to go in the first quarter, the Hoyas took the lead and never looked back, as junior defender Ty Banks — reigning Big East defensive player of the year — forced a turnover. Banks picked up the ground ball and led a quick transition down the field, leading to Connor’s third goal of the game, giving him a hat trick to open the season.
A little over a minute later, Georgetown took a 4-2 lead from senior midfielder Joe Cesare’s first goal of the season. As the first quarter wound down, the Quakers drove down the field, but they were stopped by a save from junior goalkeeper Anderson Moore.
Rory Connor put up his fourth goal early in the second quarter, before Penn rattled off two quick goals, cutting the Quakers’ deficit to 5-4 with just over eight minutes remaining in the half.
After taking a slash on a dangerous play and recovering on the bench, Rory Connor returned to the field and scored his fifth goal of the game to put the Hoyas up 6-4 just as the first half was coming to an end. Over the course of the game, the Quakers took four penalties, with the infractions coming away from the ball. However, Georgetown went scoreless in those extra-man opportunities, echoing similar woes from last season when the Hoyas scored on only 22% of their power plays.
Penn scored less than a minute into the second half to reduce their deficit to 6-5. Senior midfielder Lucas Dudemaine, one of the team captains, responded with a goal midway through the third quarter to restore the Hoyas’ two-goal lead at 7-5. Rory Connor then struck with back-to-back goals, putting Georgetown up 9-5 and increasing his debut tally to seven. The Hoyas then scored their tenth goal off a stunning behind-the-back shot from Dudemaine, assisted by Rory Connor.
After senior midfielder James Carretta took a cross-checking penalty, Penn scored to cut into Georgetown’s lead, and with five seconds left in the third quarter, the Quakers scored again to make it a three-goal game at 10-7. Moore made a notable save to keep the lead at three as the third quarter expired.
Senior defender Charlie McGurrin scored his first career goal just 14 seconds into the fourth quarter, putting the Hoyas up 11-7. Dudemaine then found himself wide open in front of the net to complete his own hat trick, putting Georgetown up 12-7 with 13:47 remaining in the game.
Penn scored two late goals to keep the game close, but could not make the comeback. Georgetown won 12-9, starting the season on a high note off the back of the Connor brothers’ dominating debuts, Moore’s critical saves and Dudemaine’s hat trick.
Turnovers and ground balls were key in this game, with the Quakers committing 3 more turnovers than Georgetown. Additionally, the Hoyas’ 28 ground balls often came at critical moments that allowed them to gain or keep possession and take shots.
An athletics spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment from Georgetown Head Coach Kevin Warne.
Georgetown will be back in action against the No. 7 University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0) next Sunday, Feb. 22, in South Bend, Ind., as the Hoyas continue their tough nonconference schedule to open the season.
