The No. 12 Georgetown University men’s lacrosse team beat the University of Denver Pioneers 11-8 April 30 in the semifinal of the Big East Tournament (BET). The Hoyas advance to the BET final on Saturday, May 2, with a bid to the NCAA tournament on the line.
Georgetown’s (9-4, 5-0 Big East) win over Denver (6-8, 2-3 Big East) came off the back of an explosive 5-goal third quarter. Although the Pioneers made a comeback effort late in the fourth quarter, the Hoyas stayed composed to secure the victory.
Georgetown wasted no time establishing an early lead — just 18 seconds into the game, graduate attacker Rory Connor, the Big East offensive player of the year and all-Big East first team member, scored off Denver goalkeeper Grayson Manning.
Junior goalkeeper Anderson Moore made several impressive saves early in the first quarter, but the Pioneers’ offense continued to pressure the Hoyas’ defense, evening the score 1-1 when junior attacker Cody Malawsky scored. Just under five minutes later, midfielder Chase Bruno added to Denver’s lead, making the score 2-1.
After a scoring drought in the remainder of the first quarter, both defenses remained firm for the opening minutes of the second. With 9:43 until halftime, first-year midfielder Jake Bickel, who was named Big East freshman of the year and made the all-Big East second team, evened the score. Bickel’s goal catalyzed the Georgetown offense. With 4:48 left in the quarter, junior attacker/midfielder Jack Schubert scored to give the Hoyas their second lead of the game at 3-2.
Ball movement and shots on goal allowed Georgetown to maintain possession late in the quarter, but they could not convert the pressure into goals initially. Just over a minute before the end of the half, Denver attacker Chris Marageas scored to tie the game. With just 16 seconds remaining, however, junior attacker Liam Connor, a unanimous all-Big East first team selection, scored a bounce-in goal to retake the lead as he emerged from behind the net, launching a mid-air shot over a defender.
At the start of the third quarter, the Hoyas began to click offensively. Senior midfielder Lucas Dudemaine scored just over a minute in, putting Georgetown up 5-3. Schubert scored again shortly after, followed by another goal from Bickel, who extended the lead to 7-3.
Just under five minutes into the third, Denver attacker Marek Tzagournis scored to stop the Hoyas’ run and cut the Pioneer deficit to 3 goals. Minutes later, Georgetown Head Coach Kevin Warne challenged a crease violation, leading to the officials reversing the initial call and retroactively awarding Bickel with a goal after his incredible one-handed shot to extend the Hoyas lead at 8-4.
The dominant run continued with a goal by Liam Connor with 7:06 left in the third quarter. With 5:24 remaining, a penalty on Dudemaine gave Denver a man-up opportunity, but the Pioneers were unable to capitalize, sending Georgetown into the final quarter with a comfortable lead.
Senior midfielder Joe Cesare scored at the start of the fourth to put the Hoyas up 10-4, and Schubert completed his hat trick, extending Georgetown’s lead to 7.
Trying to spark a comeback, Pioneer midfielder Colin Komenda scored with 9:10 left in the game. This effort continued with a goal by defenseman Russell Overly, making the score 11-6 just over three minutes later. Bruno scored again with 1:43 to play, and Tzagournis scored afterward to cut the Hoyas’ lead down to 3, but the clock ran out before Denver could continue the comeback, leaving Georgetown on top 11-8.
This win marked the Hoyas’ 15th straight win in Big East Tournament play, led by particularly strong offensive performances from Bickel and Schubert, who each scored hat-tricks. Both goalkeepers had 13 saves apiece, but Georgetown outshot Denver 45-35. The third quarter of the game was crucial to the Hoyas’ victory, as they outscored the Pioneers 5-1.
Georgetown will look to secure its 8th straight Big East Tournament title and an automatic NCAA Tournament bid in a May 2 matchup against the No. 2 Providence College Friars (8-8, 3-2 Big East), who handily beat the No. 3 Villanova Wildcats (6-8, 3-2 Big East) 14-7 in the other semifinal.
