In their first meeting since 2002, the No. 12 Georgetown University men’s lacrosse team fell in their season home opener to No. 10 The Ohio State University on Feb. 28.
Goals from Hoya first-year midfielders Jake Bickel and Natty Mason, along with another hat-trick from graduate attacker Rory Connor, were not enough to overcome the Buckeyes (6-0) as the Hoyas (1-2) fell 10-9 in a thriller, dropping their second game in a row against a top-10 opponent.
Head Coach Kevin Warne said the breakout games from Mason and Bickel, a five-star, top-20 recruit, were evidence of their talent and future prospects.
“That’s why we recruited them,” Warne told The Hoya. “They’re talented players. We’re just scratching the surface.”
Georgetown pressed early in the first period. However, Ohio State goalie Caleb Fyock constantly frustrated the Hoyas, saving their first 4 shots before junior midfielder Jack Schubert struck with 4:34 remaining in the first period. Connor scored again for Georgetown to put the Hoyas up 2-0 with just under two minutes remaining in the period.
After Fyock saved multiple shots from Bickel and Schubert, the Buckeyes gained possession and converted on their own scoring opportunity less than a minute into the second period with a goal from attacker Alex Marinier.
After Georgetown senior midfielder James Caretta took a penalty for holding, Ohio State scored on their extra-man opportunity to tie the game at 2. With 6:34 remaining in the half, the Buckeyes scored another goal and took the low-scoring 3-2 lead into halftime.
Ohio State opened the second half with their fourth straight goal, but Georgetown junior attacker Liam Connor found sophomore attacker Jack Ransom at 13:22 to bring the score to 4-3 for the Hoyas’ first goal since the first period.
Less than a minute later, Mason scored his first career goal to tie the game at 4-4. The tie was short-lived as the Buckeyes caught junior goalkeeper Anderson Moore out of position and scored with 11:06 left in the third period to retake a 5-4 lead. Attacker Garrett Haas increased Ohio State’s lead to 6-4 just 30 seconds later.
Georgetown responded with a goal from Rory Connor and Bickel’s first career goal to tie the game up at 6-6 with just over six minutes remaining in the third period. The Hoyas retook the lead for the first time since early in the second period with Rory Connor’s third goal of the game, marking his third hat-trick in 3 games.
With just four seconds remaining in the period, Ohio State scored a lucky goal, batting it out of midair to tie the game entering the fourth period.
Georgetown had an extra-man opportunity after the Buckeyes were called for illegal pushing, but went scoreless as the Hoyas searched for their first man-up goal of the season.
Ohio State then struck twice to go up 9-7 with ten minutes remaining. Ransom scored his second of the game to bring the Hoyas within 1, then Bickel scored a cross body behind-the-net goal to tie the game at 9-9 with less than six minutes left to play.
The Buckeyes sealed it, scoring the game-winning goal with just 103 seconds remaining and breaking the tie to go up 10-9. Georgetown put pressure on late, and Bickel nearly tied the game with a shot that hit the crossbar shortly before the buzzer, but the Hoyas were unable to find the back of the net before time expired.
Ohio State tied the all-time series against Georgetown at 2-2 with their first win since 1982.
The Hoyas have now played two top-10 teams in a row, with three top-20 ranked teams remaining on their schedule. Warne said he is excited for those opportunities against nationally ranked squads and believes Georgetown will rise to the occasion.
“We’re just going to practice on Monday, and we want to play the best teams in the country,” Warne said. “We have the opportunity to play those teams. We want to prepare ourselves for April.”
The Hoyas travel to Richmond, Va., next Saturday, Mar. 7, to take on No. 3 University of Richmond.
Sam Fishman contributed to reporting.
