For the second time this season, Georgetown University’s men’s lacrosse came out on top in a tightly-contested overtime. After allowing the third-seeded Providence Friars (7-8, 3-2 Big East) to bulldoze their defense and go on a 5-0 scoring run, the second-seeded Hoyas (12-3, 4-1 Big East) fought back to secure a victory in the Big East Championship semifinals and a spot in the finals against the Villanova Wildcats (9-7, 2-3 Big East).
The Friars came out fighting, jumping to an early 2-0 lead, but the Hoyas quickly responded with a goal of their own. With 7:38 left in the first quarter, Georgetown’s first-year attackman Jack Schubert cut their lead in half by delivering an underhand shot from distance. The two teams went back and forth trading goals until the first quarter ended. A pair of goals from senior attackman Aidan Carroll along with a finish from sophomore midfielder Jordan Wray allowed the Hoyas to make it even with a score of 4-4.
Less than three minutes into the second quarter, Carroll shook his defender with a strong hitch, putting the Hoyas ahead for the first time in the game at 5-4. He continued to impress with his fourth goal of the game just over two minutes later, scoring off of a fast break pass from senior midfielder Jack Leary.
The Friars quickly responded to Georgetown’s 2-shot run with a goal of their own. However, first-year goalie Anderson Moore prevented Providence from going on a scoring run by making a spectacular save with the butt-end of his stick. This stop allowed Carroll to once again get control of the ball and score his career-high fifth goal of the game.
Following Carroll’s record-breaking shot, Schubert increased Georgetown’s lead with back-to-back goals of his own, yet Providence quickly matched Schubert’s offensive success with 2 consecutive scores. Going into halftime, the Hoyas held a 9-7 advantage over the Friars.
The start of the third quarter marked a steep downhill slide for Georgetown, as they allowed 5 straight goals throughout the quarter. With 1:19 remaining, graduate midfielder Graham Bundy Jr. stopped the bleeding by lowering his shoulder into a defender and firing a powerful shot past the goaltender. Still, down 10-12, the Hoyas faced potential elimination heading into the fourth quarter.
In order to salvage the game in the final quarter of play, Head Coach Kevin Warne looked to his more seasoned players to lead the team to victory
“You’ve got to rely on your older guys,” Warne told The Hoya. “We’re able to handle any situation and lean on our seniors a bit.”
In the first minute of the period, the Hoyas did just that. Carroll toe-dragged a set of Friar defenders and sent a shot to the top left corner to bring Georgetown’s deficit to 1. Less than two minutes after Carroll’s shot, Schubert continued his breakout performance by tying the game up with 12:32 to go in the fourth quarter.
After another goal for the Friars, the Hoyas caught a break after graduate midfielder Alex Vardaro drew a penalty flag with 4:32 on the clock. Although Vardaro did not capitalize on their one-up opportunity, he scored shortly after with an assist from Carroll.
For the remaining 3:50 of play, both teams’ offenses experienced long possessions but failed to find the back of the net, forcing the game into overtime to decide which team advanced to the Big East championship final.
Overtime began with a long possession from the Hoya offense, which concluded with a save from Providence goalkeeper James Corsaniti. After reversing the field, Providence had a lengthy possession of their own. While the Friars managed a shot on goal during their extensive possession, Moore came up with a clutch save to keep the Hoyas alive.
Georgetown’s midfield successfully cleared the ball with 1:16 to go, giving their relentless offense another chance to seal the win. All was set for Carroll to gain possession of the ball and score his seventh goal of the game, leading the Hoyas to victory.
Carroll sprinted from behind the net while using a well-timed screen from senior defensive midfielder Dylan Hess. Despite facing a double team from Friar defense and suffering a fall, Carroll fired a step-down shot into the back of the net to secure the victory for the Hoyas.
This shot was not Carroll’s first game-winning goal this year. In a tough matchup against No. 1 Notre Dame (12-1, 4-0 ACC) earlier this season, Carroll sealed the victory in overtime with a goal.
“It’s a testament to how we compete as a team,” Carroll said of the win. “We know that, when you look to the left and right, you know that none of your teammates are going to give up on the game.”
Thursday’s win featured standout individual performances from multiple Hoyas as well. Carroll totaled a career-high 9 points, tied for sixth most in Georgetown history. His 7 goals also tie the Big East Tournament record for most goals in a game. Schubert also played with electricity for the Hoyas, tallying 4 goals and an assist. Prior to the contest, he only had 2 goals and 1 assist throughout the entire season. Hess also shone on both offense and defense, causing 2 Friar turnovers and making a number of Georgetown goals possible thanks to his well-set picks.
Georgetown now sits at No. 6 in the nation in Inside Lacrosse’s Media Poll as they approach their sixth-straight Big East championship final. Earlier in the day, No. 4 seeded Villanova shocked the nation by upsetting No. 1 seeded Denver (11-3, 5-0 Big East).
Heading into the championship game, Warne once again stressed the importance of Georgetown’s experience.
“This is when you lean on your old guys that have been through some battles — hopefully rely on them to get as many positive possessions throughout the game,” Warne said.
