Georgetown (12-4-1, 5-2-1 Big East) currently sits in third place in the Big East with 16 points, two behind second-place Xavier. In order to finish in one of the top two spots and earn a bye in the first round of the tournament, the Hoyas will need a win and help from around the conference. A loss by Xavier to Butler or a Marquette loss to DePaul, coupled with a win against Villanova, would secure the Hoyas at least second place. If both teams lose, then the Hoyas would earn the top spot in the Big East regular season with a win. If Xavier and Marquette both win or tie or if Friday’s match results in a tie or loss, then Georgetown will host a first round game in the tournament.
“You have to win one less game [with a bye] against good teams. The silver lining of not having a bye is that it’s another game and another win, and from a big picture point of view, it strengthens your NCAA tournament position,” Head Coach Brian Wiese said.
The Wildcats are not only coming off of a 1-0 loss to Xavier, but also lost close matches to Big East rivals Butler and Seton Hall. The stakes are high for Villanova, who needs not only a win over Georgetown but for both Butler and Seton Hall to lose this weekend in order to win a spot in the Big East tournament. On the other hand, Villanova has recorded impressive wins over St. John’s and No. 25 Creighton. Georgetown suffered a tough loss to St. John’s, also facing elimination from tournament contention last Saturday, and will know not to underestimate teams near the bottom of the conference.
“One of the hardest things to do is to end a season of a team and the careers of seniors,” Wiese said. “That’s what we dealt with against St. John’s. You have to be extra good to do that to a team.”
The Villanova offense has scored 21 times this season, averaging more than a goal per game. These goals were recorded by 11 different players, and no single player has scored more than three this year. By
comparison, three Hoya players — senior forward Steve Neumann, sophomore forward Brandon Allen and freshman midfielder Alex Muyl — have combined for 23 goals. But Villanova’s lack of an accomplished goal scorer could actually make life harder for the Georgetown back line.
“You have to do a lot more homework and not be so keen on just one player, but know all their tendencies and know all their players’ strengths,” sophomore defender Cole Seiler said.
Another noteworthy aspect to the Wildcats’ style of play is their physicality. The team has combined for 24 yellow cards this season and has been penalized 204 times. Their opponents, by comparison, have been called for just nine yellow cards, and Georgetown has been shown 12. Of Villanova’s 24 cautions, seven of them belong to junior midfielder Oscar Umar. The Hoyas have faced physical teams before, and Seiler is confident in his team’s ability to handle anything thrown at them.
“We should be fine,” Seiler said. “We’ve been having a good week of practice and took a little bit of a break at the beginning to give our legs a rest. We’re ready to get after it.”
Though postseason play will likely bring the Hoyas back to Shaw Field, Friday’s game is the last of the regular season for the six seniors on Georgetown’s roster, all of whom will be honored before the game. This crop of seniors has 53 wins over four years, the most of any graduating class.
