Having lost a close game to Providence on Friday, Sept. 24, the Georgetown women’s field hockey team did not let another one out of its grasp. The Hoyas eked out a 2-1 win over Brown on penalty strokes. 

With both teams coming off tough 2-1 losses, the Georgetown Hoyas (4-5, 0-2 Big East) and Brown Bears (3-5, 0-1 Ivy League) both came in looking for a pivotal win to turn their seasons around and escape from sub-0.500 mediocracy. Donning gold ribbons and scrunchies, the teams faced off in support of childhood cancer research as a part of Brown’s annual Gold in September matchup.

The match seemed poised to be a tight battle from the beginning. The Hoyas found themselves in a 1-0 hole near the end of the first half despite leading in possession time. Brown attacker Danielle Van Rootselaar scored the go-ahead strike off a penalty corner 12 minutes into the game. With under a minute left in the half, the Hoyas almost tied it up with a goal from sophomore midfielder Vivienne Trumpbour slamming into the back of the cage. The referee waved it off, citing an illegal hit, and Georgetown was down 1-0 going into halftime.

The Hoyas came out looking to find an equalizer in the second half, with play proving vastly different than in the first. Georgetown capitalized on an onslaught of attacks. Winning the shot battle 7-1 in the third quarter, the Hoyas clawed their way back into the game with a goal from first-year attacker Emma van der Veen in the 34th minute. Georgetown dominated in the second half, creating four penalty corners to Brown’s one and keeping the ball out of Hoya territory. 

Despite the Hoyas’ strong performance, the Bears did not go down without a fight. Though Brown was outshot again 4-1 in the fourth quarter, the game was back and forth, eventually going into overtime.

Both teams readjusted their strategies at the beginning of overtime. With four fewer players per team, each side erred on the side of caution, playing conservatively rather than constantly pushing on offense. Unlike much of the game before, the shot totals were virtually even for the two overtime periods. Despite a late attack by Brown forward Danielle Van Rootselaar and a few shots and penalty corners by the Bears, the Hoyas stood strong and pushed the game into a shootout.

Penalty strokes proved to be a hard-fought affair, with both teams netting their first shots. The next two shooters missed for each side, pushing the period even further. Brown back Julia Hitti was able to eke by Hoya senior goalie Ciara Weets, making it time for Van der Veen to come up big once again. Van der Veen successfully scored, tying the score. Three saves followed, leaving the match’s fate in the hands of first-year Hoya midfielder Elena Leahy. Driving through the circle, she broke the goalie’s ankles, leaving the cage exposed for the game-winning goal. 

Altogether a complete team effort, Georgetown’s dominance of possession proved crucial for the victory. The Hoyas’ first-year attacker Sophie Towne and fifth-year attacker Emma Street came up strong, with eight and seven shots, respectively. 

The Hoyas found success by leading in penalty corners, 18-5. Georgetown also managed to outshoot Brown 24-13, including dominating the shot count 11-2 in the second half. These keys to success must be repeated if the Hoyas hope to continue clinching wins this season.

The Hoyas look to keep up their discipline and aggression this Friday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. on Cooper Field, where they will face off against the Temple Owls (6-3, 2-0 American). Temple leads the all-time series, 7-2, although Georgetown won two of the previous three matchups between the two programs.