After a 10-day break, the No. 13 ranked Georgetown University’s men’s lacrosse team (5-2) returned to Cooper Field on March 15 and dominated the High Point University Panthers (3-5), winning 17-10.

The first half featured continuous back-and-forth play as Georgetown looked to get back in their groove after an extended break. High Point got to work early and put up the first 2 goals of the game, but the Hoyas answered with 2 of their own, evening the score. 

In the final seconds of the first quarter, a costly failed clear by Georgetown allowed High Point to regain the lead at 3-2 with a breakaway goal. 

At the start of the second quarter, the Hoyas proved their grit and briefly claimed a 4-3 advantage but the Panthers responded and closed out the half with a 3-0 run, putting Georgetown down 6-4 going into halftime. 

Senior midfielder Michael Haus said Georgetown adjusted their defensive strategy going into the second half.

“After the first half, we definitely were not happy with our performance defensively,” Haus told The Hoya in a post-game interview. “We knew what our mistakes were and responded by focusing on communication and urgency, which really led to our success later in the game.”

Halftime offered the greatest shift of the game for the Hoyas, offensively and defensively. Coming out of the locker room, both offenses erupted in a chaotic and eventful third quarter, with the teams scoring a combined 11 goals in the quarter. 

Georgetown scored the first 2, tying the game at 6-6. The Panthers responded with 2 of their own, giving them an 8-6 lead, but the Hoyas countered with a pair of their own, tying up the score at 8-8 with 8:02 left in the quarter. 

High Point retook the lead at the 6:38 mark to go up 9-8, but the Hoyas seized full control, embarking on a 9-1 scoring run in the final 21:38 of the game. 

Georgetown dominated the fourth quarter, where they outscored High Point with a 6-0 run.

Junior attacker Joe Cesare, who added 2 goals and 1 assist, said teamwork led to success in the final quarter.

“We started to share the ball and shoot higher percentage shots,” Cesare told The Hoya in a post-game interview. “We played unselfishly and allowed the ball to move, which created very good opportunities for our offense, which we were able to capitalize on.”

“I think our energy and efficiency in the second half overwhelmed our opponent and allowed us to go on a run,” Cesare added. 

Throughout the game, the Hoyas showcased their depth on offense, with graduate attackers Fulton Bayman and Aidan Carroll and first-year midfielder Kevin Miller each tallying 3 goals and 2 assists. First-year attacker Jack Ransom also recorded a hat trick of his own. 

Notably, with 5 points of his own, Carroll moved into 29th place on Georgetown’s all-time career scoring list with 106 total points. 

The game was Georgetown’s highest-scoring of the season so far, with the 17-goal performance highlighting the team’s offensive depth. 

While the offense found its rhythm, Georgetown’s defense also proved their impact down the stretch. First-year defender Robert Plath played a career game with 4 caused turnovers for the second straight game. 

Sophomore defender Ty Banks and sophomore midfielder Pax Marshall also recorded 1 goal and 1 assist each. 

Haus caused 3 turnovers and graduate defender Seamus Foley caused 2 of his own. 

Sophomore goalie Anderson Moore remained solid with 6 saves of his own and 5 ground balls. 

Haus said the game provided the opportunity to learn to overcome early mistakes.

“The win shows our ability as a team to respond to mistakes on the fly and adapt quickly,” Haus told The Hoya. “This game really provides a great opportunity to learn a lot about ourselves as we move on through the season.” 

“It wasn’t about all the mistakes we made earlier but focusing on our fundamentals on and off the ball and trusting one another. This mindset really helped in having a great fourth quarter,” Haus added. 

The Hoyas’ defense was indestructible in the final quarter, holding the Panthers scoreless in the last 17:44 of the game and only allowing 1 goal in the last 21:38. 

Cesare said the win showcases the team’s ability to respond to pressure.

“The win shows that we are able to respond to pressure and the second half showed the team we can,” Cesare told The Hoya. “We were able to adjust on the spot and play the way we know we can.”

The Hoyas will remain at Cooper Field to host the No. 14 Richmond Spiders (5-3) next on Saturday, March 22. Georgetown will look to extend its winning streak and capitalize on its offensive and defensive momentum and rhythm.