Rain, sleet and snow couldn’t stop the Georgetown University men’s lacrosse team (2-1) from taking down the No. 13 University of Pennsylvania Quakers (0-1) by a score of 8-6 on Feb. 15 at Cooper Field.
After losing to then No. 8 Johns Hopkins in Baltimore on Feb. 8, No. 14/15 Georgetown came into the game looking to rebound against the Quakers, who were taking the field for the first time in the 2025 season.
Penn opened with an early offensive effort, firing a shot wide within the first minute. Two minutes later, Georgetown sophomore goalie Anderson Moore replied with a save, setting the tone for a defense-heavy first quarter.
At the six-minute mark, the Hoyas struck first with a top-right goal by junior midfielder Joe Cesare. Just 28 seconds later, graduate attacker Fulton Bayman added another goal, sprinting up the field and rifling a shot past the Penn goalie to give the Hoyas an early 2-0 lead. The Quakers answered with a goal at the 1:31 mark, reducing Georgetown’s advantage to 2-1 at the end of the first quarter.
Penn midfielder Leo Hoffman scored a quick goal to tie it up at the 10-minute mark to start the second quarter after a Georgetown miscommunication about man-marking the shooter. As snow started falling, both teams felt a heightened intensity, with numerous turnovers on each side.
Georgetown Head Coach Kevin Warne called a crucial timeout with 2:48 left in the half to reset the Hoyas’ offensive approach. Following the timeout, the Hoyas continued their momentum with 2 goals from junior midfielder Jordan Wray and graduate attacker Aidan Carroll. With 43 seconds remaining, the Quakers tightened the Hoyas lead, making it 4-3 at the half.
Bayman opened the second half with a bang, netting a goal 48 seconds in to increase Georgetown’s lead to 5-3. Just over a minute later, Penn swiftly responded with a goal, but the Hoyas maintained their composure.
In the remaining five minutes of the quarter, Hoyas’ first-year attacker Jack Ransom and Wray each scored, making the tally 7-5. But the Quakers retaliated with every Hoya goal, and Penn’s late goal at 2:16 reduced the Hoyas’ lead to 1 going into the final quarter.
The Hoyas quickly padded their lead as first-year faceoff specialist Ross Prince won the first draw of the quarter and converted the first goal of his Georgetown career. Now, with an 8-6 lead, the Hoyas locked down on defense.
Moore maintained control in the net, making a string of crucial saves. Meanwhile, the Hoyas’ defense forced Penn turnovers, allowing just 4 shots in the final quarter. The Hoyas sealed the 8-6 victory as the rain poured down.
Georgetown’s defense was vital to the win, with first-year defender Robert Plath and graduate defender Seamus Foley forcing 2 turnovers each and Moore recording 8 saves and 5 ground balls. Sophomore defender Ty Banks forced a turnover, and both Plath and Banks posted 2 ground balls. Prince also showed a strong performance, winning 10 of his 16 faceoffs.
Foley said the victory was due to the team’s preparedness and discipline.
“Simple, today was a team-wide victory from top to bottom,” Foley told The Hoya. “It started with a great week of practice Monday through Friday. And as a unit, we were dedicated to one thing and one thing only — coming out with a win, no matter if it was pretty or ugly.”
The Hoyas will remain at home to host No. 1 University of Notre Dame (2-0) on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Cooper Field, where they will look to recreate the magic of last year’s overtime win over the defending national champions.