The No. 24 Georgetown University men’s soccer team (11-4-5, 5-2-1 Big East) clinched the Big East tournament championship with a thrilling 2-1 victory against Providence College this Sunday, Nov. 17. The win brings the program its sixth Big East championship and sets the Hoyas up for the start of the NCAA tournament Nov. 21.
The No. 25 Providence Friars (12-5-3, 5-1-2 Big East), a familiar opponent, previously matched up with the Hoyas during the regular season. In that game, Georgetown beat Providence 3-0. However, the road from the end of the regular season to the Big East championship was not an easy one for the Hoyas. They clawed their way to a 1-0 victory against Creighton University (9-6-3, 4-3-1 Big East), behind a clutch goal from sophomore midfielder Mateo Ponce Ocampo. Then, a few days later, they pulled out a 2-1 victory in overtime against No. 13 The University of Akron (11-4-4, 7-0-1 Big East) to clinch their spot in the finals.
Continuing the hot streak, the Hoyas began the game looking sharp, ramping up the offensive pressure early on in the game. First-year forward Mitchell Baker took a well-placed shot on goal in the 8th minute, but this was equally well-defended by Providence keeper Lukas Burns with a timely kick save. Junior midfielder Zach Zengue also took a shot, just 2 minutes later, but his attempt also missed its mark.
However, despite the momentum from the Hoyas, the Friars struck first on a right-footed shot from just outside the box. Assisted by midfielders Diego Batista and Pearse O’Brien, midfielder Israel Dos Santos Neto delivered the strike in the 16th minute, bringing the score to 0-1.
Though the game did not initially go their way, Georgetown continued to set the pace of play, pinging passes back and forth across the field and tiring out the Providence defenders in the process. They tested the Providence goalie, with both junior midfielder Max Viera and sophomore midfielder Matthew Van Horn forcing difficult saves from the Friars. However, despite the continued pressure, the Hoyas were unable to break through and score in the first half of play.
That story changed almost immediately in the second half. Georgetown nearly broke through off a cross to the back post from a dangerous free kick position, just 1 minute into the half, and then scored on the ensuing corner. Zengue whipped a corner near the front post, and senior midfielder Cole Parete converted the assist into a header past the goalie to tie the match at 1-1.
After weathering a series of attacks from the Friars, the Hoyas regained control of the game. They continued their calm passing and strong shooting, forcing the Friars’ keeper and defenders to remain on their toes at all times. Georgetown continued serving dangerous crosses into the box through set pieces and in the run of play, and they looked to be inching closer and closer to a game-winning goal.
As the second half continued, the Hoyas maintained their relentless style of play. With 16 minutes remaining in regulation, Baker found himself near the goal once again, nearly capitalizing on yet another dangerous cross from Zengue, but the shot traveled just wide of the left post.
Finally, in the waning minutes of the match, the Hoyas broke through to take the lead. Van Horn drove the ball toward the Providence defenders and laid off a pass at the top of the box to Baker, who then took a few touches to his left, drawing in a few defenders, before playing a wonderfully weighted pass to sophomore midfielder Eric Howard. Howard closed it out, taking one touch before drilling a shot into the bottom right corner to make the score 2-1.
With little time left, Providence could not answer Georgetown’s strike. Delighted Hoya fans erupted as time expired to cement the score at 2-1 and secure the Big East championship for Georgetown.
The Hoyas outshot the Friars 11 to 9, and generated 5 corners to their 0, one of which they were able to capitalize on. While the victory is a reflection of an excellent team performance, the performance of some players particularly stood out. Parete and Howard each signed their names on the score sheet, and Zengue and Baker both tallied excellent assists. Along with these excellent offensive performances, the Hoyas’ defense stood particularly strong throughout the entire tournament. In three full matches of play, with one going to overtime, the Hoyas managed to concede only 2 goals.
With their conference championship, the Hoyas automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament, and Hoya fans will certainly be watching.