The Georgetown women’s lacrosse team delivered a stellar performance Tuesday, Feb. 24, taking down No. 5/6 Johns Hopkins 12-6 at Homewood Field in Baltimore.
The victory marked a significant win for the Hoyas (3-1), handing the Blue Jays (4-1) their first loss of the season and giving the Hoyas confidence in their ability to compete against top-10 opponents after a late loss to No. 3 University of Maryland (4-0) last week.
Johns Hopkins attacker Taylor Hoss opened the scoring just one minute into the contest, capitalizing on an early offensive set to give the home side a 1-0 lead. Georgetown responded immediately when senior attacker Gracie Driggs leveled the score at 1-1 off a sharp assist from junior attacker Anne McGovern.
The Hoyas maintained the momentum and picked up a quick lead, with sophomore attacker Sophia Loschert converting a free-position opportunity at the 11:49 mark. McGovern added a goal shortly after to cap a 3-0 Hoya run, providing a 3-1 cushion heading into the second.
The second quarter proved to be a physical, defensive battle as both teams struggled for possession in the midfield. After Blue Jay mid-fielder Lacey Downey narrowed the gap to 3-2, the Hoyas capitalized on a critical yellow card issued by attacker Ava Angello. During the ensuing man-up opportunity, McGovern stepped up to bury a free-position shot at the 8:56 mark, stretching the lead back out to 4-2.
Unfortunately for Georgetown, attacker McKenzey Craig responded for Johns Hopkins with a goal, shrinking the Hoyas’ lead to 4-3. The Hoya defense remained composed under pressure and limited the Blue Jays second-chance opportunities.
Georgetown graduate goalkeeper Leah Warehime recorded key saves during the second to preserve the slim advantage. With only 14 seconds remaining before halftime, McGovern struck again off a feed from junior attacker Lauren Steer to complete a first-half hat trick and send the Hoyas into the locker room ahead 5-3.
Johns Hopkins came out hot from the break and attempted to shift the momentum. Downey converted a free-position goal early in the third quarter to pull the Blue Jays within one goal. However, Driggs answered for the Hoyas, as she found the back of the net on a man-up opportunity to restore a 2-goal lead.
The Blue Jays fought back, and after a man-up goal from attacker Paige Willard brought the match to 6-5, the Hoyas delivered their most decisive response of the afternoon. McGovern netted her fourth goal with 2:38 remaining in the period, and Loschert followed moments later off an assist from junior midfielder Danica Blix to push the lead to 8-5. The back-to-back goals established Georgetown’s dominance heading into the final frame.
The final 15 minutes belonged entirely to the Hoyas. Driggs ignited a 4-1 closing run less than 30 seconds into the fourth, finishing off another connection with McGovern. While Hoss managed one final goal for the Blue Jays at the 10:53 mark, the Georgetown defense effectively locked down the remainder of the game, forcing turnovers and controlling drawing possessions.
Warehime recorded late saves against Angello to prevent any chance of a comeback. Loschert completed her hat trick midway through the frame, and Steer added an unassisted goal in the closing minutes to seal the 12-6 victory.
McGovern and Driggs led the offensive charge with 4 goals apiece, while Loschert contributed 3 goals. McGovern and Steer each tallied 3 assists, highlighting the team’s seamless ball movement and efficient execution in settled offense. Defensively, junior defender Amanda Brille anchored the effort with a game-high 5 ground balls and 6 draw controls. Georgetown outshot Johns Hopkins 18-12 on goal and converted key man-up chances that proved pivotal in creating separation.
With the victory, the Hoyas returned to dominance after a second-half loss to Maryland and will look to build on this significant momentum when they travel to Philadelphia to face Saint Joseph’s University (1-3) on Friday, Feb. 27, at 2 p.m.
