Despite holding the University of Maryland (10-2, 3-0 Big Ten) scoreless in the fourth quarter, the Georgetown University women’s lacrosse team (4-9, 1-1 Big East) fell to their eighth consecutive loss of the season on March 20 at home on Cooper Field.
Despite a gritty and spirited effort from the Hoyas, they were unable to overcome the dominant No. 1 Terrapins, ultimately losing 13-7.
Coming off of a tough 14-10 loss to Lehigh (6-4, 2-2 Patriot League) on March 16, Georgetown was hoping to retake control of a discouraging season with a much-needed upset win.
On a brisk Wednesday evening at Cooper Field, Maryland began the game with an early lead, scoring back-to-back goals in the first three minutes to take a 2-0 lead.
However, the Hoyas were quick to respond, with senior midfielder and team captain Tessa Brooks finding the back of the net early in the first quarter to build Georgetown’s momentum.
Shortly after, junior midfielder Rileigh Meyer tied the game at 2-2, marking it an exciting start for the Hoyas. However, the Terps offense responded with 2 goals in under 90 seconds to bring their lead to 4-2.
At the four-minute mark of the first quarter, senior midfielder and team captain Tatum Geist added a point to the scoreboard, bringing Georgetown within one goal of Maryland. Unfazed, the Terps closed out the first quarter with a last-second goal to make their lead 5-3.
Maryland started the second quarter with another goal at the 12:16 mark. A scoreless five-minute stretch ensued, marked by resilient defense from both teams until sophomore attacker Gracie Driggs scored her first goal of the night, cutting the Hoyas’ deficit to 6-4.
“We had explosive energy throughout the game, allowing us to push on all ends of the field for a full 60 minutes,” Driggs told The Hoya. “We were dangerous in all aspects of the field and this was one of the first times where we have shown up in all facets of the game.”
Maryland responded with a goal of their own just before halftime to earn a 7-4 lead, leaving room for Georgetown to make a comeback in the third quarter.
The start of the second half looked promising for Georgetown, with Brooks scoring her second goal of the game at the 12:10 mark. Later in the quarter, however, Maryland overwhelmed Georgetown, unleashing a 6-goal run to expand their lead to 13-5.
The Hoyas won the fourth quarter scoring battle 2-0, but it was ultimately too little, too late against the perennial powerhouse Terps, the winningest program in women’s collegiate lacrosse history.
Reflecting on the game and the team’s performance, Driggs remained optimistic about the second half of the season.
“A loss is not the desired outcome, but I think UMD taught us that when we focus on ourselves and not our competition, we play to our strengths,” Driggs said.
“I am really proud of our entire team and the work we have been putting in. While it is difficult to be on a losing streak, we are continuing to believe in ourselves and in Georgetown lacrosse,” she added.
The Hoya defense outperformed a strong Terps offense throughout the fourth quarter, a silver lining of the hard-fought game.
Hoyas Head Coach Ricky Fried said she admired the heart Georgetown played with against the top-ranked team in the country.
“I thought we competed for all 60 minutes today. We played against a really talented Maryland team and showed some heart,” Fried told Georgetown Athletics. “We have to clean up a few of our discipline areas, but I am really excited about how we are heading into Big East conference play.”
Georgetown opened conference play with a defense-led 8-6 win over Villanova (5-7, 1-2 Big East) on March 23 and a tough 11-10 loss to the No. 12 University of Denver (7-3, 2-0 Big East), in which the Hoyas surrendered a four-goal lead on March 29. The team rebounded with a 16-5 win over Xavier (3-8, 0-2 Big East) at home on April 3. The Hoyas will look to carry this momentum into their April 6 matchup at Butler (2-9, 1-2 Big East).
