When the whistle blew in the 90th minute to signal the start of overtime, No. 15 Georgetown (4-2-1) put Princeton (2-2-1) on the defensive Thursday, Sept. 12, at Shaw Field. Less than a minute after kickoff, senior midfielder Sarah Trissel passed it to sophomore forward Boo Jackson, who touched the ball into the six-yard box where graduate forward Amanda Carolan powered it into the back of the net. The golden goal propelled the Hoyas to a 4-3 victory over the Tigers after 91 minutes of play. 

Earlier in the game, Georgetown struck first against Princeton when junior defender Kelly Ann Livingstone headed the ball into the net off of Jackson’s corner in the 10th minute. The Tigers notched a goal of their own in the 17th minute off a cross into the box. The Hoyas would respond with two opportunities from Trissel in the coming minutes, but the midfielder sent both shots just high and wide of the net. Freshman keeper Anna Leat made one save in the half in the 31st minute. 

Sophomore midfielder Devon Lis added to the scoring in the 37th minute from inside the box. Junior forward Jenna Menta and Trissel assisted Lis in putting the Hoyas up 2-1. Despite a trio of shots from freshman forward Gia Vicari and Lis in the last seven minutes of the first half, the Hoyas could not find another goal and headed to the locker room leading by one. 

Princeton tallied two unanswered goals in the first 11 minutes of the second frame to claim the lead. The Tigers’ second goal came off of a ball from inside the box and their third found the back of the net off of a free kick, putting them up 3-2. The Hoyas continued offensive pressure after losing their lead, recording 10 shots to the Tigers’ three in the second half. The Hoyas finally found an equalizer in the 77th minute, when sophomore defender Jenna Royson capitalized off of an assist from senior forward Paula Germino-Watnick and Carolan. 

Drawn at three goals apiece, Georgetown and Princeton battled for the remaining 13 minutes of regulation time without either tallying a goal. The Blue and Gray had a promising chance for the win in the 88th minute when a header from Livingstone off of a Jackson corner hit the post. Nevertheless, Georgetown went on to secure their fourth win of the season just a minute into overtime with Carolan’s goal. 

Overall, Georgetown had 18 shots on the day, with eight on goal, while Princeton tallied six shots with four on frame. The Hoyas earned seven corner kicks to the Tigers’ one. Head Coach Dave Nolan expressed satisfaction with the win but noted defensive failings on the Hoyas’ part. 

“We gave up three goals and I didn’t think they scored any good goals, it was more just bad defending on our part,” Nolan said in an interview with GUHoyas. “That has to get better because right now we are leaking too many goals in our games.” 

Georgetown (5-2-1) next faced twenty-third-ranked West Virginia (3-3-1) at Shaw Field on Sunday, Sept. 15. Both teams began with some promising chances early that were invalidated by offsides calls. In the 13th minute, the Blue and Gray began dominating possession, recording four unanswered shots and two corners in the subsequent 10 minutes. 

Georgetown finally broke the scoring drought in the 42nd minute when Royson finished off an assist from senior defender Meaghan Nally. 

In the 62nd minute, freshman midfielder Julia Leas headed the ball off of a corner by Johnson to score the Blue and Gray’s second goal of the match. The goal was Leas’ first of the season. In the 83rd minute, Leas and Germino-Watnick combined to send a ball through to Carolan up top, who dribbled the ball past the West Virginia goalkeeper and easily passed it into the open net. Carolan’s second goal of the week secured Georgetown’s 3-0 victory. 

The Hoyas found success in their second match by playing the ball through and over the top, and they were also effective attacking down the sides of the field. Leas recorded her first shutout of the season after successfully playing off her line for several breakaway opportunities by West Virginia, recording three saves overall. The Hoyas combined for a total of 13 shots with five on goal, compared to the Mountaineers’ 12 with three on net. 

After the Hoyas conceded three goals in the previous match, Nolan was pleased with the team’s improved defensive showing against a talented Mountaineers squad. 

“Today, our defense was tuned in and I think they were committed to supporting each other on the field and having each other’s backs,” Nolan said. 

Carolan’s game-winning goal and assist in Royson’s game-tying goal in the Princeton game, as well as her goal against West Virginia on Sunday, earned her the title of Big East Offensive Player of the Week. Royson was recognized on this week’s Honor Roll for her two goals and defensive efforts in the two matchups. 

The Hoyas return to action Friday, Sept. 20, when they host the Ohio Bobcats on Shaw Field for a non-conference matchup. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m.