“Bil-ly Loo-ny.” The rambunctious cheering began well before the first face-off.

Problem is, though, that Loony plays for No. 6 Navy and most of those cheers were for the Midshipmen during Saturday afternoon’s game at No. 5 Georgetown’s Multi-Sport Facility.

With Georgetown’s most ardent sports fans in Atlanta for the Final Four and Navy located just a short drive away in Annapolis, the Midshipmen turned the MSF into a virtual home away from home.

“They were out there not only in number, but also in terms of volume,” Georgetown Head Coach Dave Urick said. “They were enthusiastic to say the least.”

Couple Navy’s unusually strong road following with an unbeaten record and a Georgetown team that was coming off of a tough 6-4 loss to Duke last weekend, and it seemed as though the visitors were destined to move to 9-0.

But no one told Georgetown.

“I don’t think [the players] cared,” Urick said. “It was a great opportunity to play in front of a lot of people.”

After falling behind 2-0 on goals by – you guessed it – Loony, a senior midfielder, and senior attacker Ian Dingman, who checks in at a hefty 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, and 5-3 with just 1:38 left in the first half, the prospects for a Hoyas’ victory appeared bleak.

Cue Brendan Cannon.

Cannon, a junior attacker who is often touted as Georgetown’s best offensive player but has failed of late to live up to the lofty expectations, scored all three of his goals and tallied two of his three assists after intermission, propelling the Hoyas to a 10-9 come-from-behind win.

Cannon, the preseason ECAC offensive player of the year, entered the contest tied for the team lead in points but fifth on the squad in goals. He was held by the Blue Devils to just a single assist last weekend.

“It’s interesting,” Urick said. “Brendan is very capable of all-American-caliber play, but he’d be the first to admit he hasn’t played up to the caliber he’s capable of.”

Still, against the Mids, Cannon was nothing short of spectacular, tallying three goals on 10 shots including the game-tying score with 11:49 left in the third, the go-ahead goal 22 seconds later and an insurance goal with 7:41 remaining to put Georgetown on top, 10-8. It proved to be the winning score.

“He really put the team on his back for four or five minutes there,” Urick said. “He made some pretty impressive shots. Some I don’t quite know how he got in there.”

Sophomore attacker Jake Samperton rounded out a balanced Hoya attack with two goals, while freshmen attackers Craig Dowd and Andrew Brancaccio, freshman midfielder Scott Kocis, senior attacker Trevor Casey and senior midfielder Garrett Wilson each added a goal.

On the other end of the field, Georgetown’s charge – holding a powerful Navy attack in check – was no small task.

“[The Midshipmen] are very athletic,” Urick said. “They go real hard to the goal. They’re a tough matchup.”

Dingman, who Urick said was actually a bit bigger last year, presented a particularly unique challenge.

“You don’t see too many lacrosse players with that kind of build,” he said. “He’s a force to be reckoned with.”

Still, thanks to impressive defense from senior all-American Jerry Lambe and freshman Barney Ehrmann, who picked up seven groundballs, Georgetown was able to hold Navy’s high-scorning tandem to a relatively acceptable six goals. The defense’s real unsung hero, though, was junior goalie Miles Kass.

Kass made 11 saves on the afternoon, none more impressive than his stop of junior midfielder Terrence Higgins’ attempt to tie the game with 15 seconds left.

“They scored to make it 10-9 with [25 seconds] left and we lost the face-off,” Urick said. “They got three very good shots. Miles made one very big save. There could have been overtime very easily.

“Miles Kass continues to be a difference maker for us.”

To Urick, though, the Hoyas should not have needed such late-game heroics to come up with the win. After taking a 9-7 lead with 2:39 left in the third quarter, Georgetown found itself in an extra-man situation thanks to a pushing penalty on Dingman. But instead of taking advantage, the Hoyas failed to score and let the ids stay in the game.

Improving the extra-man offense, Urick said, will be the biggest point of emphasis over the next few weeks.

“The extra-man offense has not come around at all,” he said. “For the most part, we’re getting good looks and just not making shots.”

With the win, Georgetown improves to 5-2 (2-0 ECAC), while Navy’s loss drops it to 8-1 (5-0 Patriot). Next on tap for the Hoyas is league foe Fairfield, which enters the contest 5-2 but has lost two straight.

“They’re playing pretty well, and they’re a league foe, so fortunately we play them at home,” Urick said. “They are an impressive team and a tough matchup.”

Georgetown may have to face the Stags shorthanded. Junior defender Clayton Hall missed the Navy game because of the flu and is no guarantee for next Saturday, while junior midfielder Dan D’Agnes is questionable due to a strained hamstring. Senior face-off specialist Christiaan Trunz is nursing a hip flexor.

The opening face-off against Fairfield is set for 1 p.m. next Saturday at the MSF.