The seconds on the clock wound down rapidly above the “Hoyas 7, Guest 7” glowing in red on the scoreboard. The Hoyas on the field calmly passed the ball to each other while the Hoyas in the stands waited with baited breath. The clock blinked 32 . 31 . 30 . and then, as if out of nowhere, junior midfielder Megan Bloomer put on a burst of speed, sprinting towards the goal. The UVA defense rushed to block her, but it was all in vain. The ball rocketed into the back of the net, winning the game for the Hoyas with just 27 seconds to go.

“Megan didn’t have her best day today,” Head Coach Ricky Fried said. “She made some mistakes early on in the game, but she put that behind her. And when her number was called up, she stepped up and executed.”

Coming off a tough defeat last weekend at Syracuse, the Hoyas (9-3) started the game out looking a tad timid in the face of a tough UVA (10-3) side.

“We came off a really poor showing last game, and this game obviously was coming up against a tough opponent,” Fried said. “But with the mentality and energy that we brought into the game, we were able to put everything behind us, and that helped us win.”

The Cavaliers were the first to make a mark on the scoreboard just shy of two minutes into the game. The Hoyas responded three minutes later, with the sophomore midfielder Ashby Kaestner finding her shot again after a goalless weekend in Syracuse. Both teams continued the first half in a similar back-and-forth manner, unable to hold on to a lead for longer than a few minutes at a time, and when the whistle blew for halftime, the scoreboard read 3-3.

The Cavaliers again opened the scoring early on in the second half, followed by two quick Hoya goals, coming off the sticks of Bloomer and sophomore attacker Molly Ford. The Hoyas’ 5-4 lead, however, was quickly overturned, and the Hoyas looked to be in serious trouble after UVA found the back of the net three times in relatively quick succession.

There was just 5:50 left on the clock and the Hoyas were still two goals down, when Kaestner, known for her clutch goals this season, put the Hoyas within reaching distance with a solo effort. About a minute and a half later, freshman attacker Jordy Kirr notched her second of the night and equalized with a fiery free-position shot, boosting her team for the final stretch.

The UVA offense fought back in the last few minutes of the game, but the Hoya defense was one step ahead of them. Coupled with an exceptional performance in goal by sophomore Caitlin Formby, just one save shy of her record 12 saves in a game, the back-four gave Georgetown a second lifeline. With a minute and a half left in the game, the Hoyas were firmly planted in the Cavalier half of the field before Bloomer’s match-winner.

Both teams were quite evenly matched in terms of statistics. UVA’s senior goalkeeper Kendall McBrearty recorded nine saves compared to Formby’s 11. Georgetown’s offense shot 24 times at goal, and UVA’s record was just one shot better at 25. While the Cavaliers dominated in ground balls (15 to 10), Georgetown won three more draw controls and committed two fewer turnovers than UVA.

The Hoyas barely have time to relax before they face Notre Dame tomorrow on the Multi-Sport Facility at 12:30 p.m.

“It’s a traditional rivalry,” Fried said. “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

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