The Georgetown field hockey team defeated Towson, 2-1, on Wednesday, keeping its winning streak alive and improving its record to an impressive 6-0.
The Hoyas came out aggressively, pressing the ball on offense. Their forceful play quickly paid off on the first penalty corner of the game.
Freshman back Elena Elster hit a strong shot, and senior midfielder Caitlin McLean was able to direct the ball into the goal for her third goal of the season.
Towson fought back with some aggressive play after the Hoyas scored. The Tigers had several good opportunities during the remainder of the first half, including five penalty shots, but they were unable to put the ball in the net. The score remained 1-0 at the half.
In the second half, the Hoyas continued their strong play. They kept the ball on the offensive side and put pressure on the Tigers’ defense. However, at 47:14, Towson managed to convert a penalty corner taken by junior midfielder Joann Engestrom, tying the score at 1-1.
The Hoyas were determined to maintain their unbeaten record, however, and continued to push the ball. Elster got her opportunity to score the winning goal on a penalty corner in the 60th minute, making the score 2-1. Elster now leads the team with 12 points on five goals and two assists.
“It was exactly what I expected. This is a good local rivalry, so I expected a one-goal game, and I’m just glad we came out on top,” Head Coach Laurie Carroll said.
Carroll went on to say that the victory “wasn’t pretty. We did struggle a bit.”
Carroll played several players outside of their usual positions in order to rest injured players. She was especially pleased with cLean, who was played in a position requiring less running so she could rest her injury. Carroll wanted to use McLean as a “secret weapon” to convert on a penalty corner, and cLean did just that.
This was the first game in two weeks that all three senior captains were able to play, as they have all been out due to various injuries. Carroll said they were “great leaders today. Other team members have been stepping up to fill their shoes, and today they were able to step up, so that was great.”
The Hoyas did seem to have some lapses on defense, giving the Tigers seven penalty corner opportunities.
“We did have some breakdowns, but one of Towson’s strengths is drawing corners. We expected if they were going to score today, it was probably going to be on a corner,” Carroll said.
Carroll commented that sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Herring is “still doing a great job.” Herring saw nine shots on goal and tallied two saves.
The Hoyas, according to Carroll, “put forth a great effort” to come out on top of a close match against the Tigers.
Georgetown will look to defend its perfect record on Saturday at Temple University.