Feb. 23, 2010
WASHINGTON - The No. 7/7 Georgetown University women's lacrosse squad will open the 2010 season on Wednesday against the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays at Multi-Sport Field. The Hoyas finished 13-6 last season and 6-1 in BIG EAST play. The game will be GU's only home contest this month as the squad embarks on a four-game road trip.
Georgetown returns a veteran offense including its top four scorers. Seniors Molly Ford (Reisterstown, Md./Notre Dame Prep) and Ashby Kaestner (Trappe, Md./Saints Peter and Paul) will lead the offense after earning Preseason All-BIG EAST honors, both were All-America selections a season ago. Also returning is GU's assist leader junior Jordy Kirr (Baltimore, Md./Bryn Mawr School) who posted 25 helpers last year.
On the defensive end of the field, senior goalkeeper Caitlin Formby (Towson, Md./Notre Dame Prep) will be in the cage for her third season. However, her supporting cast has changed dramatically after the graduation on the entire 2009 starting line. The coaching staff has moved two midfielders into the back to fill in gaps and a number of solid players have emerged to keep the defense strong.
Georgetown won the BIG EAST regular season last year and advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament Championship game before falling to Notre Dame in the final at Multi-Sport Field. Despite the loss, the Blue & Gray earned an at-large NCAA Tournament bid and went on to face Princeton in the opening round of the championship.
This season, Georgetown was selected to win the BIG EAST Conference, which expanded to nine teams in 2010, and has been in the top ten in both preseason polls.
Johns Hopkins in 1-0 on the season after a 14-7 win over George Mason on Saturday. Sophomore Colleen McCaffrey led the Blue Jays with five goals and an assist in the contest while classmate Candace Rossi added a hat trick. JHU trailed with 25 minutes remaining in the game, but allowed just three shots for the rest of the game as well as posting a 9-0 run for the victory.
Georgetown is 5-6 all-time against the Blue Jays and 2-3 at home. The first meeting between the two squads was in 1977, however, the teams have met for the past four years. Last year on ESPNU in Baltimore, Md., the Blue & Gray downed the then-ranked No. 13 Blue Jays 11-6. Ford posted five goals and an assist in the game while Kirr had one goal and four assists.
The opening draw is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. at Multi-Sport Field. Live stats and a webcast featuring Chuck Timanus will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.
