WASHINGTON - In front of packed stands, the No. 7 Georgetown University Men's Soccer team played to a double overtime scoreless tie against the No. 12 Marquette University Golden Eagles on Saturday. The game was one in many BIG EAST contests, but for a few in the crowd it was a reminder of just how far the program has come over the years.

Saturday's game was the centerpiece in the program's 2014 Alumni Weekend and this year it didn't disappoint as more than 50 alums returned to the Hilltop. One of the big reasons for the impressive turnout was the celebration of the 1994 squad. It was a team that set the stage for so much future success as the Hoyas have grown into a national contender.

"It was truly a momentous weekend for the program," said current Head Coach Brian Wiese. "The 1994 team was a special squad, and they are as close a group now as they were 20 years ago."

The 1994 Hoyas were a team that truly came out of nowhere to become one of the greats in program history. Prior to 1994, Georgetown lacked significant soccer history with the administration considering it a local program just playing local competition for a few wins a year. With the arrival of Head Coach Keith Tabatznik in 1984, that began to change.

Tabatznik was a young coach that had had success as a player at American University and came to a small Georgetown program looking to jump start it. He began to bring in players that were there for soccer as well as the world-class education and, with the addition of a few key parts, he worked his way through the early years of the BIG EAST Conference beginning in 1985.

After years of .500 seasons and small victories, it all came together in 1994.

Led by All-American goalkeeper Phil Wellington and First Team All-BIG EAST honoree Tim Keegan, the team put together a magical season.

The squad beat Duke, 2-1, at the NC State Tournament to open the season, but fell to the Wolfpack in the championship. That loss, however, was the last as GU managed a six-game win streak with the Hoyas routinely scoring three or four goals a game including a 6-2 victory at the Virginia Military Institute.

The second loss of the season came at Villanova in a tough 1-0 decision, but once again the Hoyas regrouped to stage an 11-match win streak, winning the BIG EAST Regular Season Championship along the way, the program's first, and advancing in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinal game against Seton Hall, 2-1. That 11-match streak is still the program record.

The Blue & Gray fell in the BIG EAST Tournament championship game, 1-0, to St. John's but did something no Hoya squad had done to that point by earning a bid into the 16-team NCAA Tournament field.

The game was historic matched up against the University of Maryland. Sensing a sellout, the administration moved the game to Harbin Field and rented extra bleachers to accommodate the crowds. The Pots `n Spoons Club came out in full force, marching through campus banging kitchen spoons on pots and paraded to the pitch where they led a wild student section against the Terps.

The game was just as good as the atmosphere with a 3-3 tie sending it to overtime. Maryland eventually found the game winner, taking the 4-3 victory, and ending Georgetown's dream season.

The team included so many Hoyas still in the record books today.

Wellington became GU's first-ever Major League Soccer draft pick in 1996, followed by Brandon Lieb in 1997. Ben McKnight still holds the records for single-season points (46), single-season goals (18), career points (129) and career goals (49). Also on that scoring list is Raul Ferrer at number two in single-season points (43) and goals (17). Keegan is the all-time leader in career assists with 39, and Chris Jones is among the career point leaders despite being a defender.

Others made their mark from that squad as Tom Greaser went on to be an All-American in 1997 and Gil Ascunce, Michael Newman and Patrick Kelly are all now among the leaders in career points. Dan Helfrich was also an Academic All-American in 1997 showing the Hoyas' prowess both on and off of the pitch.

The coaching staff matched its players in success. Assistant Coach Tommy Graham was the GU goalkeeper coach for 20 years. Assistant Coach Rudy Fuller is currently the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania. Tabatznik was the NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year as well as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year and went on to coach until 2005. When he stepped down, he left as the winningest coach in program history with 220 victories.

The Hoyas finished the season with a mark of 18-4 and a record of 7-1 in BIG EAST play. The squad still holds program records for goals in a season with 68, and assists with 81. The team finished the season ranked ninth in the nation.

The weekend included so many memories for those on the 1994 team and all alums in attendance. An alumni game and an event at the home of Yousef Otaiba, another member of the 1994 squad, bookended the game as so many Hoyas came together to share stories and to get to know the current team members. The evening event was made more special with an announcement highlighting the intent to establish an endowed fund set up in Tabatznik's name to help the program continue a tradition of excellence.

The entire 1994 season was one to be remembered and on Saturday as the Hoyas and Golden Eagles battled in a top-15 matchup, the alumni in the stands could be proud that it was their season 20 years ago that set everything in motion.