Sept. 21, 2014 Box Score
WASHINGTON - The Georgetown field hockey team (3-4) dropped a home game against the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh on Sunday afternoon at Multi Sport Field, 4-2. Despite a strong start and scoring the first goal of the game, the Hoyas gave up three goals in the second half, including a penalty stroke to lose.
Sophomore Rachel Skonecki (Mechanicsburg, Pa./ Red Land) recorded her first save of the game 1:48 seconds into the first half after Lehigh forward Lindsey Schott attacked the goal following a penalty corner. Following the play, both teams took turns driving into the attacking circle and challenging the defense.
The first scoring threat for the Hoyas came at 8:07 when a shot from Sarah Butterfield (Bridgewater, N.J./Oak Knoll) off a Louise Chakejian (Chester Springs, Pa./The Episcopal Academy) penalty corner was blocked by Lehigh. The team stayed on the attack and forced Mountain Hawk goalkeeper Julia Ward to make a save at 9:50 after a shot by Molly Denzel (Sunnyvale, Calif./St. Francis). Brooke Simone (Radnor, Pa./Baldwin School) added to the Hoya attack and the pressure continued until Emily Weinberg (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Hathaway Brown), was assisted by Butterfield off a penalty corner inserted by Denzel, put the Hoyas up 1-0 at 15:52 in the first half. It was the third goal of the season for the junior midfielder.
GU mounted pressure on defensive side of the ball following the first goal, but allowed three Lehigh penalty corners in one minute. The third time was the charm for the Mountain Hawks as Erin Rickers sent the ball past Skonecki at 26:51 for her first goal of the season. The score would go into half time tied 1-1.
Lehigh was fast on the attack to start the second half and the team was back on the board at 37:13 as Gabby Tofig scored her fourth goal of the season and gave the Mountain Hawks a 2-1 lead. Georgetown was quick with a response, however, as Molly Thompson (Ann Arbor, Mich./Ann Arbor Pioneer) drove the ball down the end line and tied the game 2-2 at 39:33.
The Mountain Hawks recovered quickly from the defensive lapse and sent the ball down the field quickly, causing Skonecki to come out of the cage; Lehigh had an open goal, but Chakejian provided a defensive save that prevented the Mountain Hawks from taking the lead. The attack continued, however, and Lehigh was able to beat Skonecki at 44:28 to score a third goal and go up 3-2.
Game play continued to be physical, resulting in a yellow card on Thompson at 63:40 that set up a penalty stroke for Lehigh. Schott was able to convert and score her fourth goal of the season to increase the Mountain Hawk lead to 4-2. The Hoyas were unable to mount a comeback, causing their record to fall to 3-4.
The team has a three-game road trip ahead that includes games against Siena, Columbia and defending NCAA Division I Champion Connecticut in Storrs, Conn.
"We have a tough slew of road game ahead of us," said Soares. "For us it's going to be getting back quickly, focusing on the next task at hand and hopefully getting the job done in the Northeast."
The team will return to Multi Sport Field on Oct. 11 against BIG EAST foe Providence.
