WASHINGTON – The No. 23 Georgetown University women's lacrosse squad downed the Villanova University Wildcats 12-8 Saturday afternoon at Villanova Stadium in BIG EAST Conference action.  With the win, the Blue & Gray improved to 8-6 overall and 2-1 in league play to sit tied for second in the standings.
 
"Coming off of a setback, we played a good team game today, everyone contributed on both ends," said Georgetown Head Coach Ricky Fried.  "We came closer to putting together a complete game and it was nice to get a big spark from Katie Hudson and from Wynne Whitley.  In her first start, I think the defense really rallied around her."
 
Leading the way was senior attacker Morgan Ryan (Maplewood, N.J. / Oak Knoll School) who had a career-high five goals in the contest.  She was followed by junior attacker Emily Ehle (Baldwinsville, N.Y. / Christian Brothers Academy) who managed a goal and three assists.  Additionally, aenior midfielder Francesca Whitehurst (Baltimore, Md. / Roland Park Country School) and junior attacker Michaela Bruno (Garden City, N.Y. / Garden City) had a goal and an assist apiece and freshman attacker Ali Diamond (Lafayette Hill, Pa. / Plymouth-Whitemarsh) tallied two assists for the game.
 
Georgetown outshot 'Nova (8-6, 2-1 BIG EAST) 27-23, and the defense forced 18 Wildcat turnovers while giving up 16 of its own. On the draw, GU pulled in 13 draw controls to VU's nine, Whitehurst had seven and Ryan managed four.  Senior goalkeeper Haelle Chomo (Naples, Fla. / Barron Collier) notched seven saves in the contest.
 
Ryan opened the scoring just three minutes in with an unassisted tally. She was followed by one from Whitehurst on the next possession as GU dominated early.  Ryan was unstoppable in the first 10 minutes as she added three more goals in the next two minutes to put the Blue & Gray on top 5-0.
 
Villanova would not go away, however, as the Wildcats came roaring back with a 4-0 run of their own.  Liotta ended the run with a goal at 16:49 on the assist from Whitehurst, but the 'Cats answered at 16:02 to make it 6-5 in a game of runs.
 
Senior attacker Taylor Gebhardt (Baldwinsville, N.Y. / C.W. Baker) would tally her first of the contest in the final minutes of the half as Georgetown went into the break leading 7-5.
 
Ehle opened the second half with a score less than two minutes in.  Villanova answered right back, but a goal from an unlikely source would make it a two-goal game.  Defender Katie Hudson (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. / Cold Spring Harbor) was tenacious on the ride and managed the takeaway at midfield.  She ran it herself on the break heading straight to goal and burying it in the back of the net for her first-career goal.
 
Ryan was finished as she connected on her fifth of the afternoon at the 16:18 mark on the assist from Ehle.  Villanova fought back with a free position goal four minutes later.  The squad would never find the comeback, however, as sophomore midfielder Mary Pagano (Short Hills, N.J. / Pingry School) scored a goal in the final 10 minutes and Bruno added a low shot on the pass from Ehle to make the final 12-8.
 
The Hoyas will close out nonconference play on Wednesday as the squad hosts the No. 2 University of Maryland at Cooper Field.  The opening draw is scheduled for 7 p.m.  The game will be broadcast live on FS1 and live stats will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.