WASHINGTON – The No. 5/5 Georgetown University men's soccer team used two second-half goals to defeat the UC Irvine Anteaters 2-1 in the 2021 season opener on Friday at Shaw Field. The Hoyas are now 1-0 on the season, while the 'Eaters drop to 0-1 on the year.

Head Coach Brian Wiese

• "It's always troubling where there are funny weather conditions to see how the guys will respond. I thought we were really tough mentally today. Generating 30 shots against a good team like UC Irvine is all you really need to look at in terms of where our heads were at in the game. It was great to start off the season with a win."

How it Happened

• Georgetown controlled the pace in the first half as sophomore Chris Hegardt had a golden chance in the 10th minute that was saved by Anteater keeper Gordon Botterill.
• With five minutes left in the half, Georgetown had a three-shot sequence ending with a bicycle kick from freshman Ronan Dillow that sailed just over the crossbar as the teams went into the half in a scoreless tie.
• The first goal would come in the 50th minute on a long pass from senior Zack Riviere. He found junior Will Sands in the box who tapped it to Dillow. The freshman composed himself and fired to make it 1-0 and notching a goal in his first-career match on the Hilltop.
• In the 62nd minute, the Blue & Gray struck again when junior captain Dante Polvara placed a perfect ball at the top of the box for John Franks. The sophomore chested it down and hit a left-footed shot past Botterill to give GU the 2-0 lead.
• UC Irvine would answer in the 82nd minute on an unassisted strike from Juan Barragan-Manzo.
• The Blue & Gray killed the final eight minutes of play, dominating possession to hold on for the 2-0 victory.

Of Note

• Georgetown outshot UC Irvine 30-4 with 12 on goal to the 'Eaters three.
• The Hoyas were awarded nine corner kicks to UCI's three in the game.
• Graduate student Ethan Koehler picked up the win in the net managing two saves on the afternoon.
• Both of GU's goals were the first of the player's career.
• Friday's match was rescheduled from Thursday after inclement weather forced the postponement.

Up Next

• The Hoyas will host Fordham at Shaw Field on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Live stats will be available on GUHoyas.com and the game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network Presented by SoFi on FloSports featuring Georgetown alums Dan Helfrich and Tom Greaser.