WASHINGTON – The No. 5/9 Georgetown University men's soccer team handed the No. 17/17 University of Akron Zips their first loss of the season in a 3-1 Hoya victory on Friday evening at FirstEnergy Stadium in Akron, Ohio. Senior
Mateo Ponce Ocampo had a big night scoring two goals, with both assists coming from freshman
Terrance Reynolds. With the BIG EAST Conference win, the Hoyas improve to 8-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 in the league, while the Zips drop to 5-1-2 for the season and 0-1-1 conference play.
Head Coach Brian Wiese
- "I thought the guys grew up a lot from the Evansville game, where we struggled with closing the game out. Akron is such a good team. They're hard working, they make life really uncomfortable for you, and they have a lot of talent. I thought the guys just handled it in a very mature way at the end. We had a lot of guys who showed up and did a really good job. Matt Van Horn up front was really important and good tonight, and Terrence and Mateo hooking up twice for a pair of goals was huge. Doing that against a top-10 team on the road was great, but I think the best part was actually after they scored. I was so proud of the guys and how they didn't allow the momentum to really swing fully into Akron's favor. They managed the game remarkably well, and that was really good to see."
How it Happened
- Georgetown got on the board in the 19th minute when a foul in the box resulted in the penalty kick for the Blue & Gray. Senior Matthew Van Horn buried it into the right corner to put GU on top 1-0.
- Just three minutes later, the pressure of Reynolds resulted in a bad turnover near the top of the box for the Zips. Reynolds took a touch and slotted the ball to a charging Ponce Ocampo who calmly finished making it 2-0.
- This lead would stand at the break as the Hoya defense stood strong through Akron setpieces late in the half.
- An Akron goal from the top of the box in the 48th minute cut the Hoya advantage in half.
- The Hoyas continued to have chances, and on the other end of the field, junior Charlie DeMarco answered the few times he was called upon to make the save.
- In the final minutes of the contest, the duo of Reynolds and Ponce Ocampo struck again when the freshman made a long run down the left side. He passed it to Ponce Ocampo who did some fancy footwork before firing into the back of the net, putting the Hoyas up 3-1 which would stand as the final.
Of Note
- Georgetown was outshot by Akron, 8-7, but had six shots on goal to the Zips' four.
- The Hoyas managed five corners in the game, while Akron tallied six.
- DeMarco played all 90 minutes with three saves to his credit.
- Ponce Ocampo's brace marked his second of his career on the Hilltop.
- Reynolds' two assists marked the first multi-point match of his intercollegiate career.
Up Next
- The Hoyas will return home to host the Providence Friars at 7 p.m. on Friday evening at Shaw Field.
- The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Dan Helfrich and Tom Greaser calling the action.
- Live stats will be available at GUHoyas.com.
- Tickets can be purchased online at GUHoyas.com/tickets. Shaw Field is a cashless venue and fans are encouraged to purchase online before arriving at the stadium.
