February 27, 2021
In their home opening game, the men’s lacrosse team from Georgetown Hoyas (2-0, 2-0, Big East) overcame St. John’s Red Storm (1-3, 0-2, Big East) with 19: 1. After a 16-1 win over Villanova, the Hoyas managed to improve themselves and get a knockout performance. Graduate transfer Nicky Petkevich led the home team with 4 goals and 1 assist, while star attacker Jake Carraway continued his fast start to the season in the fifth year with 6 total points (3 goals, 3 assists). Mike Madsen, senior fifth, recorded the Red Storm’s only record that day.
The game marked a significant change in line-up when Hoyas’ senior defender Gibson Smith was out. In his place, the highly recruited newcomer Will Tominovich started on the defensive and switched to the regulars – Senior Joe LiCalzi and sophomore James Donalds – with Senior Owen McElroy in goal.
It took 6 seconds for the Hoyas to open the scoring. Junior faceoff player James Reilly quickly won the draw and was able to cross the finish line. That opened the floodgates for a crucial first quarter and banner day for Reilly (who won 9 out of 10 games). The Hoyas steadily built a lead, including the first college goal for freshman TJ Haley and the first goal of the season for junior Peter Thompson. When Carraway was 6:38 on the board in the first quarter, the Hoyas were already 5-0 ahead.
St. Johns reacted quickly to Carraway’s record with a goal from Madsen, but the Red Storm was able to face Georgetowns Defensive and possession advantage do not build dynamics. St. Johns were only 4-7 on clearings in the first quarter and the Hoyas’ active defense caused problems throughout the game (13 caused turnovers). McElroy was behind the lockdown efforts, and his steady presence and outstanding performance (10 out of 11 saved) helped keep the Big East opponent off the board.
After Georgetown took a 7-1 lead in the first quarter, the pace slowed in the second quarter. While St. Johns struggled for traction, the Hoyas showed an undisciplined game early in the season. In the second quarter alone, Georgetown had 10 sales and only 5 shots on goal. In the meantime, LiCalzi has received a 3-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. This was the headliner of a day when the Hoyas’ fouling potential came into its own with a total of 7 penalties. While their talented defense prevented St. Johns from capitalizing, those mistakes could prove costly as the season progressed.
After a 9-1 lead from half-time, the Hoyas finally pulled back in the third quarter, when Carraway shook off a slow start. With two goals and two assists, he helped fuel the offensive as they sealed the game. Sophomore Graham Bundy Jr. also shone for the quarter, putting the finishing touches on his first hat trick of the year. He ended with 3 goals and 1 assist. Head coach Kevin Warne also experimented at the face-off point, testing its depth by offering the opportunity to graduate Alex Bean (1 of 3), Cade Heverly (2 of 4) and Carson Milburn (4 of 5).
After the Competition was firmly under control, Georgetown trotted its depth in the fourth quarter, taking the opportunity to rest key starters on both ends. Second goalkeeper Noah Klein ended the Hoya’s shutdown by saving all three shots on goal, while older striker Niko Gekas used the playing time to record both of the Hoya’s goals in the fourth quarter.
All in all, come together Georgetown’s new additions continue to blend in well with their new system. Petkevich made another important contribution after a 2-1 goal against Villanova as the Hoyas newbies showed their promise. Haley’s talent as a passer-by is evident, adding 3 assists after picking up two assists at the season opener, while new midfielder Dylan Hess took stock of his own as he became a dynamic running mate for Bundy and the rest of the midfield Looking to the future, the Hoyas will play their first game outside of the conference against Mount St. Mary’s (1-3, 0-0 NEC) on Tuesday, ahead of rival Marquette (0-2, 0 -2 Big East) from Big East host a potentially important conference test. The start time is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. EST in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter to cover men’s lacrosse and all Georgetown sports.
Jacob Levin
Jakob Levin is the sports editor. Hailing from New England, he is, of course, a dedicated, lifelong Cleveland sports fan.
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