Sometimes at the end of a disappointing day, you have to take a step back and look at what you’ve accomplished in the recent past. More often than not, that off day is an abnormality in a sea of success. One can only hope the Georgetown men’s soccer team keeps this in mind as they look back on an incredible season marred only by a loss to Indiana University in the 2012 College Cup.

The game against Indiana began nervously. Both Georgetown and Indiana couldn’t quite get the ball completely under control. Many a time, the ball was popped up into the air and wouldn’t come down again for some time as both teams headed it back and forth. There were some nervous moments for the Georgetown defense as they struggled to clear the few chances Indiana managed.

The Hoyas first real chance came when sophomore Tyler Rudy received a cross in the box and powered a shot towards the Indiana goal, but was saved by IU keeper Luis Soffner.

The Hoyas would begin to feel the heat as Indiana found a few chances. Hoya fans breathed a sigh of relief as Indiana squandered a chance from a header. Georgetown sophomore goalkeeper Tomas Gomez came up huge in the following minutes. An Indiana forward found a way through a woeful Georgetown defense, but was stopped in his tracks as soon as Gomez came off his line to collect the ball.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Georgetown men’s soccer team has kept their run for a championship alive as they defeated the University of Maryland tonight in a penalty kick shootout. The Hoyas slotted four penalty shots past the Maryland keeper opposed to only three by the Terps, pushing them through to the program’s first College Cup championship game. They will play Indiana University this Sunday, December 9 at 2:00 p.m.

It was Maryland who struck first with a goal in the 22nd minute though off a flick into the box that was then headed past sophomore goalkeeper Tomas Gomez, putting the burden on Georgetown to respond. Upon further review the goal’s integrity was put into question because a Maryland forward was clearly offside when Schillo Tshuma scored. Junior forward Steve Neumann did not let the Terps settle into a rhythm, though, when just over ten minutes later he fired a shot left of the Maryland keeper for the equalizer. The ball originated on the outside left and was crossed inside the 18’ where sophomore midfielder Tyler Rudy headed it back to Neumann who put it in the back of the net.

Neumann was back at it only two minutes later when he received the ball just outside the 18’ and sent it off the left post, bouncing into the goal for his and Georgetown’s second. After falling behind, Maryland began to step up their offensive pressure with several opportunities on the Hoyas’ defensive half. Gomez and the defenders kept the Terps from scoring though as the minutes ran down and the half ended with a 2-1 Georgetown lead.

Three minutes into the start of the second half, the Hoyas put another goal on the board when Maryland keeper Keith Cardona attempted to clear a ball out of the box but was met by freshman forward Brandon Allen, who knocked his kick right past him and in to make the score 3-1. From this point on the Terps began to infiltrate Georgetown’s defensive half more effectively with wide sweeps down the lines and through balls into the box. In the 59th minute, Maryland began their comeback when they were able to drive the ball inside the 18’ and chip it to Tshuma in the middle, who volleyed it past Gomez.

Read the rest of this entry »

Vox would like to extend its most sincere apologies to anyone who did not make it to North Kehoe field Saturday to witness the epic Elite Eight men’s soccer game between the Georgetown Hoyas and the San Diego Toreros. It was probably the most exciting game the men’s soccer team has ever been a part of. The best part? The season doesn’t end here; the story continues.

The game began with very high tempo as players on both sides were flying around the pitch, creating half chances. Both teams were eager to gain the upper hand and control the early run of play.

San Diego would be the first team to settle into their rhythm. Thankfully Cole Seiler’s great sense of position did not let him down as he made some key interceptions to deny the Toreros a run at goal, limiting most of their chances to long free kicks.

Hoya fans were in for a scare in the 21st minute when a free kick from San Diego midfielder Danny Delgado sent a sumptuous shot into what appeared to be the back of the net. Much to the dismay of the San Diego fans, the ball actually landed on top of the net. Hoya fans breathed a huge sigh of relief. More than one confused utterance of, “Wait… it’s a corner? Thank god” was heard.

After a number of glittering chances for both teams, the first half would draw to a close with the score tied at 0-0. The game looked to be headed towards a stalemate, but would soon take a turn for the excellent.

In the 40th minute of the second half, the Toreros would score courtesy of a corner kick sent straight to the head of Torero defender Julian Ringhof. The ball sailed past Georgetown keeper Tomas Gomez and in for the first score of the game.

Read the rest of this entry »

A full slate of Georgetown athletics were on display for fans this weekend, ranging from basketball and soccer to football. And the Hoyas (almost) won them all!

• The men’s basketball team steamrolled its way through the Charleston Classic. Senior guard Chris Wright, who won the tournament’s most valuable player honors, filled out the box score with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and two steals in Sunday’s final against North Carolina State.
• The women’s soccer team continued its NCAA Tournament run on Saturday against Minnesota. Junior forward Samantha Baker broke a scoreless tie in the 89th minute, propelling the Hoyas to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history. Georgetown will travel to Columbus to face Ohio State this Friday.
• The women’s basketball team eeked out a four-point win against La Salle on Friday. Senior guard Monica McNutt and sophomore guard Sugar Rodgers led Georgetown with ten points each.
• The men’s soccer team didn’t fare as well as its counterparts, falling to the University of North Carolina in penalty kicks. The defensive match extended through overtime, but  ended after UNC scored on all five of its penalty attempts.
• On Senior Day, the football team relied on a strong defensive effort in the second half to defeat Marist, 14-7.

Photo: AP (Mic Smith)

This week’s in Features, Nico Dodd and Sean Quigley profile first-generation college students and how they transition to Georgetown.

“About eight percent of this year’s freshman class, approximately 120 students, are first-generation college students,” they write. “They come from families and, in some cases, communities where attending college is the exception, not the norm.”

News reports that GERMS has not seen a drop in alcohol-related calls, despite a decline in alcohol violations.

In Sports, Adam Rosenfeld looks at the men’s soccer team’s surprising turnaround.

Leisure interviews Carlee Briglia (COL ’10), who filmed a documentary about Georgetown grads pursuing their dreams in India.

In Voices, Sean Quigley defends the brutalist Lauinger Library from students’ brutality.

The Ed Board criticizes the media frenzy surrounding Hardy School sex education.

If you watched a Georgetown team play this weekend, odds are you saw some Hoyas lay a beatdown on their opponents. And trust us, it was something special; Sports Info Director Mex Carey dug through the records, learning that this is the first time five fall teams won games over a two-day span since 2006. Let’s get to the recaps:

• The football team won a game! The football team won a game! THE FOOTBALL TEAM WON A GAME!
• On Monday, junior forward Samantha Baker’s overtime goal against Fairfield pushed the 22nd-ranked women’s soccer team to its sixth straight win. (Earlier that weekend, the Hoyas also shut out George Mason.) The team’s undefeated start to the season is the longest in the program’s history.
• The men’s soccer team got in on the fun too, thanks to junior forward Uche Onyeador’s pair of game-winning goals against Northeastern and Michigan State. The team now stands at 2-0.
• Georgetown field hockey improved to 3-0 for the first time ever, only to drop Sunday’s game against Temple.
• Although the volleyball team’s weekend was bookended by losses to Bradley and Maryland, they pulled out a win against Fordham on Saturday.

Photo: Sports Info (Rafael Suanes)