With a two-goal lead and things going his team’s way, Georgetown men’s lacrosse head coach Dave Urick had to feel confident with five minutes left in last Saturday’s game at UMass.  Unfortunately, the game took a turn for the worst, and the Hoyas gave up three unanswered goals to lose the game 13-12.

“We let one get away,” Urick said. “We really snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on that one.”

Georgetown had jumped out to a quick lead early in the game, racking up a five-two advantage in the second quarter. The lead didn’t hold until the half, though, as the Minutemen carried a seven-six advantage into the break.

The third quarter was hard fought and physical, with junior midfielder Max Seligmann scoring the only goal on a laser from 15 yards out to level the game at seven.

The Hoyas looked like they would not be denied as they gained a three-goal advantage, aided by senior Andrew Brancaccio’s fifth goal.  However, the Minutemen proved to be resilient and managed to keep the Hoyas from truly pulling away.

A combination of turnovers, defensive lapses, and poor offensive execution spelled doom for the Hoyas as UMass netted three unanswered goals—including two  scored with less than a minute and thirty seconds left—to steal the victory.

The loss was made all the more devastating by Georgetown’s perilous post-season positioning.

“We went into our final three games thinking that we had to win them all to be in the playoff picture,” Urick said.

This may have been true, but fortunately for the Hoyas, a number of other highly ranked teams—including Cornell, Drexel, Princeton, and Johns Hopkins—all lost their weekend games.

One thing is certain: Georgetown cannot afford another slip-up in their final two games.  The Hoyas must finish with an unblemished record if it wants to stay on the radar of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.

The Hoyas’ next game is against Big East rival Rutgers. Although the Scarlet Knights may not have an imposing record, Urick is not taking this game lightly.

“They’re playing a lot better than their record would indicate,” Urick said. “But I’ve watched a couple of their games, including against Syracuse, and I thought they played extremely well.”

Georgetown looks to keep their post-season hopes alive against the Scarlet Knights this Saturday. Game time is at 6 p.m. on the Multi-Sport Field.