Field Hockey wins at home against Georgetown, 2-1

The University of Richmond field hockey team won 2-1 in its game against Georgetown University on Sept. 12.

Georgetown came into the game with a 2-2 record, while the Spiders 1-3.

The game began at 3 p.m. with junior Amanda Cimillo in goal for the Spiders. 

Senior midfielder Lainey Nichols scored her first goal of the season for the Spiders ten minutes into the game on a penalty corner, with an assist from junior forward Clara Larripa.

The Spiders took three shots in the first period, while limiting Georgetown to one. 

The second period saw UR struggle against Georgetown’s strong offensive efforts. Twice, UR faced a penalty corner, both of which were successfully blocked. 

With three minutes remaining, the Spiders generated a penalty corner, but Georgetown quickly took back possession. 

Despite its struggles, UR went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Eight minutes into the third period, the Spiders created offensive pressure leaving both teams tied at six shots.

Later into the period, Georgetown took control and got their shot count to nine. With a little over a minute remaining, the Hoyas tied the game.

The Spiders quickly responded, generating a penalty corner with 30 seconds remaining. The play started with a pass from senior midfielder Jess McMeeking to first-year midfielder Amy Stripling, who sent a shot to the net. Stripling’s shot was deflected into the goal by Larripa, who scored the game winning goal with a secondary assist by sophomore midfielder Camila Daud, bringing the score to 2-1.

The fourth period saw the Spiders regain offensive dominance, getting up to 12 shots against Georgetown’s nine. They held their 2-1 lead to the end of the game to secure a win.

UR Head Coach Martu Loncarica said even though the game wasn't pretty she was happy to get back in the win column. She praised her team's ability to dig deep and fight for the win.

“We’re big on values and our culture,” Loncarica said after the game. “One of them is grit and we practice with a lot of grit every single day.” 

With this win, UR is now 2-3 on the season. It is the first win since their home opener on Aug. 29.

“We knew that it was going to be hard,” said Larripa. “We still knew that we needed to be together and play for each other.”

The Spiders play next on the road Sunday, Sept. 14, at 1:00 p.m. against Old Dominion University, which also has a 2-3 record. 

Contact sports writer Erica Rogers at erica.rogers@richmond.edu