The UConn men’s soccer team (7-3-3, 2-2-0) fell to No. 14 Georgetown (7-3-3, 3-0-1) on Friday night by a score of 4-1 under the lights of Shaw Field (Washington, D.C.). Despite the Huskies’ early lead, their defense could not hold on, allowing four unanswered goals to their fellow Big East Conference Rivals.
Only 14 minutes into the game, senior forward and Bucknell transfer Charlie Holmes put the Huskies in the scoring column, drilling the game’s inaugural goal to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Assisting Holmes were midfielder Max Gummesson and defenseman Elijah Hope.
This 1-0 margin proved to be short-lived. 2024 First Team All-Big East midfielder Zach Zengue struck the ball just outside the reach of UConn goaltender Kyle Durham on a penalty kick, tying the game.
Following Zengue’s successful penalty kick, both defenses kept each other’s offenses in check for almost the entirety of the game, with both teams remaining scoreless until the 75-minute mark.
Finally, Georgetown’s Loukas Maroutsis fed an open Zengue, who found the back of the net to give the Hoyas a 2-1 lead, their first of the game.
The Hoyas continued to fire and once again proved to be successful. On another shot by Zengue, the UConn defense accidentally deflected the ball into its own net to bring the score to 3-1.
This mistake was costly. The Huskies were unable to recover, and another goal from Zengue put the game out of reach, sealing Georgetown’s 4-1 decimation of the Huskies.
Georgetown goaltender Tenzing Manske was awarded the win in net, recording 3 saves from UConn’s 10 total shots on goal. While UConn’s Durham recorded nine respective saves himself, his effort was not enough to keep the Huskies in the game.
The loss places UConn as the fourth-ranked team in the conference’s East Division, while the Hoyas retained their status as the division leader and one of the nation’s best teams.
The Huskies look to rebound from their loss in a crucial Friday night homestand against Big East rival St. John’s. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium (Storrs, Conn.). A win will boost the Huskies upward in Big East standings, which is crucial as they vie for positioning in the upcoming conference tournament.