The Hoya Fall Sports Preview: Aug. 28, 2012

READY TO RELOAD

The volleyball team graduated two of its best players last season but still returns as a more experienced squad. Page 3

GOMEZ IN GOAL

Sophomore goalie Tomas Gomez practiced with the U.S. U-20 national team this summer but is competing for a starting spot on the Hilltop. Pages 8-9

LL S FA RT W O E SP EVI PR

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

RUN IT! Kelly says ground game will spark “dual” offense

AA NC 2 ’s ar ge ye Pa st n.

La ai Y ag TR in UN o w CO t S aim OS ps CR am ch

SUPER SOPHOMORE Daphne Corboz looks to build off her stellar freshman season.

Pages 4-5 OUT OF THE CELLAR The field hockey team, 3-15 last season, hopes for a better year.

Page 10

COURTESY GU SPORTS INFORMATION

Despite the graduation of All-American defensive end Andrew Schaetzke (MSB ’12), the football team still boasts the preseason Patriot League defensive player of the year in senior linebacker Robert McCabe (above). The Hoyas open the year at Davidson on Sept. 2. Pages 6-7

2 | August 28, 2012

The Hoya | Fall Sports Preview

CROSS COUNTRY

BIG SHOES TO FILL Without Infeld, Blue and Gray needs others to make marks EVAN HOLLANDER Hoya Staff Writer

Emily Infeld (MSB ’12) led Georgetown to a national title last season. Now it must find a way to win without her. Courtesy Georgetown Sports Information

After a magical year that culminated in winning the women’s national championship, Georgetown might be expected to slump into the 2012 season.

But the Hoyas are not rolling over. In fact, with a combination of stellar incoming talent and returning runners with memories of last season’s successes, Georgetown could stand atop the cross country world again.

Graduate student Emily Infeld (MSB ‘12), the best runner in the Blue and Gray’s history, retains eligibility for track and field but won’t be competing for the Hoyas in cross country since she graduated in May. “The last four years we’ve had Emily Infeld,” women’s cross country Head Coach Chris Miltenberg said.

“That’s that guaranteed low score up front.”

But returnees, including junior Madeline Chambers and senior Rachel Schneider, give Miltenberg and the Hoyas hope that the team will be able to rebuild quickly. “[They] both have been All-Americans [and they] redshirted last fall,” Miltenberg said. “It is a testament to the depth that we really had.”

Last year’s freshmen

and sophomores, many of whom never came into their own amidst all that depth, will also have a chance to shine this season. “[There are a few people] I think can really emerge and become some of the best in the country throughout the season,” Miltenberg said. “But our goal has got to be really, really team running.”

The women begin their

CHAMPS The women’s cross country team’s national title last year was the first NCAA title for GU since the men’s basketball team cut down the nets in 1984. season on Sept. 8 at the Dartmouth Invitational in Hanover, N.H., while the men will head to State College, Pa. the same day to participate in the Penn State Invitational.

For a team whose annual goal is winning the Big East championship, the men’s squad also had a good finish. Despite winning the national championship later, the women finished third at the league championships last season but the men’s team was second to Villanova in the Big East.

Like the women, they have lost considerable talent, but return standouts graduate student Mark Dennin and senior Andrew Springer.

“We’ve got a couple athletes, Mark Dennin and Andrew Springer, [who pack] as good a one-two punch as anybody in the country,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Patrick Henner said.

Both Dennin and Springer showed considerable improvement over the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

“Mark was coming into last fall off an injury, and he’s actually one of the better runners in the country.

Now since he’s been healthy the whole time and was an All-American in outdoor track, he’s going to be able to step it up a lot,” Henner said. “[And] Springer has made huge progress from the fall through indoor and outdoor track.”

Coupled with freshmen and sophomores who, like those on the women’s team, are rising through the ranks, Georgetown should have a productive team dynamic.

“We have a lot of young guys that have trained really well over the last year, so I think we can step up and be a much better team than we were last year,” Henner said.

After just missing in the Big East last year, that statement reflects confidence.

And for the women, who achieved the ultimate success last season, Miltenberg’s endorsement was even more ringing.

“This team could be as good as any we’ve ever had.”

August 28, 2012 | 3

The Hoya | Fall Sports Preview

VOLLEYBALL

TURNOVER NO OBSTACLE FOR NEW-LOOK HOYAS Talented roster shines in pair of early wins RYAN BACIC

Hoya Staff Writer

After an up-and-down 2011 season, Georgetown’s volleyball team would eventually close things out with a record of 14-13, just above .500. This time around, though, senior middle blocker and captain Lindsay Wise and her teammates are looking to move up in the Big East.

“We’ve got depth at every single position,” Head Coach Arlisa Williams said. “And we’re hoping that with the foundation that we’ve laid and the work that the returnees put in over the spring, [we will be able to be successful].”

The Blue and Gray may have lost libero Tory Rezin (COL ’12) and setter Ashley Malone (MSB ’12) to graduation, but the rest of the team will be back this fall for another go-round. Add junior transfer and setter Haley Lowrance and two freshmen to the mix, and it’s no wonder Williams is keen on her squad’s depth.

Even before the team played its first competitive game, that trademark attribute has been paying

dividends.

“The level of play in our gym [at practice] has increased significantly,” Williams said of Georgetown’s offseason practices.

And the team’s appearance in the weekend’s D.C. Volleyball Challenge showed that better practice is paying off the Hoyas.

A pair of 3-0 victories over American and George Mason has also helped to help boost confidence for the Blue and Gray.

“There were times when we got down,” Williams told guhoyas. com after the match. “But what I like about this team is they keep fighting back and never let the pressure get to them.”

Two players whose D.C. Volleyball Challenge performances validated preseason indications were last year’s impact freshmen — middle blocker Dani White and outside hitter Alex Johnson.

White hit the game winner in the victory over George Mason while Johnson, who led the team in kills last season, posted a career high 19 kills in Georgetown’s win over American.

But the Hoyas’ assignments only get tougher the rest of the season, with the nonconference schedule including four teams that made the NCAA tournament last year. This may not help the win-loss percentage, but it should ensure the Hoyas will be well-prepared for the grueling Big East season.

A match at preseason Big East favorite Louisville is the most daunting on the schedule, but the Cardinals are just one of many tough opponents that the Hoyas will face in league play.

Still, Williams believes her squad is up for the challenge.

OFF THE BENCH Sophomore libero MacKenzie Simpson is stepping up to fill the spot of Tory Rezin (COL ’12). “MacKenzie is getting better passing every day,” Williams told guhoyas.com.

Haverford transfer and junior setter Haley Lowrance should make an immediate impact in place of Ashley Malone (MSB ’12). “[She] has shown great hands,” Williams said.

“Hopefully this group is ready to step up to the plate.” Williams said.

“I think that they’ve demonstrated that every single day.”

Sophomore outside hitter Alex Johnson had 307 kills for the Hoyas in 2011. Courtesy Georgetown Sports Information

4 | August 28, 2012

The Hoya | Fall Sports Preview

WOMEN’S SOCCER

NEW LINEUP BRINGS REMEMBERING Whitaker’s new film profiles the lives of 10 people affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks 10 years later.

Hoyas find new roles after four big graduations RYAN BACIC

Hoya Staff Writer

A group of six seniors moved on from the Georgetown women’s soccer team after the end of the 2011 season, and with them went the perhaps the best class in the program’s history. In four years on the Hilltop, they’d amassed an all-timebest 55 wins, including a record regular-season mark of 15 last fall. Needless to

Head Coach Dave Nolan described junior defender Emily Menges as “big-time.”

All photos courtesy GU Sports Information

what would seem to be such troublesome changes.

“Last year, we had a very explosive team,” Nolan said. “We generated offense in so many different ways last year [and with] so many different personalities. This year, actually, we’re probably the opposite. This year I feel we’re going to be a much better defensive team [and] much better in goal.

The trick now is to find ways to score goals against good teams.”

Sophomore midfielder Daphne Corboz looks to be the attacking centerpiece of this year’s team, having been given the keys to the offense following the departure of Kelly D’Ambrisi (MSB ’12), Camille Trujillo (COL ’12), Samantha Baker (COL ’12) and first team All-American Ingrid Wells (COL ’12).

Speedy junior Emily Menges, a “big-time” player in Nolan’s words, will marshal the defense at centerback.

Senior Christina O’Tousa and junior Mary Kroening are also back in the first 11, but after that, the starting lineup for the Blue and Gray will be made up of new faces.

“We’ve got seven players going from auxiliary roles to major roles now, [and]

Sophomore goalie Emma Newins has allowed just one goal in four games so far this season despite missing last season with an injury. say, that success, talent and experience are going to leave a big void to fill.

The Hoyas feature eight incoming freshmen, but this year the slack will mainly be picked up by the squad’s returnees, according to Georgetown Head Coach Dave Nolan. And given the sophomores and upperclassmen at his disposal, the team doesn’t even look like it will struggle with

we’ve asked some kids to play in different positions, so technically it’s a new team,” Nolan said.

Not only is it a challenge for the team but also for Nolan, who has had to reconfigure a lineup that had so much success last fall.

“In some ways, [a new lineup] is good to see, because as a coach, you really get to see if you’re any good by the outcome,” Nolan

August 28, 2012 | 5

The Hoya | Fall Sports Preview

A-GAME

said.

Through two exhibition wins and four regular-season ones, it’s all so far, so good for the Hoyas.

They opened the regular season with a 2-0 win over George Washington Aug. 17. While the Blue and Gray and Colonials were scoreless at the break, Nolan felt the result was never truly in doubt.

“There’s just a little bit more edge to the real games, and I think that was more of a factor in that game.

There was a little bit of nervousness, [too, and] we’re always a big game for GW, so it was always going to be a challenging start,” he said.

A road trip to Delaware resulted in an identical 2-0 win, although Nolan again found some fault with his team’s performance.

This past weekend, the Hoyas traveled to Harrisonburg, Va., for the JMU Invitational. While Georgetown ran their record to 4-0 with two wins on the weekend, redshirt freshman goalkeeper Emma Newins allowed her first goal of the weekend.

BACK IN GOAL Redshirt freshman goalie Emma Newins was injured early last season but has been dynamic in the Hoyas’ first four games this season, posting three shutouts and allowing only one goal in four games, which, not coincidentally, were all wins.

But after recording three clean sheets across those four games, no one is complaining about Newins, who missed almost of all last season after sustaining an injury early on.

And while Menges considers her a bit “timid” at this point in net, the defender had extremely high praise for Newins’ ability to facilitate

TALE OF THE TAPE

SOLID START

4-0

Georgetown’s record in its first four games.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ The Hoyas will travel across the country in September to take on Santa Clara and Stanford. attacks out of the back.

“If I have my back to goal, I feel comfortable playing it back to her, whereas in years past, not so much,” Menges said. “She’s really good with her feet, so having her back there, I feel a lot more comfortable. It makes us less frantic in the back.”

A renewed sense of calm along the backline will greatly aid the offense in building attacks, which should allow the team to compensate for its offensive losses following last season. Graduating a star like Wells was always going to be a difficult obstacle to overcome, but the Hoyas’ improved defense and some key tactical changes — including a shift to a more offensively-minded 4-3-3 — may very well do the trick.

“We definitely lost so many amazing players last year, and it’s very difficult to replace all of them,” Corboz said.

“But I think that the group now has a different focus and a different look, and [although] we’re a very young team, we have the same expectations that we did last year. We expect to get back to the Big East semis as we did last year,and hopefully win it this year.”

This team may be vastly changed from 2011, but that doesn’t mean they all haven’t been here before. New faces or not, this season’s Blue and Gray look more than ready to step up.

DAPHNE CORBOZ

Hardworking Corboz gains more options RYAN BACIC

Hoya Staff Writer

From home to the Hilltop, it’s always been all about soccer for Daphne Corboz.

The sophomore midfielder’s father played professionally in France for Football Club de Grenoble — now known as Grenoble Foot 38 — and Corboz and her two siblings have been watching soccer since shortly after birth.

“Soccer in France and Europe [in general] is just the big sport, so my dad is [still] very into soccer,” she said. “My brother and my sister both play soccer, and the culture in the house is [such that] there’s always games on and we’re always watching.”

In part because

of all that viewing, Georgetown Head Coach Dave Nolan said, “[Daphne’s] got what I would consider an international socc e r brain. She just has a wonderful sense of the game.”

But it’s not all genetics, in-

tuition and film that have helped the New Jersey native become a rising star in the conference. Her intense work ethic has also played a major role in her development, Nolan said, noting that he often has to “kick her off the field because she’s out there so much.”

Corboz’s impact was quickly felt when she arrrived at Georgetown. Playing out of position on the left flank last fall, Corboz still managed to shine and did so despite talent around her, even though it would have left many freshman in the shadows.

While seniors like All-American Ingrid Wells m a y have led the way, Corboz quickly adjusted to her new role, racking up 10 goals and an assist, good enough for third overall in points for the Blue and Gray.

She was recognized accordingly by league officials after the season, as she was named to the Big East allrookie team in addition to earning third team all-Big East honors.

With regards to what he’s done to help Corboz build on her stellar freshman season, Nolan laughed, “I just got out of her way.”

Now having moved into her more natural position on the pitch as an attacking center midfielder, this season looks to be an even bigger one for Corboz.

With the team shifting to a 4-3-3 formation, she’ll be sure to have a number of passing options to spring toward the goal at all times. Big East defenses had better watch out.

“I get to touch the ball more and attack more [playing centrally], so I definitely like my position this year better,” Corboz said. “But as long as I keep contributing to the team, that’s all that matters.”

6 | August 28, 2012

FOOTBALL

LEAGUE TITLE W

8-3 in 201 EVAN HOLLANDER Hoya Staff Writer

Last season, the buzz around Georgetown’s footb team was about whether they would finish above .500 After last year’s team went 8-3 and finished one ga shy of the Patriot League title, the question is not wheth the Hoyas will notch a winning season, but whether th will finally earn the elusive conference championship.

While the Blue and Gray no longer have to battle l expectations, they will be without last year’s stando player, All-American defensive end Andrew Schaetz (MSB ’12), who graduated in May. But Head Coach Kevin Kelly is confident that a com nation of stellar returning players and one of his best cruiting classes to date will help make up for the hole l

PRIMETIME

When the Hoyas travel to Princeton on Sept.

21, it will mark the first time Georgetown has played on national TV. The 7 p.m. game will be carried on ESPNU.

COURTESY GU SPORTS INFORMATION

Tackles lea EVAN HOLLANDER Hoya Staff Writer

It’s usually bad news when a school graduates its con ence’s best defensive player. But this season, Georgeto simply reloads.

Last year’s Patriot League defensive player of the year a All-American defensive end Andrew Schaetzke (MSB ’ graduated in May, but in July, senior linebacker Robert M Cabe took Schaetzke’s mantle when he was named con ence preseason defensive player of the year.

McCabe set Georgetown’s single-season record for ta les last season with 134 takedowns, which was also best the conference.

Now sitting in fourth place all-time on the Hoyas’ car tackles list, McCabe is on pace to set a career record dur the 2012 season. But he downplays those numbers, say they are more a reflection of his teammates.

“Our defensive line was great last year, obviously,

by Andrew Schaetzke. But we return a lot of great play

August 28, 2012 | 7

ROBERT McCABE

WITHIN REACH

11, Hoyas need one more leap

ball 0. ame her hey p. low out tzke

mbit releft

by Schaetzke’s departure.

“I think we’re more talented but maybe not as experienced as we were last year. So I feel pretty good about defense as a whole,” Kelly said, citing preseason All-American senior cornerback Jeremy Moore as one of the anchors of a defense that returns most of last year’s starters.

And that’s just one piece of the defensive puzzle. The Hoyas can also count on senior linebacker Robert McCabe, who shattered Georgetown’s single-season record for tackles last season and was named preseason Patriot League defensive player of the year in July.

On offense, however, Georgetown will have something of a new look, in part because a more experienced offensive line should bolster the Blue and Gray’s running game.

“You have to have good running backs, but you have

to block the guys that are trying to get after them,” Kelly said. “I think our offensive line has improved tremendously. I feel like we can be a dual football team now. We can run the football and that helps your pass game as well.”

One example of that newfound maturity is sophomore offensive lineman Mike Roland, who joined McCabe and senior quarterback Isaiah Kempf on the preseason all-Patriot League team.

“Mike is a very hard worker,” Kelly said. “He stayed here all summer to get in good shape, and he’s only going to be a sophomore this year, so we’re really excited about the improvement he’s made since he’s been here.”

While the offensive and defensive situations are set, special teams are up in the air. Georgetown is hosting an open tryout for placekickers on Aug. 30, only two days before the season begins with a trip to Davidson.

Junior punter Matt MacZura has considerable game experience, and junior kicker Devon Papandrew shadowed now-graduated kicker Brett Weiss for the last two seasons but has never seen action for the Hoyas.

“It’s just depth. We’re looking for some practice kickers, or if the guys are better than the ones we’ve got, then they’ll play,” Kelly said.

Georgetown faces a tough slate this fall that includes not only their Patriot League rivals but also three Ivy League schools: Yale, Brown and Princeton.

Before last season, just getting through that list of opponents might have seemed daunting. But with a revamped offense and dominant defense, these Hoyas have put the final piece — confidence — in place.

“The freshman coming in … they’ve seen what they did last year, and they believe we can do well,” Kempf said.

ader McCabe now tops on defense

nferown

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led yers.

[Sophomore defensive lineman] Jordan Richardson was a big part of my season last year and my success last year with everything he did,” McCabe said.

The senior, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs in at 234 pounds, not only is quick on the field but also has a knack for getting into the right places on the gridiron.

“He’s got the physical tools, but he’s [also] a smart football player. He sees things very, very well, and that makes him a good football player,” Head Coach Kevin Kelly said.

Those are skills he has been putting to use at Georgetown since his freshman season, during which he featured in every single game.

“He started playing when he was a freshman. I remember [when] he played against Holy Cross up there when he was a true freshman,” Kelly said. “He made some big plays there, so we knew he was going to be a very good player.”

In fact, McCabe has played in every game during his time on the Hilltop, notching 30 tackles as a freshman and 84 as a sophomore.

As much as Kelly values numbers like that, he also ap-

preciates the leadership McCabe has shown, including his being a team captain this season.

“Rob is a quiet guy. He’s never going to be a ‘rah, rah’ guy or talk too much out there,” Kelly said. “But there is a respect factor that he has with other guys, and that’s what he has as far as leadership is concerned.”

In keeping with the reliance on his leadership, whether McCabe sets the career record for tackles this season will likely depend on his teammates’ collective defensive strength. But the captain is excited about what he sees from them so far. “[This year we have] six or seven defensive linemen that I believe are above-average to very good players who will be able to rotate in and be excited to be in there, running around and making plays,” McCabe said. “[It is] a lot more balanced [on the] defensive line this year, which will be more interesting.”

And while McCabe has filled Schaetzke’s shoes in many ways, he will have a chance to lead that

defensive line to reached: the

one goal Schaetzke never Patriot League title.

Senior linebacker Robert McCabe had 134 tackles in 2011. Courtesy Georgetown Sports Information

8 | August 28, 2012

The Hoya | Fall Sports Preview

STEVE NEUMANN

Hoyas almost missed DESPITE FORGED out on Neumann, now an all-around leader RYAN BACIC

Hoya Staff Writer

When the Hoyas take to the pitch this fall, all eyes will be on standout junior forward Steve Neumann.

But back when he was an undersized teenager, Neumann was much easier to miss. In fact, if not for a personal appeal on his part, he might never have gotten the chance to play on North Kehoe Field at all.

The Pennsylvania native’s game was never in question — the issue was whether his small frame would be able to handle the rigorous nature of Big East play.

“If he had played against UConn, with these huge guys, he would have gotten run over,” Head Coach Brian Wiese said.

Neumann, evidently, thought otherwise. In the spring of his junior year of high school, he asked to commit to Georgetown, without the coaching staff ever having extended an offer.

“We ended up saying ‘OK, fine,’ we’ll take you,” Wiese said. “We said ‘Sure, I guess. Hope we don’t regret using this spot.’”

For Wiese and the Hoyas, that turned out to be a fortuitous decision.

In his senior year, Neumann finally got taller. Now, as he begins his junior season on the Hilltop, Georgetown lists Neumann at six feet. “[When he got his growth spurt,] the physical part of the game had stopped being a problem,” Wiese. said “[But] he had

Junior forward Steve Neumann (18) was elected team captain in May. Courtesy Georgetown Sports Information

developed all these great tools to adapt to not being the biggest guy on the field.”

That makes Neumann something like soccer’s answer to Greg Monroe, a basketball center with point guard skills. And it makes it no surprise that Neumann has enjoyed so much success.

From the beginning of his freshman season, Neumann has been an impact player. He led not only the Hoyas but also the entire Big East in points in his first year, when he also played a key part in Georgetown’s NCAA tournament appearance.

Neumann was also a force nailing free kicks during the campaign, something Wiese said his forward has an “innate knack” for doing. In recognition of all his success, he was named second team all-Big East and first team all-freshmen by Soccer America.

His efforts as a rookie seemed a tough act to follow, but Neumann hit the weight room hard in the offseason and came back better than ever. Scoring 10 goals and notching seven assists, he actually managed to top the previous season’s lofty point total en route to earning a first team all-Big East distinction.

The team has also rallied around Neumann’s leadership, with another honor being his election as a captain as he begins his junior season.

“He’s one of those guys that guys want to follow,” Wiese said. “He’s a natural leader.”

And that’s just one accolade among many for the forward, who was named preseason all-Big East, sits on the Hermann Trophy watch list and is a potential Generation adidas signee for Major League Soccer.

Expectations for Neumann are higher now than they’ve ever been, but if his track record is any indication, the former miniature maestro will more than rise to the occasion.

“He has the potential of being maybe the best player that this program’s ever had,” Wiese said.

Spring break in Barca inspired Blue and Gray to work toward Big East goals RYAN BACIC

Hoya Staff Writer

The Hoyas have set Red Bull Arena, which plays host to the semifinals and finals of the Big East tournament, as this season’s destination. But, in a unique twist, Georgetown’s road to Harrison, N.J., began in Spain.

A spring break trip to Barcelona — nearly 4,000 miles from North Kehoe Field — helped spark renewed dedication among the Blue and Gray. Motivated by having seen some of the world’s best players in action, Georgetown sees its best season yet in reach.

“I think if you look at what the mentality of the team was and some of the things that we were doing before that trip, and [compare it to] what the mentality of the team was after that trip, there’s a really

HUSKIES When the Big East preseason polls were announced on Aug. 6, the league’s coaches voted Georgetown third in the conference’s Blue Division.

Connecticut, ranked No. 1 stark difference,” Head Coach Brian Wiese said. “That trip was a defining moment for a lot of the players individually and also as a group.”

Perhaps the most important part of the trip was Wiese’s decision to take his

August 28, 2012 | 9

The Hoya | Fall Sports Preview

MEN’S SOCCER

FINAL DESTINATION IN JERSEY, GU TEAM ON SPRING TRIP TO SPAIN players to several matches of the world-renowned FC Barcelona club.

Watching the Catalan giants’ starstudded senior team was unsurprisingly a major highlight of the Hoyas’ time abroad, but it was actually the youngsters, in the end, that would leave the biggest impression. “[When watching the Barcelona youth teams,] the guys aren’t seeing [Lionel] Messi and they’re not seeing [Andrés] Iniesta, they’re seeing people they don’t know yet,” Wiese said.

“But they’re also seeing kids that are their own age. They can see a little bit of themselves in there and go, ‘That guy’s pretty good, but we’re close.’”

Sensing that their abilities weren’t too far off from Barcelona’s next generation of all-worlders had a profound impact on the Georgetown players. And coupled with a personal training session with the coaching staff of RCD Espanyol, another La Liga club, Wiese began to see a renewed vigor in his team.

And it wasn’t as if the squad had been slouches the past two seasons.

After making a run in the NCAA tournament in 2010, the Hoyas finished 10-5-4 last year, good enough

top this season, since they are also blessed with a boatload of talent.

After a prolific 2011 season, junior forward Steve Neumann was named to the Hermann Trophy watch list, and he would be a potential Generation adidas candidate for Major League Soccer if he were to leave after this season. Senior centerback Tommy Muller is reportedly getting some looks from scouts as well.

In the net, meanwhile, is U.S. U-20 national team keeper and Georgetown sophomore Tomas Gomez, who boasted a 0.89 goals-against average last season as a rookie.

Wiese noted, however, that every single player on their roster is capable of stepping up, and that rings true between the pipes, too. Even though Gomez has a shot at the American roster for next summer’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, junior Keon Parsa is pushing Gomez hard to earn starts on the Hilltop.

“This preseason, I think the one noticeable difference from any of the other [teams] that I’ve had here

ATOP BIG EAST in the Soccer America preseason poll, was tabbed to finish first in the division.

Louisville, Notre Dame and St. John’s join UConn as Big East teams in the national rankings.

In perhaps the most important home game of the season, the Hoyas play host to the Huskies on Oct. 3, with Big East tournament seeding potentially on the line.

for a midpack finish in the Big East.

In their first game of the season , Georgetown notched a 2-1 overtime victory over Virginia.

More performances like that could very well put Georgetown over the

before is that from [players] No. 1 through 25, every one of them can play,” Wiese said.

The improve-to-survive attitude players must take leads to success in soccer. Just ask Barcelona.

As Georgetown experienced firsthand in March, there’s a lot the Hoyas can take from them along their road to Red Bull Arena.

Junior midfielder Joey Dillon takes a header in the Hoyas 2-1 win over Virginia Aug. 24.

Courtesy Georgetown Sports Information

10 | August 28, 2012

The Hoya | Fall Sports Preview

FIELD HOCKEY

AFTER NINE LOSING SEASONS, HOYAS LOOK TO BREAK OUT Ten seniors look to end career with a finish in Big East’s upper echelon EVAN HOLLANDER Hoya Staff Writer

You might expect optimism within the Georgetown field hockey program to be in short supply, considering the team hasn’t had a winning season since 2002.

But with a wealth of experience from 10 seniors, the team is hopeful that 2012 will be its breakout year.

“At the end of the day, it’s always disappointing. We want more,” Head Coach Tiffany Marsh said. “[But] we have

TALE OF THE TAPE

STRUGGLING SENIORS

11-46

Georgetown’s record over the past three seasons.

HIT THE ROAD, JACK GU plays its “home” games 12 miles away in College Park, making every game a road trip.

TOUGH SLATE Big East teams are among the best in the country, with three squads in the top 25.

our big group here that has the experience under their belt of competing in the Big East for the last three years.”

The team finished last season 3-15, but a win over Providence in the final game of the season was perhaps the most important. Because only the league’s top four teams are invited to the Big East tournament, Georgetown has to raise its game in conference play and beat teams like Providence.

“I think that we can compete for one of those spots. We’re aiming [to beat] Rutgers, Villanova and Providence.

We’re always all fighting for that spot and trying to get in there,” Marsh said.

“Right now, I think that we have the experience and talent level to actually be a contender, and they have no choice but to take us seriously now.”

And after three years of futility — the team is a combined 11-46 since the current crop of seniors arrived on the Hilltop — senior forward Annie Wilson thinks the Hoyas now have the tools to compete in the Big East. “[We have] a lot more game knowledge and game sense on the field at all times and [have been] able to pass that knowledge to the freshman who are coming in. Being able to have 10 people who really have been on the field in every game for three years now helps with game strategy.”

The eight incoming freshmen have already begun contributing in practice, helping to raise the level of competition for the whole squad.

“The younger classes are pushing the older class, and the older class is leading as an example of where they need to be,” Marsh said. “It’s been a healthy competition and a healthy dynamic, I think, between all of them,” Early outings seem to confirm Marsh’s thoughts as the Hoyas split a pair of games over the weekend in Davidson, N.C. Georgetown defeated Appalachian State, 3-2, but fell to Davidson, 4-0.

Even though these results were encouraging for a team that only won three games last season, Georgetown

must also contend with playing their “home” games in College Park, Md. “We will be

on the road every game.

We are in one of the best conferences in the country, so that’s always going to be the tough part of our season,” Marsh said. “It’s really just taking it one game at a time.”

That mentality will be critical if Georgetown is going to improve its league record and earn a berth to the Big East tournament. But it’s something the Hoyas are determined to make a reality.

“We’ve all stuck with it the last four years and want to make something of our senior year and really prove that we’re here to help build this program,” Wilson said.

Senior forward Catherine Shugrue was all-Big East in 2010 but missed out on the honor in 2011. Courtesy Georgetown Sports Information

August 28, 2012 | 11

The Hoya | Fall Sports Preview

MEN’S BASKETBALL

JUICE ’CUSE! Georgetown to close 30-year rivalry with the Orange in March PAT CURRAN

Hoya Staff Writer

Sophomore forward Otto Porter needs another season like his breakout 2012.

WEB LESLIE/THE HOYA

Last year, a young Georgetown men’s basketball team exceeded all expectations by going 24-9 and making the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Now, they have to do it all over again.

Guard Jason Clark and center Henry Sims graduated last spring, and the Hoyas also lost junior forward Hollis Thompson to the NBA. They will begin this season with no seniors, no returning double-digit scorers and a huge question mark at center.

Because of the team’s youth, analysts who have dared to speculate about the upcoming season predict a middling year for the Blue and Gray — ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, for example, has George-

town pegged as a No. 8 seed in his early Bracketology projections.

There’s no denying that the Hoyas are green, but many of the key players in last season’s unexpected success are returning for at least one more year. Sophomore forward Otto Porter, in particular, has wowed scouts at summer leagues and skills camps and would likely be a first-round pick in the NBA draft should he declare after this season.

Georgetown’s other best returning weapon is Head Coach John Thompson III. The son of the legendary John Thompson Jr. turned in a masterful coaching performance last season, employing the considerable length of Porter and fellow sophomore forward Greg Whittington to form an unorthodox but nearly impenetrable 2-3 zone defense. At times, four of five players on the court stood 6-foot-8 or higher.

The improvement of junior point guard Markel Starks and emergence of freshman combo guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera will likely force Thompson III to run with a more traditional lineup this year, but the Blue and Gray should still boast a staunch defense.

The uncertainty lies in scoring: Porter averaged 9.7 points per game last year, but rarely created his own shot. Starks has a nose for the rim but gets in early foul trouble often. Thompson III will need Whittington and Smith-Rivera to step up on the offensive end for the Hoyas to surprise critics again.

All of this remains speculation until Nov. 9, however, when

Georgetown opens up its 2012-13 campaign against Florida in spectacular fashion aboard the USS Bataan, an aircraft carrier anchored at Jacksonville, Fla.’s Mayport Naval Station.

After the tip-off, the Blue and Gray will not catch a break. The nonconference slate includes games against Texas and Tennessee, as well as an appearance in the Legends Classic alongside powerhouses Indiana and UCLA. If the Hoyas can pull out a few big wins from the bruising November lineup, they will likely be nationally ranked at the start of the Big East campaign.

Marquette, Pittsburgh and Louisville will all visit Verizon Center this year, but the marquee event is undeniably a showdown with archrival Syracuse in March.

Because the Orange are leaving the league for the ACC at the end of the season, it will be the last chance the Hoya faithful have to jeer at orange-clad New Yorkers in the Verizon Center rafters, at least for a while.

With so many variables, this team could go to the Final Four, miss the tournament entirely or — most likely — end up somewhere in between. The team is young and the schedule daunting, but Thompson III’s reign on the Hilltop has been characterized by nothing if not defying expectations — both good and bad. Fans should expect a wild ride.

MORE MAKES THAN MISSES

184-81

JTIII’s record over eight seasons at Georgetown

FROM KICKOFF TO THE FINAL BUZZER SEPT. 15, 7 P.M. MULTISPORT FACILITY

OCT. 3, 3 P.M. NORTH KEHOE FIELD

OCT. 12, 3 P.M. NORTH KEHOE FIELD

There are three Ivies on Georgetown’s schedule, but Yale is likely the most formidable nonconference foe.

Connecticut is ranked No. 1 in the national preseason poll and is one of GU’s Blue Division rivals.

Notre Dame, tabbed first in GU’s Big East division, will travel to the Hilltop for this late-season clash.

SEPT. 15, 7 P.M. MCDONOUGH ARENA

SEPT. 14, 4 P.M. COLLEGE PARK, MD.

NOV. 9, TBD A TV NEAR YOU

The Hoyas will get a crack at one of the conference’s best teams when they play Marquette.

The Blue and Gray look to repeat over Providence, the only Big East team they beat in 2011.

Sure, basketball isn’t a fall sport. But everyone is ready to see the Hoyas in the Carrier Classic.

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED FOR THE BIGGEST GAMES THIS FALL @thehoyasports

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