Casey's Goal Lifts Georgetown Past Penn State, 10-9; Hoyas Win ECAC Title
May 6, 2006
Washington, D.C. - Junior Trevor Casey (Bethesda, Md./Georgetown Prep) scored an unassisted goal with 45 seconds left and fifth-ranked Georgetown scored two goals in the final minute of the fourth quarter en route to a 10-9 win over Penn State in front at Jeffrey Field in State College, Pa. on Saturday afternoon. The win clinched the 2006 ECAC League Championship for Georgetown. It is the team's second title in the last three years (2004) and the program's fifth league crown since the ECAC was formed in 2000. It was a game in which Penn State, ranked No. 15 in the country, led from the start, but Georgetown was able to keep things within reach before escaping with the thrilling win. It was a bit of a pay-back for the Hoyas as well, since the Nittany Lions posted a 13-12 overtime win at Georgetown in last year's regular season finale. On Saturday afternoon, the Nittany Lions took an 8-4 lead in the later stages of the third quarter on a goal from Bubba Scott, but the Hoyas scored three goals in a span of 2:14 to make it 8-7. Nate Whitaker scored to give Penn State a 9-7 lead after three quarters, but Georgetown pulled to within one, 9-8, when sophomore Andrew Baird (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) took a feed from senior Garret Wilson (Ardmore, Pa./Episcopal Academy) and scored with 14:06 to play. The Hoyas continued to press, taking six shots, but could not get the equalizer in. Penn State turned the ball over with just under a minute left in regulation and senior Rob Smith (Mahopac, N.Y./Somers) picked up the ground ball. Senior Pete Cannon (Haverford, Pa./The Haverford School) then scored his second goal of the game to tie it at 9-all with 52 seconds left.
Penn State won the ensuing face-off, but Casey picked up a ground ball after a Nittany Lion turnover and blasted a shot past Drew Adams, giving Georgetown its first lead, 10-9, with 45 seconds left. Junior middie Christiaan Trunz (Manhasset, N.Y./Chaminade) won his 12th face-off in 23 attempts immediately after the goal and the Hoyas maintained control to escape with the thrilling win and the ECAC Championship. The Nittany Lions scored the first goal of the game just over two minutes into play, but senior Sean Denihan (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset), with an assist from sophomore Brendan Cannon (Haverford, Pa./The Haverford School), scored just over a minute later to tie the game at 1-all. A goal from Pat Heim with 1:43 to play in the quarter gave Penn State a 2-1 lead. The Nittany Lions extended their lead to 4-1 after goals from Gil Pearsall and Greg Gurenlian in the first four minutes of the second quarter. Brendan Cannon scored to pull Georgetown to within 4-2 with 7:27 to play before halftime and graduate student Mike White (Westwood, Mass./St. Sebastian's) added another to make it 4-3. The teams traded goals in the final minute, with Baird netting his first on an assist from White, and it was 5-4 Penn State at the break. Penn State, however, scored three unanswered goals to start the second half and opened up an 8-4 lead. That's when the Hoyas responded, scoring three times in the span of 2:14 to make it 8-7. Pete Cannon scored an unassisted goal at 5:24, Wilson scored at 4:00 on an assist from Baird and Brendan Cannon fed freshman Jake Samperton (Bethesda, Md./The Landon School) as the lead was cut to one goal. Whitaker scored with five seconds left in the third quarter to bring the lead back to two goals, but the Hoyas would end the game in thrilling fashion. Brendan Cannon finished with one goal and three assists, while Baird added two goals and an assist. Other multiple-point scoreers included White and Wilson, who had a goal and an assist apiece. Eight differnt players scored the Hoyas 10 goals. Sophomore goalie Miles Kass (Rye, N.Y./Hotchkiss) entered the game in the fourth quarter and was credited with the win. Graduate student Rich D'Andrea (Belle Mead, N.J./The Peddie School) played the first three quarters, making six saves. Georgetown took 39 shots, while Penn State had 34. The Nittany Lions had 44 ground balls to the Hoyas' 38, the first time since the season opener an opponent had more than Georgetown. Selections for the 2006 NCAA Tournament will be announced on Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. It will be broadcast live on ESPNews. |
