WASHINGTON, D.C. – The prognosticators all expected a shootout in the Yale-Georgetown first round NCAA Tournament game, and the two teams sure delivered. In the end, two goals from the Hoyas in the final four minutes was the difference as Georgetown, the No. 7 seed, advanced with a wild, 19-17 victory over the Bulldogs on a rainy afternoon at Cooper Field.
 
"It was two great teams throwing haymakers," said Andy Shay, The Forst Family Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "We left it all out there and have no regrets. Georgetown is a great team."
 
Another successful season ends for Yale with a 9-6 record. The Bulldogs reached the championship game of the Ivy League Tournament and earned an NCAA bid for the seventh straight season. The future certainly seems bright as well. The top nine scorers along with a slew of other talented contributors return.
 
Yale got off to a great start against Georgetown. Six different Bulldogs scored in the first quarter as Yale built an 8-3 lead. The second quarter, though, belonged to the Hoyas, who outscored the Bulldogs 7-1 and had 10-9 halftime lead.
 
The third quarter brought another flurry of goals. Georgetown scored the first two, but Yale answered with the next three. Leo Johnson's third goal of the quarter gave Yale a 15-13 lead, but the Hoyas scored twice in a 41-second stretch, and the teams headed to the final stanza all tied at 15.
 
Georgetown struck first in the fourth, but Patrick Hackler tied it for the Bulldogs. Brian Minicus gave the Hoyas the lead again, but Matt Brandau answered to the tie the score at 17, setting up the dramatic finish.
 
Minicus' fourth goal of the game with 3:49 left turned out to be the game-winner. Nicky Solomon then scored with 2:32 remaining and a flag down for a Yale infraction, which helped the Hoyas hold onto the lead.
 
Chris Lyons scored four goals to lead the Yale attack. He finishes an outstanding season with 62 goals, which ties for the second most in a season in school history and are the most ever by a sophomore at Yale. Johnson, also a sophomore, and Brandau scored three goals apiece. Max Krevsky added two goals, while Hackler, Thomas Bragg, Kyle Zawadzki, Carson Kuhl and Logan Soelberg all had one goal.
 
Brandau and Johnson each had two assists.
 
Georgetown, which has now won 13 straight games, had a 50-42 edge in shots.
 
Nicholas Ramsey won 20-of-36 faces for the Bulldogs.
 
Goalie Jared Paquette finished with 12 saves for Yale. Danny Hincks stopped 10 shots for the Hoyas.
 
Tucker Dordevic, one of five Tewaaraton Award finalists, scored six goals to pace Georgetown, which will face Virginia in the quarterfinals next Saturday in Albany.