WASHINGTON, DC – The George Washington women's lacrosse team nearly pulled off the biggest upset in program history, but 10th-ranked Georgetown scored two of the game's final three goals to deal the Colonials an 11-10 defeat in both teams' season opener at Mount Vernon Field Wednesday.

Sophomore attacker Mia Breheny (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton) scored her career-high fourth goal of the game with 2:45 remaining to pull GW to within a goal at 11-10. Senior Caitlin Garman (Baltimore, MD/Friends School) made one of her career-high 18 saves to give the Colonials possession with just over a minute to play, but shots in the waning seconds by junior Katherine Sampson (Larchmont, NY/Mamaroneck) and senior Lindsay Melvin (Ellicott City, MD/Mount Hebron) missed target.

GW (0-1), the defending Atlantic 10 regular season co-champion, came out of the gates strong, taking a 3-1 lead on the nationally ranked Hoyas just 3:31 into the game. Breheny tallied her first collegiate goal 26 seconds into the contest, while Melvin and senior preseason All-American Katelyn Honeyford (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) added goals for the early two-goal cushion.

Georgetown (1-0) tallied three unanswered goals and five of the next six to assume a 6-4 lead with 5:34 to play in the first half.

Sampson got her first goal of the season on an assist from senior Kristin Karcsh (Kennett Square, PA/Bishop Shanahan) with 10 seconds left in the period to pull the Colonials to within a goal, 6-5, at the intermission. Karcsh extended her consecutive point-scored to streak to 19 games with the assist.

Junior Katie Lilly (Riva, MD/South River) scored her first collegiate goal 55 seconds into the second half to pull even at 6-6. GU's Ashby Kaestner netted her first of four second-half goals just 16 seconds later and the Hoyas twice grabbed two-goal leads over the next 14 minutes.

Trailing 9-7, Melvin connected with senior Laura Wunk (Ellicott City, MD/Mount Hebron) to slice the deficit to one and Sampson scored unassisted with 8:09 left to bring GW even at 9-9.

Kaestner took over, scoring back-to-back goals, the first on a free-position attempt and the unassisted game-winner with 3:17 to play. Kaestner finished with six goals and two assists, followed by three goals and three assists from Molly Ford.

Honeyford led GW with four ground balls and two caused turnovers. Sampson added a team-high three draw controls to go along with two goals. GW was outshot, 38-22.

GW hosts No. 9 Johns Hopkins at Mount Vernon Field next Tuesday, February 26, at 3:30 pm.

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Washington, D.C. - Sophomore Ashby Kaestner (Trappe, Md./Saints Peter and Paul) netted a career-high six goals to lift the tenth-ranked Georgetown University women's lacrosse team to an 11-10 over George Washington at Mount Vernon Field on Wednesday afternoon in the season opener for both schools.

Hoya sophomore Molly Ford (Reisterstown, Md./Notre Dame Prep) tallied career highs with three goals and three assists while freshman Lauren Thomas (Alexandria, Va./St. Stephen's & St. Agnes), who played the final 7:35 in the net, made two huge saves in the final 32 seconds to help seal the victory.

Senior tri-captain Patty Piotrowicz (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) posted a goal and four draws for Georgetown which improves to 8-1 in season openers since the 2000 season.

"We had a bunch of kids see some extended game action for the first time in their careers," said fourth year head coach Ricky Fried . "I think we got some first game jitters out of our system. Ashby (Kaestner) was great, producing when we need it most and Lauren (Thomas) did a terrific job stepping up when we asked her to."

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2008-02-20