Saturday Roundup

What's the best way to control one of the best players in the sport? Don't let him on the field.

For 45 minutes on Saturday, Georgetown did just that. In a defensive struggle, the No. 19 Hoyas led No. 4 Denver 5-3 entering the fourth quarter, effectively limiting Team USA faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste to a bit role. But Baptiste found a way to make his presence felt when it mattered most.

Baptiste won the faceoff to open the fourth quarter and scored nine seconds into the period to pull the Pioneers to within one goal. He won the next faceoff to give the Pioneers another possession and Joe Reid scored the game-tying goal with 12:51 to play.

Georgetown's Riley Mann won the next faceoff, but after a lengthy possession Denver's Dylan Johnson forced a turnover and Colin Rutan scored what proved to be the game-winning goal with 7:20 left in the game. It was the second straight game-winning goal for Rutan, who netted the winner in overtime last week against Towson.

Baptiste, who has scored five goals in the last three games, won 12-of-15 faceoffs in the game to move into second place in NCAA history for career faceoff wins. Baptiste now has 1,030 career wins, passing Delaware's Alex Smith (2004-07), who had 1,027 in his career. Kevin Massa of Bryant (2012-2015) holds the all-time record with 1,117.

Ethan Walker led Denver with two goals and an assist and sophomore goalie Josh Matte, making just his third career start, made seven saves, including three in the fourth quarter, to earn the win as the Pioneers defense matched its best effort of the season. Denver held Air Force to five goals in an 11-5 victory back on Feb. 10.

Georgetown goalie Nick Marrocco made nine saves, helping hold Denver's offense to one first-half goal for the second straight game.

Craig Berge led Georgetown's offense with back-to-back goals in the first half to ignite a three-goal run that gave the Hoyas a 3-1 lead that they took into the halftime break. Denver's Walker sandwiched goals around Berge's third tally before Georgetown's Lucas Wittenberg scored with 1:47 left in the third quarter to give the Hoyas the 5-3 lead entering the fourth.