This post was written by Hatchet reporter Rob Bartnichak.
Senior Brian Mojica and junior Bogdan Petkovic each set program records on Sunday in a 14-12 loss to No. 8 Princeton.
Mojica set up Petkovic with 2:13 left in the first period for his 159th career assist, passing David Zenk for the most in program history. Mojica ended the game with one goal and a team-high four assists in a single game.
Petkovic also passed former teammate Guy Hellman with an all-time high 56 career field blocks.
But the team’s loss to Princeton – the second in a row after a loss to Bucknell on Saturday – overshadowed the program records.
“We lost so I don’t really want to celebrate anything like that,” Mojica said. “It’s a team sport so individual records don’t really mean anything.”
After leading 4-3 at the end of the first period, the Colonials watched their lead disappear after giving up six goals, including four in a row, in the second period.
Princeton would never relinquish that lead and head coach Scott Reed said a series of errors led to the Colonial’s downfall.
“It was a game of mistakes today,” Reed said. “We made some pretty key mistakes and they made us pay the price.”
Senior Ridvan Pehlivan paced the offensive attack for GW, scoring a team-high six goals. Freshman Pierce Deamer scored three goals and led the team on defense with three blocks.
Reed, Mojica, and Pehlivan blamed the team’s back-to-back losses this weekend on a lack of focus and Pehlivan said the team made too many mistakes on plays that needed to be converted.
“It was all mental mistakes today and we need to focus more,” Pehlivan said. “We weren’t mentally prepared for these games.”
Reed said the team also needs to continue working on its defensive play after the Colonials gave up a total of 28 goals in two games this weekend. GW suffered a 14-8 loss against Bucknell on Saturday.
“We need more consistency on defense,” Reed said. “We have flashes of what we’re supposed to do but then there’s a lot of flashes of breakdown and we make mistakes.”
The Colonials continue conference play next weekend with rematches against Bucknell on Saturday and Princeton on Sunday.
