PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Freshman Angelo Ventrella scored twice, including a crucial 76th-minute equalizer, to earn Providence a 2-2 draw against No. 11 Georgetown on Friday evening at Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium. The result clinched the Friars' spot in the 2025 Big East Tournament – the program's 25th all-time appearance – before a spirited home crowd.
Georgetown seized early control through efficient counterattacking. The Hoyas struck first in the 25th minute when Mateo Ponce Ocampo's centering pass found Mitchell Baker, who finished to give the visitors the lead. Georgetown doubled their advantage in the 34th minute when Zach Zengue pounced on a rebound from David Urrutia's initial shot to make it 2-0.
Providence's response was immediate and emphatic. Less than a minute after Georgetown's second goal, Ventrella slid a shot past Hoyas goalkeeper Tenzing Manske to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 34th minute, with Ian Abbey providing the assist. The quick strike gave the Friars crucial momentum heading into halftime, despite trailing on the scoreboard.
Providence dominated possession in the first half (56%-44%) and outshot Georgetown 10-5, serving notice that the match was far from decided. That territorial advantage grew even more pronounced after the break as the Friars controlled 57% of possession and pinned Georgetown deep in their own half.
The Friars' relentless pressure finally yielded the equalizer in the 76th minute. Pearse O'Brien delivered a dangerous corner kick that found Ventrella, who finished his second goal of the night to level the match at 2-2. The goal marked the first multi-goal performance of Ventrella's freshman campaign and gave O'Brien his sixth assist of the season.
Providence's defensive unit – Charlie Dickerson, Brandon Marshall, Vasco Teixeira, and Mitchel Varley – stifled Georgetown's attack in the second half, limiting the Hoyas to just one shot after intermission. Goalkeeper Ryan Carney made one save while commanding his area confidently throughout.
The final statistics reflected Providence's dominance: the Friars outshot Georgetown 16-6 overall and held a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. Providence also won six corner kicks to Georgetown's two, maintaining constant pressure until the final whistle.
The draw improved Providence to 6-6-3 overall and 4-2-2 in Big East play, securing their tournament berth. Georgetown moved to 10-3-4 and 6-0-2 in conference, maintaining their position atop the Big East standings. Remarkably, these teams will meet again on Thursday, November 13, in the Big East Tournament semifinals at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland, where top-seeded Georgetown will host the fourth-seeded Friars. Second-seeded Akron will face third-seeded UConn in the other semifinal.
Standout Performers: Ventrella scored both Providence goals in the comeback effort, with four of his five season goals coming in Big East play. O'Brien's creative corner kick delivery proved decisive, while Providence's backline held Georgetown to one second-half shot in a dominant defensive display.