Connor Bros. Keys to Georgetown's Hopes of Ending Semifinal Drought

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Liam and Rory Connor were supposed to make their Georgetown debuts on Jan. 31, only the weather didn’t cooperate. A week later, it was the same deal.

So when the Colgate transfers and new Hoya attackmen arrived at Franklin Field last weekend, there was a bit of relief tossed in with the usual excitement of a season opener.

“I said to Rory before the game against Penn, ‘I’ve been waiting to throw on the Georgetown uniform for the first time since I committed here,’” Liam Connor said. “It was definitely a little bit more delayed than we would have liked, but it was an unbelievable feeling to finally do that.”

The wait was worth it for Georgetown, as two of the most prized portal options paid off in a hurry. Rory Connor scored seven goals on nine shots and added an assist. Liam Connor had five assists, three to his older brother. And the Hoyas pulled away in the second half for a 12-9 victory.

Things don’t always go according to plan — to wit, those postponements against Loyola and Johns Hopkins — but it offered a glimpse of what Georgetown hoped it would get when it landed two of the Patriot League’s top players from a year ago.

And it was one in a string of reminders to the Connors of the value of playing a third year of college ball together.

“Once you get to college, you love all your teammates, but I think it’s a little bit different when it’s your brother,” Rory said. “It’s just one of those things that after we’ll score a goal, if one of us passes to the other, it just feels a little different when it’s your brother.”

It happened a lot over the last two years.

Rory, a 6-1, 195-pound graduate student, amassed 113 goals and 81 assists over four years at Colgate. But his freshman year was cut short by injury, so he knew he could use a medical hardship waiver to play a fifth season going into last spring.

He committed to Georgetown even before enjoying a career year with the Raiders, a 49-goal, 33-assist effort that also included a major part in Colgate’s first NCAA tournament berth in a decade.

For Georgetown coach Kevin Warne, it was a chance to add a smart, athletic, left-handed player. And for Rory Connor, it offered a chance to play for a successful program at a quality school while pursuing a graduate degree.

“At the time I got hurt, I was definitely bummed,” Rory said. “I missed my freshman year, and we had some great players that year I was looking forward to playing with. But I think looking back, it’s definitely a bit of a blessing in disguise given that I got this extra year of eligibility.”

Meanwhile, the 6-4, 205-pound Liam Connor enjoyed a breakout 39-goal, 51-assist as a sophomore, emerging as an imposing force as Colgate’s fortunes rose, fell and rose again. He had three goals and five assists in an upset of Army in the Patriot League semifinals, then tacked on four more goals as the Raiders routed Boston University two days later to lock up an NCAA berth.

Liam announced his intention to transfer days after Colgate’s 13-11 loss at Penn State in the first round of the tournament, and Georgetown quickly reached out. But Warne was careful about how he pitched his program, even though there was already a tie.

“We wanted to make sure he went through his process, and it had to be about Liam,” said Warne, whose team visits Notre Dame (2-0) on Sunday. “Yes, the icing on the cake is play with your brother. But it wasn’t, ‘Your brother did this, your brother did that.’ It was, ‘Hey, do you want to be here? Because you’re going to be here for a year and he won’t be.’”

Rory Connor had a similar approach, letting his younger brother come to his own decision. And there were clear upsides even before the family connection came into play.

Georgetown has won a Division I-record seven consecutive conference tournaments, re-establishing itself as a postseason regular. It has made four quarterfinal appearances in the last five years.

And Warne and offensive coordinator John Hogan have a history of deftly blending transfers into the Hoyas’ system — among them Tucker Dordevic and ex-Colgate attackman Brian Minicus in 2023, Alexander Vardaro in 2024 and Fulton Bayman last year.

“For every reason [Rory] chose to come here I think was all the more reason why I wanted to come,” Liam said. “It’s a great team, a great culture, obviously led by unbelievable individuals at the top. Having him here was a big attraction as well.”

For any program, there’s usually some adjustment period for incoming transfers. They’ve often played, two, three, even four years elsewhere, and they’re tasked with integrating themselves into a different team and scheme.

It’s no different for the Connors, and Georgetown spent the fall figuring out how to play to the brothers’ strengths. But they possess a significant advantage — a familiarity with their respective games that goes back more than a decade.

“I do think that’s some of the secret sauce,” Warne said. “They’re brothers, and I’m sure they’ve messed around in the backyard or broken some windows at the house or there’s dents in the fence or a neighbor’s yard. They just have that unique connection that you can’t coach. People may think, ‘That’s unbelievable.’ We didn’t teach that. That’s just them being them.”

The Connors being the Connors was an influential part in the Raiders’ return to the postseason. While it’s months away, perhaps they’ll be a part of ending another May drought. Georgetown hasn’t reached the NCAA semifinals since 1999.

“Last year playing in the NCAA tournament, seeing the blue patch on the jersey was definitely a special feeling,” Rory said. “It made me a little bit hungry heading into this year. It was a short run last year, but knowing I got a taste of it last year and obviously we’re working toward playing a couple more games in the tournament.”