Professional PLL
06:00 PM
Jul 19
Phi
Den
“I saw some green, so I took advantage of it,” Declan McDermott said.
The Georgetown junior midfielder received a pass from Graham Bundy Jr. at the top of the offensive zone, set his feet and rifled a low and away shot past Denver’s Jack Thompson. The overtime winner avenged the Hoyas’ only loss of the season, but carried even more meaning during homecoming at Cooper Field in a matchup of the Big East’s top two teams.
The 11-10 victory was No. 11 Georgetown’s first regular season win in program history over No. 7 Denver.
DECLAN MCDERMOTT DAGGER @HoyasMLacrosse down @DU_MLAX 11-10 in overtime for its first regular season win over the Pioneers.
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) April 17, 2021
Watson: 4G
McElroy: 14 saves pic.twitter.com/qgTRHE8TBC
“We knew that it was going to be a very tough game,” McDermott said on FS2 after he was mobbed by his teammates. “Wasn’t expecting overtime, but we knew it was going to be a close one coming down to the end.”
After Denver took a 3-0 lead within the first four minutes, Georgetown clawed claw back and cut the Pioneers’ advantage to one goal six different times over the next 40 minutes.
McDermott dodged down the right alley and found the back of the net for his first goal of the game to make the score 9-8 with 1:44 to play in the third quarter
The goal triggered a 3-0 run for Hoyas, who fell 13-7 in its first meeting at Denver earlier this spring. Dylan Watson, who did not play in that game and recently transitioned back to attack after Colgate grad transfer Nick Petkevich moved up to midfield, caught a cross field pass from Wallace Halpert and scored a short-handed goal in transition while absorbing a late hit from Malik Sparrow. Watson’s fourth goal of the afternoon tied the game for the first time since 0-0.
Five minutes later Jake Carraway dodged from X and curled top side before rifling home a shot that gave the Hoyas its first lead.
Jake Carraway from x with the BLAST. @HoyasMLacrosse take the 10-9 lead late against @DU_MLAX. pic.twitter.com/SHevMKBX9e
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) April 17, 2021
Ethan Walker (three goals, one assist), however, answered after he slipped a pick and got an open shot from the wing to tie the game at 10 with 2:38 to play. Denver had a chance to pull out the win in regulation, but Owen McElroy made his 14th save (.583 percentage) on a shot from Walker in the final minute.
James Reilly won 16-of-24 faceoffs against Denver’s characteristically dominant duo of TD Ierlan (4-of-12) and Alec Stathakis (4-of-12). Reilly won the clamp against Ierlan on the opening draw in overtime and popped it forward to himself to secure possession.
The Pioneers did not get another opportunity.
UNC Dominates Syracuse at the Dome
Despite the unpredictable nature of the ACC in 2021, there are a few knowns.
One of them: North Carolina’s offense is really, really good, or in the words of ESPN announcer Anish Shroff, symphonic.
The No. 5 Tar Heels played all the right notes in a 21-9 win over No. 10 Syracuse and bounced back after consecutive losses to Duke and Virginia. Twelve different players scored and seven players had at least two goals. Likely Tewaaraton award finalist Chris Gray delivered eight points on two goals and six assists and Princeton graduate transfer had a hattrick for the second game in a row.
The 21 goals are the most the Tar Heels have put up against an ACC foe in 27 years.
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) April 17, 2021
UNC started the game with a 5-0 run and the offense that only been held to fewer than 16 goals twice this season didn’t look back. The Tar Heels outshot the Orange 58 to 38 and Zac Tucci won 15-of-23 face-offs. Freshman Collin Krieg made 13 saves.
Syracuse fifth year senior goalie Drake Porter had 16 saves Tucker Dordevic scored four goals in the loss keeps the Orange (5-4) (1-3) on the bottom looking up in the ACC standings. Syracuse was tabbed to win the conference by the ACC Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll.
Kurtz and Kitchen Lead Delaware To OT Win Over Hofstra
The second the ball hit the back of the net in overtime, Tye Kurtz turned, pointed, and raced towards Charlie Kitchen. The Delaware attackmen combined for 15 points, including Kurtz’ OT winner over No. 12 Hofstra that Kitchen assisted.
KITCHEN KURTZ @DelawareMLAX wins it 14-13 in overtime on Tye Kurtz’s close-range goal. pic.twitter.com/nAMAIiiSvl
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) April 17, 2021
Kitchen finished with six goals and three assists while Kurtz supplied four goals and two assists in the 14-13 contest that lifted No. 14 Delaware (8-1)(5-1 CAA) back into the win column after the Blue Hens fell 12-9 to No. 17 Drexel.
Ryan Tierney (1 goal, 1 assist) broke the Hofstra program career points record in the loss.
Delaware’s win provides another example of how its offense can get hot at any moment. The Blue Hens trailed 10-6 entering the fourth quarter before Kitchen and crew caught fire. The offense scored seven unanswered goals in five minutes and 10 seconds to pull ahead 13-10 with 8:07 to play after Kurtz scored on an extra man opportunity.
The Pride weren’t done, however, and scored three goals in the final 49 seconds. Tierney capped the last minute comeback and forced overtime with role dodge and a bit of magic along the goal line.
TIERNEY TO THE CAGE.
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) April 17, 2021
OVERTIME WE GO. @HofstraMLAX scores twice in the final 30 seconds. pic.twitter.com/vSEbGCNk0E
But in overtime, Kitchen drew most of the attention from the Hofstra defense and made them pay for it by finding Kurtz open on the crease.
Delaware will look to build off the win in its second meeting of the season next weekend at Towson. The Blue Hens prevailed 13-12 in overtime against the Tigers last month. Hofstra (6-4) (3-3) will look to rebound against Drexel after two consecutive conference losses in the past week.
Rutgers Offense Too Much To Handle For Johns Hopkins
After Cole Williams tied the game with his fourth goal at the 6:19 mark in the third quarter, it looked as though there was potential for something we haven’t seen thus far in the Big Ten: An upset of one of its top two teams.
It didn’t happen. No. 6 Rutgers (7-2) rallied late and closed the game on a 6 goal run to get past Johns Hopkins 17-11.
The Scarlet Knights’ veteran attack unit once again led scoring this time with a combined 18 points. Adam Charalambides had himself a day with six goals, including a natural hattrick late in the third quarter, and two assists. That outing combined with productive games from Connor Kirst (4 goals, 2 assists) and Kieran Mullins’s (2g, 2a) showed why the trio is one of most difficult units to guard not only in the Big Ten, but the country.
Colin Kirst continued to impress with 15 saves in the winning effort.
Williams had five points on four goals and one assist in the loss and Joey Epstein got back on the score sheet with two goals and two assists.
Navy Weathers Comeback, Outlasts No. 15 Loyola
Just when it seemed like the Midshipmen’s upset bid against Loyola was their falling out of their grasp, Jeff Durden took the result into his hands. The senior long-stick middie from Georgia swarmed in off the face-off wing, collected the loose ball then made a beeline for the goal. His second goal of the game broke a 12-12 tie and proved the difference in Navy’s 14-12 win over No. 15 Loyola.
The victory for the Midshipmen (4-3) (2-2 PL), who fell 14-10 to the Greyhounds (5-5)(3-3 PL) two weeks ago in Annapolis, seemed like it would not require much drama early on. Navy built a 6-0 lead halfway through the first quarter, during which junior attackman Jack Sweeney scored three goals. Four players for Navy scored at least two goals.
But after Navy extended its lead to 12-6 with 9:43 to play in the third quarter, the Greyhounds raced back with a 6-0 scoring streak of its own. Evan James’ tally tied the game on a man up opportunity from the left wing the left win with 4:59 remaining in the fourth.
Durden answered nine seconds later. Spencer Rees (15 saves, .556 sv. percentage) then made an impressive stop on Peter Swindell with 3:27 to play. Christian Daniel, who had five assists, beat a double team press and scored on an open goal to seal the win.
NAVY SURVIVES.
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) April 17, 2021
Take a breath @navymlax fans.@LoyolaMLAX mounted a major second-half comeback to tie the game, but Navy scores the final two goals to win 14-12.
Crucial @PatriotLeague win. pic.twitter.com/kJjwWwTQKs
Marquette Takes Down Providence in 4OT
Three days after prevailing in overtime to put away St. John’s, Marquette (3-7) needed three more extra periods against Providence (4-7). Devon Cowan broke through with three seconds left in the fourth overtime to give the Golden Eagles a 7-6 win.
Cowan led Marquette with two goals and an assist and Sean Richard set a program record with 18 saves. Providence reeled off three goals in the final 3:15 of regulation to force overtime.
Toby Burgdorf made 15 saves, including four in the overtime periods, for the Friars and finished with a 68.2 save percentage in the loss.
NIKE/US LACROSSE TOP 20
No. 2 Virginia 18, Utah 11
No. 9 Army 14, Boston U 8
No. 11 Georgetown 11, No. 7 Denver 10 (OT)
No. 17 Drexel 19, Fairfield 7
Towson 9, No. 18 UMASS 6
No. 19 Richmond 14, Jacksonville 7
No. 20 UMBC 12, UMASS Lowell 7
OTHER SCORES
Air Force 18, VMI 4
Bellarmine 11, Cleveland State 4
Hartford 14, NJIT 9
High Point 16, Mercer 10
LIU 17, Mount St. Mary’s 15
Manhattan 13, Siena 12 (2OT)
Marquette 7, Providence 6 (4OT)
Quinnipiac 16, Canisius 12
Saint Joseph’s 13, Bryant 5
Villanova 23, St. John’s 8
Albany at Vermont, PPD
Detroit Mercy at Marist, PPD
Wagner at Hobart, PPD