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Virginia Tops Towson, 9-8, In OT
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March 21, 2004
TOWSON, Md. – Sophomore attackman Matt Ward scored Virginia’s last two goals including the game-winner 30 seconds into overtime as the Cavaliers came from behind to beat host Towson 9-8 Sunday afternoon in Johnny Unitas Stadium.
The win snapped a four-game Cavalier losing streak, the longest in 17 years for the defending national champions who improved to 2-4 overall. Towson dropped to 1-3 on the season. It was the 9th straight game the Tigers lost when scoring in single digits.
The Cavaliers opened the scoring when Kyle Dixon scored unassisted just 1:28 into the contest. But Towson came right back less than two minutes later with Brian Myers scoring to start a 4-0 run that would help the Tigers to a 5-2 lead at halftime.
Virginia came out firing away at the Tigers’ goal in the third quarter, outshooting Towson 17-7. The barrage earned the Cavaliers five goals and a 7-6 lead as the third period ended. Two of those markers came on extra man opportunities.
Myers opened the fourth quarter with his second goal of the contest to tie the game at 7-7. Ward put Virginia back on top 8-7 when he and John Christmas combined for the Cavaliers’ fourth man up goal with 10:59 left in the game.
Towson’s Peyton Chane knotted the score for a fourth time when he beat Virginia’s Tillman Johnson with 7:51 to play and that’s the way it ended in regulation.
After Virginia’s Jack deVilliers won the faceoff to start the overtime the Cavaliers called a quick timeout. With the play set Ward took a pass from Matt Poskay up top and rammed home the game winner as Virginia beat Towson for the fourth straight time and the seventh time in the 11-game series.
Joe Yevoli, Matt Poskay, Dixon and Ward each scored twice for Virginia. Christmas was the top assist man with three. Myers and Bobby Griebe each scored twice for Towson.
Both goalkeepers played well. Johnson finished with 15 saves while Towson’s Reed Sothoron had a career high 16 stops.
Towson is back in action again next Saturday when the Tigers travel to 4th-ranked Rutgers. Virginia will host top-ranked Johns Hopkins.
1 2 3 4 OT FinalVirginia (2-4) 1 1 5 1 1 9Towson (1-3) 3 2 1 2 0 8
GOALS: V – Joe Yevoli 2, Kyle Dixon 2, Matt Ward 2, Matt Poskay 2, Newton Gentry. TU – BrianMyers 2, Bobby Griebe 2, Peyton Chane, Drew Pfarr, Steve Mull, Kyle Cunningham.ASSISTS: V – John Christmas 3, Joe Yevoli 2, Matt Poskay, Drew Thompson. TU – Alex Fountain 2, BenDeFelice, Matt Florio, Steve Mull, Keith Obloj, Drew Pfarr.SAVES: V – Tillman Johnson 15 (60:30, 8 goals allowed). TU – Reed Sothoron 16 (60:30, 9 goals allowed).SHOTS: V 42, TU 37.GROUND BALLS: V 36, TU 48.FACEOFFS: V 7-11 (Jack deVilliers 7-10, Charlie Glazer 0-1). TU 11-7 (Ben DeFelice 11-7).PENALITES: V 6 for 5:30. TU – 4 for 3:30.EXTRA MAN: V 4 for 4, TU 0 for 6.CLEARS: V 21×24, TU 19×28.TURNOVERS: V 20, TU 24.ATTENDANCE: 2532.