Virginia Falls To Johns Hopkins In NCAA Semifinals

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May 28, 2005

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Johns Hopkins advanced to the NCAA men’s lacrosse national title game for the second time in three years Saturday, rallying to beat Virginia 9-8.

Hopkins’ Jake Byrne scored with 1.4 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 8-all, and Benson Erwin scored the winner with 50.7 seconds left in overtime.

Top-seeded Johns Hopkins will face second-seeded Duke, an 18-9 winner over No. 3 Maryland, in Monday’s title game.

Byrne and Joe Malo each scored twice for Hopkins (15-0). Matt Ward led Virginia (11-4) with four goals.

Virginia rallied from a three-goal deficit in the fourth quarter and took an 8-7 lead on Ward’s goal with 12.9 seconds.

Hopkins countered seconds later with Byrne’s second goal of the game.

In overtime, Erwin scored his fourth goal of the season with 50.7 seconds remaining in overtime to send Hopkins to the national title game.

“I wasn’t aiming. I just threw the ball,” Erwin said.

Hopkins led 6-3 after three quarters, but Virginia scored four straight at the start of the fourth quarter to take a 7-6 lead. After a 45-minute lightning delay, Hopkins’ Kyle Harrison tied the game at 7-all with 4:25 left.

Virginia’s Drew Thompson then held the ball behind the goal for more than two minutes before passing to Ward who scored with 12.9 seconds left.

Greg Peyser won the ensuing face-off for Hopkins and ran the ball up the field before passing to an open Byrne.

Virginia missed on three shots in the overtime, including a body save by Hopkins’ goalie Jesse Schwartzman.

Neither team scored in the first period, the first scoreless opening quarter in NCAA tournament history.

Malo opened the scoring with 4:49 left in the second period.