Tigers fall in 2OT thriller

BALTIMORE, MD. — With time expiring in the first overtime period of Saturday's matchup against Johns Hopkins, the men's lacrosse team dodged a major bullet. In the second overtime period, however, Blue Jay midfielder Paul Rabil dealt the Tigers a fatal blow.

As the clock reached zero in the first overtime, Johns Hopkins attack Jake Byrne fired a shot past Princeton junior goalie Alex Hewit. Thinking they had won, the Blue Jays rushed the M&T Bank Stadium field — but the celebration was premature. Byrne's shot did not hit the back of the net before the clock hit zero. No goal.

Fast forward to the second overtime. With three minutes and four seconds remaining, Byrne had another clear shot on goal, but this time he hit the post. Being in the right place at the right time, midfielder Stephen Peyser collected the rebound and quickly passed the ball to Rabil, who whizzed a shot into the corner of the net. Game over.

Head coach Bill Tierney recognized that this was a tough way for his team to lose their matchup at the Inside Lacrosse Face-off Classic.

"It's difficult to lose in overtime," Tierney said. "Usually when the ball hits the pipe, you get the break. [Rabil] shot a rocket, a perfectly placed shot."

In a game that featured two serious contenders for the national title, both teams exhibited offensive prowess and solid defense. With 6:22 remaining in the first quarter, the Tigers drew first blood. Senior midfielder Scott Sowanick sneaked a shot past Johns Hopkins goalie Jesse Schwartzman, giving Princeton a 1-0 lead.

Then, with seven seconds left in the first quarter, the Tigers doubled their lead. Sowanick fed a pass to sophomore midfielder Tommy Davis, who found the back of the net for his third goal of the season.

Less than a minute into the second quarter, Blue Jay attack Steven Boyle cut Princeton's lead in half, breaking away from two Tiger defenders and firing a wide-open shot past Hewit. Boyle finished the game with a hat trick.

Following Boyle's goal, Princeton quickly resumed its offensive attack. Sophomore midfielder Josh Lesko, exhibiting his incredible quickness, sprinted down the field and tucked a shot into the top left corner of the net, giving his team a 3-1 advantage.

Three minutes later, Rabil got loose and made the Tigers pay. From 10 yards out, he zipped in a shot that Hewit had no chance of saving. Then, with 4:39 remaining in the first half, Boyle knotted the game at three.

In the second half, Princeton and Johns Hopkins went goal for goal, with neither team gaining a decisive advantage over the other. Less than a minute into the third quarter, senior attack Peter Trombino bounced a low shot into the net to put Princeton ahead, 4-3. Then, Blue Jay attack Kevin Huntley scored on a man advantage, tying the game once again.

After goals from Tiger senior midfielder Michael Biles and Boyle to tie the game back up at five, Johns Hopkins took its first lead of the game. With 8:55 remaining in regulation, attack Michael Donager quick-sticked the ball past Hewit and into the net.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Down by one goal, Princeton sophomore midfielder Mark Kovler responded quickly. Running through traffic, Kovler bounced a shot from a few yards out that trickled past Schwartzman into the net, tying the game at six.

In the first overtime period, the Tigers pressured Johns Hopkins, but they were unable to score. Their closest attempt came when junior attack Alex Haynie fired a shot on net from pointblank range. But the ball deflected off the helmet of a Blue Jay defender, and Haynie came up empty.

Johns Hopkins took control from there, and Rabil soon finished off the instant classic with his quick score in the second overtime.

Though this loss was a tough one to swallow, Tierney noted that his team will move on from the defeat.

"We're going to keep plugging," Tierney said. "Hopkins is one of the best defensive teams in the country. You [just] have to evolve as the week goes on and get your confidence back."

Princeton returns to action Saturday, when it travels to Charlottesville, Va., to face No. 5 Virginia.