Nineteen seconds into overtime Mike D’Amario streaked toward the crease in an unsettled situation to score the game-winning goal, lifting Virginia (4-5) to a 13-12 triumph over No. 8 Johns Hopkins (4-3) on Sunday afternoon, inside Klöckner Stadium.
The win also secures UVA possession of the Doyle Smith Cup, the spoils awarded to the winner of the regular season matchup between the Cavaliers and the Blue Jays. UVA wins the cup for the third year in a row after losing it three times between 2011-13. UVA held onto the cup from 2006-10, the first five seasons the cup went to the regular season winner in the series.
“Doyle was a special guy here and so it adds a little more significance to a rivalry that is already very significant,” said Virginia men’s lacrosse head coach Dom Starsia.
Sunday served as the fourth time in the last five regular season meetings between the Cavaliers and the Blue Jays where the game went to overtime, UVA won three of those (2014, 2015, 2016), two of which were at Klöckner.
“You would’ve assumed before the game it would play out just like that,” said Starsia. “Back and forth, tight throughout the game. For us, in this time and in this moment, this was an important result for lots of different reasons.”
Johns Hopkins owned the first quarter, scoring four straight goals to start the game. The Blue Jays received two goals from Wilkins Dismuke, and one from Ryan Brown. Holden Cattoni capped the run with 3:15 left in the first quarter, giving Hopkins the early 4-0 lead.
“We threw the ball away a couple times,” said Starsia. “But to our credit, they dug in after that rough opening and I thought we never let up, Hopkins either. It was a battle throughout.”
Greg Coholan found James Pannell with 2:24 left in the first quarter to put UVA on the board. Pannell’s first of three goals on the afternoon jumpstarted a 6-0 Virginia run that was capped at 5:00 in the second quarter on a Jason Murphy goal. Murphy won the faceoff after a Zed Williams goal at 5:12 and scored 12 seconds later after picking up his own ground ball and rushing toward the cage in an unsettled situation.
John Crawley scored unassisted for Hopkins at 2:53 in the second quarter, cutting the UVA lead to a goal, 6-5, heading into the intermission.
The Blue Jays owned the third quarter, outscoring UVA 4-2 in the frame and taking a 9-8 lead into the final period. Matt Emery evened UVA at 9-9 only 58 seconds into the fourth period.
Emery’s goal started a tradeoff of goals by UVA and Johns Hopkins for the remainder of the period. A Cody Radziewicz goal with 2:41 left to play put Hopkins up by one goal, 12-11. The Blue Jays never scored again.
After UVA called its final timeout with 52 seconds left, AJ Fish found Coholan after the 30-second shot clock had been initiated. Coholan, who scored overtime winners against Johns Hopkins in 2014 and 2015, tied the game with 20 seconds left, 12-12.
Virginia almost won the game in regulation after Murphy won the ensuing faceoff and a streaking Will McNamara had an open look at the cage, but his shot went wide left.
In overtime Hopkins’ Craig Madarasz went early, giving UVA the faceoff win via violation. In an unsettled situation off the restart and a Hopkins penalty ready to be enforced when play stopped, D’Amario crashed toward the crease to score the sudden-death goal.
Virginia won the battle of shots (39-35), ground balls (46-24) and faceoffs (18-10), while Johns Hopkins had more saves (9-7) and turnovers (7-6).
Virginia returns to action on Tuesday night when VMI comes to Klöckner Stadium. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. against the Keydets.
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