Duke Falls to Johns Hopkins in NCAA Title Game, 12-11

Monday, May 28

Baltimore, Md.

1:00 p.m.

Duke University

Johns Hopkins (Championship Game)

Duke Falls to Johns Hopkins in NCAA Title Game, 12-11

5/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse

By: Duke Sports Information

BALTIMORE, Md. ? Duke's run to the lacrosse national championship fell short on Monday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore as the top-seeded and second-ranked Blue Devils fell to third-seeded and third-ranked Johns Hopkins, 12-11.

The Blue Devils conclude the season with a 17-3 overall ledger, matching the NCAA record for wins in a season set previously by the 2005 Duke, 2006 Hofstra and 2006 Virginia squads. Johns Hopkins, winning the national crown for a record-matching ninth time, finishing with a 13-4 mark. The Blue Jays also defeated Duke in the 2005 national title tilt, 9-8, in Philadelphia.

Monday's announced attendance of 48,443 establishes a record for an NCAA men's lacrosse championship game, bettering the previous high of 47,602 set in last year's Virginia-Massachusetts title game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

The Blue Jays jumped on top 1-0 just 12 seconds into the game when Jake Byrne scored on a pass from Paul Rabil. Kevin Huntley increased the lead to two goals with a tally from Rabil at the 7:05 mark of the opening period.

Duke got on the scoreboard with 4:15 left in the quarter when Brad Ross fired home a pass from Ned Crotty. Utilizing an extra man opportunity, Crotty found the back of the net with a high shot from the right side following a feed from Zack Greer.

Stephen Peyser's unassisted goal pushed the Blue Jays back ahead with just 39 seconds left in the first quarter. On the ensuing face-off, Duke was whistled for a holding penalty and Johns Hopkins took advantage of the extra man situation when Huntley scored from the right side on a pass from Byrne. The Blue Jays won all seven face-offs in the opening period and outshot the Blue Devils, 14-6, in the quarter.

After securing the face-off to start the second period, Johns Hopkins made the score 5-2 when Peyser netted his second tally of the contest. Three minutes into the second quarter, the Blue Devils were called for a holding infraction, and Hopkins' extra man unit executed for a goal by Byrne from the top of the key at the 11:39 mark.

With 8:58 left before halftime, Peter Lamade cut the lead to 6-3 with an unassisted goal, finding the top right corner with a stop from 12 yards out. Byrne's third goal of the day, a fastbreak tally on an assist from Rabil, came at the 7:15 mark, pushing the lead back to four goals at 7-3.

The lead grew to five goals when Tom Duerr dodged from behind the goal and scored with 6:26 on the clock. Just over one minute later, Crotty's second goal of the afternoon made the score 8-4. Peyser then found Byrne for a goal at the 2:21 mark and Hopkins led by a 9-4 count. The Blue Jays' extra man unit put its third goal in the net with 1:39 prior to intermission when Rabil fed Steven Boyle on the crease for a tally.

The Blue Jays dominated the game statistically in the opening 30 minutes, winning 12-of-16 face-offs while outshooting Duke by a 27-12 margin.

Duke scored the first goal of the third quarter when Max Quinzani scooped up a loose ball in front of the cage and deposited his 23rd goal of the year at the 10:50 mark of the third quarter. Twenty-four seconds later, Crotty's shot into the top right corner pulled the Blue Devils within 10-6 with 10:26 on the clock. The goal, an extra man tally, came on a pass from Matt Danowski.

Just over six minutes into the third period, the Blue Devils capitalized on a substitution change and Ross scored a goal from Lamade. Just over one minute later at the 7:44 mark, Mike Catalino worked from behind the net and scored Duke's fourth straight goal.

After Duke goalkeeper Dan Loftus made saves on consecutive shots by Johns Hopkins, Lamade carded an unassisted goal with 5:21 remaining in the third period to make the score 10-9 in favor of the Blue Jays.

Rabil ended the Duke run at five goals by dodging from up top and scoring just over one minute into the third quarter. On the heels of a failed clear by the Blue Jays, Lamade fed Danowski for a goal to pull Duke to within 11-10 with 12:29 left in the game.

After killing a Johns Hopkins extra man opportunity, Duke knotted the game at 11 when a Nick O'Hara pass deflected off the stick of Quinzani and into the goal for Quinzani's second goal of the game. The Blue Jays responded just over a minute later, when the Blue Devils were unable to clear the ball and Rabil found Huntley in front of the net for what proved to be the game winner.

Duke had its chances down the stretch when Hopkins' Eric Zurrlaut was called for a one-minute slashing penalty with 1:44 remaining, but the Blue Devils were unable to capitalize as they lost possession out of bounds. After regaining possession with 40 seconds left, Duke fired off two more shots, but Hopkins goalie Jesse Schwartzman made a kick save on an attempt by Ross that sent the ball to midfield, and Quinzani's shot at the final horn sailed wide.

On the day, Crotty tallied three goals and an assist, while Lamade added two goals and two assists. Ross and Quinzani scored two goals apiece. In goal, Loftus was credited with 10 saves. The Blue Jays were paced by Huntley's four goals while Rabil posted one goal and four assists. Schwartzman, the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, finished the day with 15 saves.

NCAA All-Tournament Team
David Mitchell, Cornell
Ned Crotty, Duke
Matt Danowski, Duke
Zack Greer, Duke
Nick O'Hara, Duke
Jake Byrne, Johns Hopkins
Stephen Peyser, Johns Hopkins
Paul Rabil, Johns Hopkins
Eric Zerrlaut, Johns Hopkins
Jesse Schwartzman, Johns Hopkins (MOP)