Instant Classic: JHU Beats Reigning Champ Cornell in Overtime

A game between two of the sport’s most storied programs – their first matchup since the 1987 national championship game – delivered in every way possible during the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship’s First Round in Ithaca, N.Y.

Johns Hopkins put on a second-half defensive clinic and rallied to beat No. 7 seed Cornell 9-8 in overtime on Jimmy Ayers second big clutch goal of the game.

The Blue Jays held Cornell, the reigning NCAA champs, to just two shots on goal in the second half. Johns Hopkins goalie Oren Gelinas made just three saves in the game, but he wasn’t called on often because of the disruptive nature of the Blue Jay defense.

Cornell committed 23 turnovers in the game, with Johns Hopkins constantly getting their sticks in the passing lanes. Carson Brown and Luke Martin played major roles, combining for seven caused turnovers and 11 groundballs.

Martin was locked up Cornell’s Willem Firth, a Tewaaraton finalist, for much of the day and helped limit Firth to just one highlight goal at the end of the first half. Martin caused five turnovers and had five groundballs with the last groundball preserving a critical possession in the overtime. Cornell never had the ball in an overtime that lasted almost three minutes.

Johns Hopkins’ Reese DiCicco picked up the ground ball to win the faceoff to start overtime and the team’s first shot was saved by Cornell goalie Matthew Tully. A second shot hit the post and crossed over midfield, but Martin won the race to the ball and then drew a thirty-second penalty against Cornell for a push from behind with possession infraction.

The Blue Jays did not score on the extra man, but retained possession. After another Tully save, All-American midfielder Matt Collison beat his man by a half-step from the corner of the field behind the goal to draw a slide and Ayers slipped in behind the chaos to get open and buried the game-winner.

 

 

 

 

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Ayers had earlier scored with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter to give the Blue Jays an 8-7 lead, their first of the game. 

Hopkins had chances in the first half, but offensive miscues combined with outstanding goaltending by Tully gave the Big Red a 6-3 halftime lead.

Tully finished the game with 17 saves, including the two in overtime, but Cornell never got on track offensively to take advantage of his play and early dominance from faceoff specialist Jack Cacadden. Freshman Rowyn Nurry had a first half hat trick, all on unassisted dodges and two as the shot clock was winding down, but nothing came easily for the Big Red against the Hopkins defense.

Cascadden won nine of 10 faceoffs in the first half, but Hopkins flipped the script in the second half, winning seven of 10. Hopkins’ Joe Hobot finished the game eight of 16.

Ayers and Chuck Rawson each scored twice for the Blue Jays and Collison had a goal and two assists.

Nurry’s three goals led the Big Red while AJ Nikolic scored a pair. Ryan Goldstein had a goal and two assists.

Hopkins will meet the winner of tomorrow’s Jacksonville-Notre Dame game in the quarterfinals next weekend.