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Syracuse University
#3 Virginia
Hardy's Heroics Help Orangemen to Their Fourth Straight National Championship Game
5/25/2002 7:26:19 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Senior midfielder Tom Hardy (Tully, N.Y.) scored a career-high four points, including the game-winning goal with 32 seconds remaining in double overtime to lift Syracuse to a 12-11 victory against Virginia in the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse semifinals. Hardy also registered the game-tying goal with 25 seconds left in regulation.
The victory sends the Orangemen to their fourth-consecutive title game and 13th appearance in the championship match overall. SU will meet Princeton in the finals at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 27. The game will be televised LIVE by ESPN. The Tigers defeated top-seeded Johns Hopkins, 11-9, in the first semifinal game. This will mark the third-straight season that the Orangemen and Tigers will battle for the NCAA crown.
Syracuse (14-2) has now won its last four meetings against the Virginia Cavaliers and eight of the last nine overall. The Orangemen won a 15-13 decision against the Cavs earlier in the season in Charlottesville.
Virginia opened the game with three goals in a matter of 44 seconds. A.J. Shannon started the scoring barrage at the 13:56 mark of the first quarter. John Christmas and Jared Little added goals and the Cavs led, 3-0, at the 13:12 mark.
Senior Josh Coffman (Carthage, N.Y.) put SU on the scoreboard when he finished off a feed from Hardy after a couple of fakes on UVA goalie Tillman Johnson. Sophomore Michael Powell (Carthage, N.Y.) pulled the Orangemen within, 3-2, before the first quarter ended.
The Cavaliers took a 5-3 lead at the 10:01 mark of the second quarter after Christmas netted his second goal of the game. After a Steve Vallone tally for SU, UVA's Conor Gill pushed the lead back to two goals (6-4) with 3:35 remaining in the first half.
Junior attackman Michael Springer (Ridgewood, N.J.) recorded the final two goals of the half to tie the score at 6-6. Both goals were set up by Coffman.
SU took its first lead of the afternoon when Brian Nee (Cockeysville, Md.) found a wide-open Spencer Wright (San Diego, Calif.) on an extra-man opportunity in front of the crease. From that point on, the two teams would either tie or change leads six times.
Syracuse went ahead, 9-7, after Sean Lindsay (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) dented the twine with an outside shot at the 3:48 mark of the third quarter. Gill connected with Joe Yevoli for the Cav's eighth goal with 40 seconds remaining in the period.
The Orangemen stretched their advantage to 10-8 at the beginning of the fourth quarter when Coffman found Springer. It was Springer's game-high fourth goal.
Virginia rattled off the next three goals to take an 11-10 lead with 4:08 remaining in regulation. Christmas and Yevoli each tallied unassisted goals to tie the score at 10-10. Brenndan Mohler came down the field on a Virginia fast break and put one past SU goaltender Jay Pfeifer (Towson, Md.). It seemed as if Mohler's goal would prove to be the game-winner until Hardy came streaking upfield and deposited the game-tying shot into the lower right-hand corner of the Virginia net with 25 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Syracuse defense hung tough in overtime, despite playing without starter Sol Bliss (Tully, N.Y.) who had to exit the game because of a knee injury. The Orangemen survived four shots on goal in overtime from the Cavaliers. Pfeifer finished the game with a career-high 19 saves, including seven saves in the fourth quarter.
Virginia ends its season with an 11-4 record.
SYRACUSE 12, VIRGINIA 11 (Double Overtime)
Scoring by quarters:
SU 2-4-3-2-0-1=12
UVA 3-3-2-3-0-0=11
Virginia Goals: John Christmas 3, Joe Yevoli 3, A.J. Shannon 1, Conor Gill 1, Chris Rotelli 1, Jared Little 1, Brenndan Mohler 1.
Virginia Assists: Joe Yevoli 1, Conor Gill 1.
Syracuse Goals: Michael Springer 4, Michael Powell 2, Tom Hardy 2, Josh Coffman 1, Steve Vallone 1, Spencer Wright 1, Sean Lindsay 1.
Syracuse Assists: Josh Coffman 3, Tom Hardy 2, Michael Springer 2, Brian Nee 1, Michael Powell 1.
Shots: UVA 54, SU 50
Saves: Jay Pfeifer (SU) 19, Tillman Johnson (UVA) 18
Faceoffs: Virginia 13-24, Syracuse 11-24
Groundballs: Virginia 60, Syracuse 47
Clears: Virginia 29-32, Syracuse 24-30
EMO: Virginia 1-4, Syracuse 1-4
Penalties: Virginia 4/2:30, Syracuse 5/4:00
Attendance: 23,123
