Lacrosse is a game of momentum.
No matter how far behind you fall or how far ahead you pull, few deficits are insurmountable.
The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team proved that this past Saturday, recovering from a 7-1 second-quarter hole to sneak past No. 7-ranked Syracuse with a 12-11 road win in overtime.
"I was shocked at first because to go down 7-1 at the [Carrier] Dome is the last thing I expected to happen, but I'm extremely proud of the way out team responded, especially the younger guys," said senior midfielder and co-captain Kyle Harrison.
The six-goal comeback was the first for Hopkins since the 1999 season. After Hopkins clawed its way back into the game in the second half, the Orange still owned an 11-9 lead with 6:37 left in regulation before junior midfielder Greg Peyser and highly-touted freshman midfielder Paul Rabil led the Jays to the stunning overtime victory.
Rabil helped stop the bleeding for the Jays, scoring three of his team high four goals consecutively to pull Hopkins back into contention.
"Paul is an extremely talented player and has a very bright future here at Hopkins and I wish I had more time to play with him," said Harrison.
Rabil's scoring spree came on the heels of an equally-impressive run by Syracuse freshman Mike Leveille, who netted three of the Orange's first seven scores. Leveille finished with a game-high five goals.
Sophomore attackman Jake Byrne and Harrison also chipped in with goals of their own in the third quarter en route to their comeback. All told, Hopkins outscored Syracuse 4-1 in the third frame to make the score 8-7 heading into the fourth. Bryne scored twice for the attack, while the Hopkins midfielders accounted for the other 10 scores.
"It was really tough to come back from a 7-1 deficit, but when we got down, no one panicked. We just slowly chipped away at the lead," said Harrison. "I think it says a lot about the character of our team. We have a never quit attitude, which is something that will pay off throughout the rest of the season."
Harrison scored twice in addition to dishing out three assists. With defenses forced to pay attention to Harrison each and every time he possesses the ball, he creates numerous opportunities for his teammates.
They capitalized.
Peyser scored his second of three goals to make it a one-goal game in the final few minutes before Rabil scored his fourth and final goal with less than a minute left, forcing overtime.
"When we scored in the last minute I was hoping we would score again and avoid overtime," said senior faceoff specialist Lou Braun. "Facing off in overtime is one of the most nerve racking experiences and it puts a lot of responsibility on your shoulders."
"Last year Syracuse hurt us in the Final Four and I was excited to be facing off against them this year," Braun said. "I was lucky to win the ones at the right time Saturday."
It was Peyser who carried Braun's faceoff winning momentum into goal, scoring 2:26 into sudden-death overtime as the Jays defeated their long-time rival. Peyser also won six of 10 faceoffs on the day and corralled a team-high five ground balls.
With momentum playing such a factor in a feverish comeback attempt like this one, it's a wonder the Blue Jays were able to pull off such a feat on the road in front of a hostile crowd.
With the win, the Blue Jays not only preserved their undefeated record, but also their No. 1 ranking in polls. Hopkins (4-0) received nine of a possible 10 first-place votes this week. No. 2 Virginia (6-0) earned the other.
The table is now set for a battle of unbeatens this weekend, when Virginia will attempt to knock Hopkins off its first-place pedestal on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Homewood Field.
"Our senior class has never lost on Homewood Field...we have so much support here," said Braun. "There's definitely a bit of a rivalry brewing between the two teams and we're really looking forward to Saturday's match-up."
Hopkins is currently riding a 29 game-winning home streak, with the school record of 31 now in sight.
"We're all really excited to be back on Homewood and excited to play one of the best teams in the country," said Harrison.
The Cavaliers have had Hopkins' number of late, handing the Jays their only regular-season loss in 2004 and beating Hopkins in the 2003 NCAA title game at Ravens Stadium.
The much-anticipated match up will be televised locally on ABC2 and will also be featured on ESPN's newly-launched ESPNU station, which is dedicated to collegiate sports, on a tape delay.
The weekend before spring break Hopkins also defeated Hofstra, by a much larger margin of 11-5. Junior midfielder Joe Benson scored a career-high three goals against the Pride, while Peyser and senior attackman Kyle Barrie chipped in with two scores apiece in the winning effort.
Braun won a career high 13 of 15 faceoffs against the Pride, leading the Jays to an 18-20 advantage in faceoffs and fueling the victory.
"I'm excited to take more draws this season," said Braun. "It frees up Greg [Peyser] and Kyle [Harrison] to do more for the team on the midfield side and I like having the responsibility."
Hopkins also held the advantage in shots and ground balls over Hofstra, both by 34-20 in the win.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.