Boxscore
STONY BROOK, N.Y. -- Sophomore attackman Mike Leveille scored four goals, while redshirt freshman goaltender Peter Coluccini totaled 16 saves as fifth-seeded Syracuse (10-4) defeated fourth-seeded Johns Hopkins, 13-12, in the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse quarterfinals at Stony Brook's LaValle Stadium. The Orange will ride a nine-game winning streak into its 24th semifinal appearance against either Virginia or Georgetown next Saturday, May 27, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The victory against Johns Hopkins marked Syracuse's 23rd consecutive NCAA quarterfinal triumph and improved the program's all-time quarterfinal record to 25-2.
Johns Hopkins (9-5) led 4-3 at the end of the first quarter.
All three SU attackmen scored in the first quarter. Brett Bucktooth netted the Orange’s first goal off an assist from freshman midfielder Dan Hardy at the 10:49 mark. SU took six shots, before Bucktooth was able to find the back of the net.
Joe Yevoli dodged his way through the Hopkins defense for SU’s second goal with 5:02 remaining in the first quarter. He then found sophomore attackman Mike Leveille on a strong cut which tied the score at 3-3 at the 3:47 mark.
Paul Rabil, Jake Byrne, Brian Christopher and Greg Peyser all tallied goals for Hopkins in the first period.
The second quarter belonged to Syracuse. The Orange outscored Hopkins, 5-1. Yevoli fed Bucktooth to tie the score at 4-4 with 9:45 remaining and Leveille gave SU its first lead, 5-4, with an outside shot off a pass from freshman middie Matt Abbott..
After a JHU timeout at the 9:05 mark, Leveille tallied back-to-back goals, the first off another great cut and feed by Hardy. Leveille's fourth goal of the day was scored when he spun left away from the Blue Jay defense to create space. His shot on the run gave the Orange a 7-4 lead with 3:22 remaining in the first half.
SU led by three goals again, 8-5, after junior defenseman Steve Panarelli netted his fifth goal of the season. His transition goal was shot into the lower left corner of the goal past JHU goalie Jesse Schwartzman on a man-down situation with 2:03 remaining in the second quarter.
The Orange improved its record to 8-0 this season when leading at the half.
Coluccini gained more confidence as the game wore on. He recorded 13 of his 16 saves in the second half.
Hopkins made it interesting near the end of the third quarter with two-straight man-up goals, one by Drew Dabrowski and the other by Rabil to inch within 8-7 with 5:55 left to play in the period.
SU responded with the next four goals, three of which were registered by freshmen (Pat Perritt, Hardy and Kenny Nims) to give the team a five-goal cushion, 12-7.
No cushion is ever safe against the Blue Jays and they came back by winning faceoffs and getting goals. Stephen Peyser, Jake Byrne, Greg Peyser, Kevin Huntley and Rabil each scored goals in the final 8:49 to pull Hopkins within one goal with seconds ticking away. Greg Peyser's final heave from about 30 yards away took a hop on Coluccini, but landed in his stick for the game's final stop.
