#TBT: Orange Defeats UVA in 2OTs in 2002 NCAA Semifinal
3/3/2016 4:31:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
As a part of the Centennial Season, Cuse.com is looking back at memorable matchups with each of the Syracuse men's lacrosse team's opponents this season. Today, we flashback to May 25, 2002, when the Orange took down Virginia in the NCAA Semifinal in an overtime thriller on its way to the 2002 National Championship.
Syracuse and Virginia were used to squaring off on Memorial Day weekend, with the 2002 matchup serving as the fifth time the two programs had met on May's final weekend. This time, it was a semifinal matchup between the No. 2 seed Orange and No. 3 seed Hoos.
The Cavaliers came out early with an offensive blitz on the Orange, scoring three goals in the game's opening two minutes at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. 'Cuse would weather the early onslaught though, with Josh Coffman and Mike Powell netting back-to-back goals to pull Virginia's lead back to one at the end of the first quarter.
After Chris Rotelli scored the opening goal of the second quarter just 35 seconds into action, Powell scored his second on the afternoon on an assist from Tom Hardy. The goal was the last time the eventual Tewaaraton Award winner would find the back of the net, as the Cavaliers kept him off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.
Mike Springer picked up the slack though, netting the game-tying goal late in the second quarter – his first of a game-high four on the afternoon -- to send the teams into the break with the score knotted at six.
The Orange's first lead would come just 14 seconds after halftime, when Spencer Wright scored a man-up goal for 'Cuse. After a disallowed goal from Springer for stepping into the crease, UVA once again knotted the game with Joe Yevoli scoring for the Hoos.
Syracuse came right back though, scoring back-to-back goals from Springer and Sean Lindsay to open a two goal lead once again with 3:48 to go in the third, only to have Yevoli cut the lead to one heading into the fourth quarter.
After another Springer goal pushed the 'Cuse lead to 10-8, three-straight Virginia goals put the Orange's season in jeopardy with under a minute to play – that's when Hardy went to work.
He netted the game-tying goal with just 25 ticks remaining on the clock to send the semifinal to overtime.
After neither team scored in the first four-minute overtime period, Hardy delivered a bouncing shot past UVA net minder Tillman Johnson to send Syracuse to the title game, where it'd defeat Princeton 13-12 for another NCAA Championship.
Jay Pfeifer made 19 saves in net for the Orange, including four in the fourth quarter, to allow 'Cuse to extend the game into overtime. Springer finished with four goals and two assists to lead the way for 'Cuse, while Hardy's two goals came at the most crucial time to propel the Orange to victory.
The next matchup between Syracuse and Virginia comes on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPNU.
Syracuse and Virginia were used to squaring off on Memorial Day weekend, with the 2002 matchup serving as the fifth time the two programs had met on May's final weekend. This time, it was a semifinal matchup between the No. 2 seed Orange and No. 3 seed Hoos.
The Cavaliers came out early with an offensive blitz on the Orange, scoring three goals in the game's opening two minutes at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. 'Cuse would weather the early onslaught though, with Josh Coffman and Mike Powell netting back-to-back goals to pull Virginia's lead back to one at the end of the first quarter.
After Chris Rotelli scored the opening goal of the second quarter just 35 seconds into action, Powell scored his second on the afternoon on an assist from Tom Hardy. The goal was the last time the eventual Tewaaraton Award winner would find the back of the net, as the Cavaliers kept him off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.
Mike Springer picked up the slack though, netting the game-tying goal late in the second quarter – his first of a game-high four on the afternoon -- to send the teams into the break with the score knotted at six.
The Orange's first lead would come just 14 seconds after halftime, when Spencer Wright scored a man-up goal for 'Cuse. After a disallowed goal from Springer for stepping into the crease, UVA once again knotted the game with Joe Yevoli scoring for the Hoos.
Syracuse came right back though, scoring back-to-back goals from Springer and Sean Lindsay to open a two goal lead once again with 3:48 to go in the third, only to have Yevoli cut the lead to one heading into the fourth quarter.
After another Springer goal pushed the 'Cuse lead to 10-8, three-straight Virginia goals put the Orange's season in jeopardy with under a minute to play – that's when Hardy went to work.
He netted the game-tying goal with just 25 ticks remaining on the clock to send the semifinal to overtime.
After neither team scored in the first four-minute overtime period, Hardy delivered a bouncing shot past UVA net minder Tillman Johnson to send Syracuse to the title game, where it'd defeat Princeton 13-12 for another NCAA Championship.
Jay Pfeifer made 19 saves in net for the Orange, including four in the fourth quarter, to allow 'Cuse to extend the game into overtime. Springer finished with four goals and two assists to lead the way for 'Cuse, while Hardy's two goals came at the most crucial time to propel the Orange to victory.
The next matchup between Syracuse and Virginia comes on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPNU.
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