In a dramatic NCAA quarterfinal match on Sunday, the sixth-seeded Virginia Cavaliers (12-5) clinched an 11-10 victory over the No. 3 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (11-5) in double overtime. The game, held at Unitas Stadium in Towson, Maryland, drew a crowd of 9,642 fans who witnessed a nail-biting finish.
The Cavaliers, who remained scoreless in the final quarter, secured their spot in the semifinal against seventh-seeded Maryland at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia next Saturday. Connor Shellenberger and McCabe Millon each scored three goals, with Millon contributing three assists. This victory marks Virginia's 26th appearance in an NCAA semifinal.
The other semifinal will feature No. 1 Notre Dame against No. 5 Denver. Virginia's lacrosse team celebrated their 11-10 double-overtime victory with exuberance, rushing to congratulate grad student Connor Shellenberger, whose goal with 1:40 left in the sudden-death session sealed their win.
Several players upheld tradition by embracing sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Morris, who replaced starter Matthew Nunes early in the game and stabilized the defense after an initial 4-0 deficit. Defenders George Fulton and Cole Kastner, perhaps too exhausted to join the fray, shared a moment of quiet satisfaction amidst the celebration.
Reflecting on the victory, Shellenberger credited the team's belief and energy.
"I really think it goes back to what Coach Tiffany said – it’s belief," Shellenberger remarked postgame. "There was something about our sideline today... this do-or-die mindset of ‘We’re not leaving here with a loss.’ Whether that was true or not was a whole other thing, but you could feel that belief and that’s all that mattered."
For much of the match, it seemed Johns Hopkins would advance, jumping to a 4-0 lead within the first seven minutes. The Blue Jays needed only seven shots to establish their advantage, with freshman defenseman Quintan Kilrain scoring his first career goal. This prompted Virginia coach Lars Tiffany to replace Nunes with Morris, a move that proved pivotal.
“We have a process... where we evaluate weekly,” Tiffany explained.
“So how you practice can push you up or down the depth chart. Obviously how you do on gameday has a bigger impact. But it’s something that’s important to us. We could see Kyle playing better, and we talked about it more this week than any other.”
Both teams displayed formidable offensive strategies. Johns Hopkins aimed to maximize the shot clock and exploit advantageous matchups, while Virginia's high-powered attack, featuring Shellenberger, Millon, and senior Payton Cormier, dominated the face-offs, winning 16 of 26.
Despite a strong start, the Blue Jays' lead began to wane. Virginia tied the game at 7 early in the third quarter, but Johns Hopkins responded with a 3-0 run, bringing the score to 10-7 at the start of the fourth quarter. A non-contact injury to senior Brett Martin, one of the nation's top shortstick defensive midfielders, further complicated matters for the Blue Jays.
Coach Pete Milliman acknowledged the impact of Martin's absence. “We are pretty deep in that group... But having one of your best players out is always tough. He’s a leader, he’s a voice, we’ve got confidence in him.”
Despite valiant efforts from grad student goalie Chayse Ierlan, who made crucial back-to-back saves, Virginia's persistence paid off. They closed the gap to 10-9 and eventually tied the game at 10-10, following a controversial goal by Millon that stood after a video review.
In the second overtime, the Cavaliers' defensive efforts and strategic plays culminated in Shellenberger's winning goal, sparking jubilation among the Virginia supporters. Shellenberger and Millon were instrumental in the victory, with three goals each, while Johns Hopkins' Russell Melendez scored four goals and Ierlan made 15 saves.
Reflecting on the hard-fought match, Tiffany stated,
“For us, this is what makes it such a big deal. Because we know how good the Hopkins team is. You saw two teams completely empty the tank.”
Virginia's thrilling win sets the stage for a highly anticipated semifinal clash with Maryland, promising another exciting chapter in this year's NCAA lacrosse tournament.
