One at a time.
That’s likely what Duke head coach John Danowski told his team as it found itself locked in a 12-12 game against No. 14 Richmond, a game heading to a second overtime period.
Whatever he said, it worked.
Cole Krauss escaped a scramble for the faceoff with the ball before tossing it to junior Aidan Maguire, who sprinted 30 yards down the field, unleashed a shot and watched as the ball flew past Richmond goalkeeper Zach Vigue to give the Blue Devils a 13-12 win over the Spiders.
The score ended a slugfest between the two teams that featured five lead changes and seven ties, and Duke nabbed its second overtime victory of the year.
But it was Richmond who first took it one at a time, as the Spiders crawled their way back into the game after being down 10-6 with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter. It started at the faceoff, with senior Jared Chenoy taking full control of the spot for the home team, winning four straight.
Richmond capitalized on its opportunities. Joe Sheridan cashed in first, followed by Gavin Creo and Chenoy, whose faceoff win turned into a sprint to go the length of the field, cutting the margin to one at the 10:12 mark.
A timeout by Danowski gave his defense a rest, enabling them to get a stop after Chenoy won the ensuing faceoff. After the ball went to the other end, the Blue Devil offense was unable to convert, as a shot by graduate student Chris Cusolito fell right into the stick of Vigue.
The Spiders then drove the length of the field and scored again. Aidan O’Neil threaded the ball between three defenders to Lucas Littlejohn, who fired a quick shot to tie the game with 7:22 left.
Playing its third game in seven days, Duke (8-1) had to muster all the grit it had. The Blue Devils did, as Ben McCarthy won the faceoff and Jake Pappendick scored a minute later as the shot clock neared zero.
The battle was on.
Richmond upped its pressure, ripping four shots on goalkeeper Patrick Jameison before Littlejohn finally converted. The sophomore scored again with 2:52 remaining for a hat trick, but more importantly his goal gave the Spiders their first lead since the first quarter.
With just 75 seconds remaining in regulation, Danowski called a timeout. Then, taking it one at a time, Andrew McAdorey passed to Max Sloat, who kept his composure, shook off his defender and slotted in the one goal the Blue Devils needed, sending it to overtime.
Five minutes later, they got the next goal they needed, the one to win.
The first half was a remarkably even bout, and the teams entered the locker room tied with 19 shots and six saves. Richmond led 14-12 in ground balls, and despite winning the faceoff 8-4 through the first 30 minutes, was down 6-4.
It wasn’t for a lack of opportunity for the Spiders, but simply their inability to put shots on frame past Jameison. Richmond pressured hard on the ride, preventing Duke from clearing. It drew plenty of turnovers, but the Blue Devil defense was a vault the Spiders couldn’t crack.
The second quarter in particular was a stalemate, with neither side breaking through aside from Duke’s two goals on man-up opportunities. That built a lead the Blue Devils extended in the third quarter.
Danowski’s squad finally gets some time off, taking the week to rest before traveling to Dallas Saturday to face No. 20 Denver in the College Lacrosse Live showcase. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at Highland Park High School.
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