Division I Men :      April 14, 2007 [ The Game Story]
Duke 7 Virginia 6 Scoring: Scoring: Matt Danowski Brad Ross Peter Lamade Mike Catalino Zack Greer (1, 3) (3, 0) (1, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) Ben Rubeor Drew Thompson Garrett Billings Jack Riley Max Pomper Foster Gilbert Steve Giannone Kip Turner (2, 0) (0, 1) (0, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) (0, 1) Saves: Saves: Dan Loftus 15  (0.714) Kip Turner 20  (0.741) Current Record :     (10-2) Current Record :     (10-2) Team Page For 2007 Team Page For 2007       The Game Story: DURHAM, N.C. – Duke's Brad Ross scored a career-high three goals including the game-winner in overtime to lift the fourth-ranked Blue Devils to a 7-6 victory over third-ranked Virginia as 6,588 fans looked on at Koskinen Stadium in Durham. While improving to 10-2 overall and 3-0 in league play, the Blue Devils capture the ACC regular season championship and earn the top seed in the annual conference tournament slated for April 27 and 29 in Durham. The Cavaliers, who entered the game with the nation's longest winning streak at 10 games, fall to 10-2 overall and 2-1 in the league. The ACC Tournament semifinals on Friday, April 27 will feature second-seeded Virginia meeting third-seeded Maryland at 6 p.m., and top-seeded Duke taking on fourth-seeded North Carolina at 8:30 p.m. The extra session victory snapped a four-game losing streak for Duke in overtime games while giving the Blue Devils their fifth win over Virginia in the last six meetings in Durham. “What a week," said Duke head coach John Danowski. "You try to pretend that this is not going to be difficult, that, ‘It’s just a game. Let’s just play, and it will be business as usual.’ It was not business as usual. The kids were exhausted. You could see it; you could see it in their legs in the second half. I’m so proud to be associated with them in that this is not easy. This is much more than Xs and Os and how to get people open and make plays. It was really a true testament to their character today. Sometimes that’s overused in sports and athletics, but I just thought our guys figured out a way to keep fighting. I thought they were exhausted and tired mentally. What a week for them.” "If I was a little bigger person, I might tell you I'm kind of happy for Duke at the end of a long week," said Virginia head coach Dom Starsia. "I think the distractions were there for both teams. One of the teams was going to lose today and I know it's been a hard week for Duke. I like John Danowski and I like their kids. Our programs respect each other a great deal. There's a fair chance, better than even chance, that we'll probably see them down the road. It felt like a late-season, postseason kind of lacrosse game." In overtime, the Cavaliers secured the face-off but failed to get a shot off before turning the ball over. Duke successfully cleared the ball into its offensive end before misfiring on its first shot in the extra period. Keeping possession, Matt Danowski controlled the ball on the left side and fed a cutting Ross who beat Virginia goalkeeper Kip Turner with a behind-the-back shot into the net. “A lot of the times when we run that play, people are really scared about (Zack) Greer," Ross said following the game. "So I set a pick for Greer and they jumped out on him, and I just cut back to the ball. Then Matt threw it to my inside. The ‘Around the World’ is something you do when you’re a little kid. You don’t really practice that. It just kind of happened.” Virginia scratched the scoreboard first almost six minutes into the opening period when Jack Riley scored off an assist from Garrett Billings. Just over three minutes later, Duke knotted the game at 1-1 on Peter Lamade's goal from Danowski. With the assist, Danowski became the 34th player in NCAA history to register 100 or more goals and 100 or more assists in a career. The Farmingdale, N.Y., native finished the game with one goal and three assists to push his career totals to 111 goals and 102 assists. Goals by Foster Gilbert at the 5:23 mark of the first quarter and Max Pomper just over two minutes into the second period gave the Cavaliers a 3-1 lead. Ross sent the teams into intermission with Virginia ahead 3-2 with a goal at the 8:46 mark, and his second tally of the game leveled the score at 3-3 with 11:03 left in the third period. Virginia responded with consecutive goals of its own as Ben Rubeor -- the nation's leader in both goals scored and total points -- found the back of the net at the 10:34 mark of the third quarter and Steve Giannone scored with 6:13 on the clock for a 5-3 Cavalier advantage. With just under one minute remaining in the third quarter, Mike Catalino scored inside after receiving a pass from Danowski to pull the Blue Devils to within 5-4. Following a Virginia penalty, Lamade found Zack Greer open on the crease for an extra man tally to tie the score. Turner then sparked the Cavaliers by picking up the second assist of his career with a long pass to Rubeor, who scored his nation-leading 39th goal of the year to push Virginia ahead, 6-5, with 8:48 left in the game. Danowski would pump in the final goal of regulation, dodging from behind the cage and squeezing the ball between the near pipe and Turner's left leg to tie the contest at 6-6 at the 6:01 mark. “There’s been a lot of talk all season about our emotions with everything going on, and I think today was actually the first time that I can say that our emotions got the best of us," Matt Danowski said. "It was throughout the whole game. We never really got into a flow, and it was pretty sloppy at times. That’s a testament to the way they played and how they played defense, or it could be attested to us not making our shots and having stupid turnovers. It definitely played a factor, but I guess it’s under the rug now that we got the win.” Both goalkeepers enjoyed solid afternoons with Turner posting a career-high 20 saves. Turner also scooped up a team-best six ground balls while Ricky Smith was credited with five. Duke's Dan Loftus was credited with 15 saves in the Blue Devil net. Defenseman Casey Carroll logged a game-high seven ground balls with Danowski and Greer picking up six apiece. The Blue Devils remain at home to take on Army on Saturday, April 21 at 12 noon. The Cavaliers host Dartmouth on the same day at 1 p.m.

As two teams known for possessing firepower, the contest between Duke and UVa surprisingly transformed into more of a defensive battle. True, both teams pushed in transition and looked to create a free flowing game, but what should have been offensive opportunities usually became great sick checks, broken passes, or decisions that were rushed because heat was coming. Thirteen goals in a game is about what either of these teams average individually, not collectively. But as each team picked their spots, it was the Blue Devils who struck the final blow of overtime, taking down the Cavaliers 7-6, and assuming the top spot in the ACC.

The game developed a hurried pace early, as both teams’ defenders swarmed ball carriers and tried to force turnovers. Duke tried to press Virginia on the ride from box line to box line, whereas Virginia’s attackmen rode hard, but the Cavaliers left the middle of the field quite open.

Both goalies looked sharp from the start and remained quite steadfast throughout the game. Virginia controlled the pace of play for much of the first quarter, but the Duke defense held strong, limiting the looks UVa could get. Watching the Cavaliers offense, it is clear many of their sets run through standout attackman Ben Rubeor initiating play from X.

UVa drew first blood, as Garrett Billings tossed a feed from behind the cage topside to Jack Riley, waiting all alone. With no one on him, Riley had time to set his feet and fire, giving the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead six minutes into the first quarter.

Duke answered back quickly. As the ball worked behind the cage, UVa’s defense slowly started to get sucked down. With a simple skip pass up top, Matt Danowski found a wide-open Peter Lamade who pinned the top right corner, tying the game at 1-1.

UVa took the lead right back though. Working high on the wing, Foster Gilbert rolled back-and-forth twice on his man. Finally feeling his weight shift, Gilbert changed direction again, burning down the side and ripping a running bouncer with no one on him. The first quarter thus concluded with UVa holding a 2-1 lead.

A goal by Max Pomper put UVa up 3-1, but Duke would grab one more before the half. Brad Ross came streaking in from the edge of the box to the crease, weaving amongst defenders for the unassisted score, Ross’s first of what would be three on the day. At halftime the score reflected a superb defensive effort by both teams, 3-2 UVa.

Most noticeable about play in the first half, especially UVa’s, was how busy the longsticks were. Neither the Blue Devils nor the Cavaliers saw many scoring chances as offensive players constantly felt pressure, and the ball spent a lot of time on the ground, or just being flung quickly from one end to the other. Even on plays where defenders got beat, they were able to fling a pole out and snag a piece of someone’s stick or knock down a pass. For all the comments about the deadly speed of this UVa team, it seems most apparent in their defense.

Ross tied the score with his second goal of the day, the first of the second half. After a nice little shake-n-bake move on the wing, Ross got a step inside on his man and released a high ripper for the score, 3-3.

Rubeor got his name on the board with his first of two scores. Driving from X, Rubeor wrapped around the cage and snuck a ball between the post and Duke keeper Dan Loftus’ leg. Steve Giannone stretched UVa’s lead to two, scoring a goal similar to Ross’ at the start of the half. Giannone rolled inside, fought through two defenders, and got off an awkward bounce shot that went right over Loftus’ shoulder.

Duke began to take control of the game, trying to settle into longer possessions, but the Cavalier defense’s aggressive play did not let the Devils sit stagnantly for long. Eventually the Dukies found pay dirt. With Danowski playing catch and faking like he would rush a post from X, UVa’s defense began to sink. Danowski flipped an over the top pass to a wide-open Mike Catalino who set and fired for the score.

Duke tied the game at five as Lamade fed Zach Greer sitting right off the crease. Greer caught and finished the close shot, his bread and butter.

UVa took the lead right back with some impressive play from Turner. After making a good save, Turner gained control of the ball and looked to clear. Finding no one, he carried the ball all the way down field, to about five yards short of the box. From there, he hit Rubeor streaking across the face of the goal. Rubeor caught and fired in the goal on the run, giving Turner only his second career point (the other was also an assist).

With six minutes left, Danowski then tied the game at six. Driving hard from the top of the box down the wing, Danowski fired a high-to-low shot that somehow squeezed in between Cavalier keeper Kip Turner’s leg and the post.

The teams traded some good rushes up and down the field, but regulation ticked away, and the game was destined for overtime.

UVa won the opening possession of OT but lost the ball on an errant shot. Duke snagged the ball and took a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, they attempted to run a set offense. As the ball worked to X, Danowski carried, looking for an opening. Then, he whipped a pass to Ross, sitting right on the crease. Having little time and space to maneuver, Ross tucked the ball around his back, putting it off-stick-side high, beating Turner for the game winner, Ross’ third of the game; 7-6 Duke.

Perhaps the hardest part of this loss for UVa is the play they got out of Turner. He posted a career high 20 saves, and held Duke, a team that averages almost 12 goals again, to only seven.

Danowski showed that he is the quarterback of this Duke offense. Netting only one goal for himself, he had a hand in three others, leading all scorers on the day with four points. Rubeor, his hypothetical counterpart on the Cavalier end, put up two goals, but could not get the ball to his teammates in places they were finishing.

Duke claimed the top spot in the ACC tournament with the win today. They play Army in Durham, NC, next Saturday afternoon at 1. Virginia will enter the ACC field ranked second. They play Dartmouth in Charlottesville, VA, Saturday afternoon at 1.

If the ACC tournament plays out as expected, a Duke v UVa final would be a contentious and entertaining prospect.