Box Score
BOSTON -- The Boston University men's lacrosse team came just short of making history on Friday night, as Holy Cross edged the Terriers, 12-10, at Nickerson Field.
Before the game, the men's lacrosse program presented a check for over $5,000 to the Lingzi Foundation. The Terriers raised that money through t-shirt sales during the week and at Friday's game in honor of Lu, a Boston University graduate student who was tragically killed in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Members of her family were present to receive the donation.
The Terriers also honored their lone senior, Evan Herron, before the game. Herron will graduate from the Questrom School of Business in May with a degree in finance.
BU (6-7, 3-5 PL) could have clinched the program's first-ever postseason berth with a victory on Friday, but Holy Cross (6-7, 3-5 PL) was able to outscore the Terriers, 4-2, in the final quarter to seal the victory. The Terriers led, 9-8, early in the fourth quarter and tied the game, 10-10, with 5:27 remaining in regulation before Holy Cross scored twice to finish the contest.
Sophomore Cal Dearth set a new single-game program record with six assists on Friday night. He also scored a goal to match his program best of seven points in one game. Dearth was one of five Terriers with at least two points. Freshman Jack Wilson, sophomore Adam Schaal and freshman Ryan Hilburn had two goals apiece while sophomore Jack Beall netted a goal and added an assist.
Sam Talkow was strong at the faceoff X on Friday, as the sophomore won 15-of-24 draws and collected nine ground balls. He won a key faceoff after Holy Cross took a 12-10 lead, but his ensuing shot was stopped by Michael Ortlieb (six saves).
Sophomore Greg Wozniak gathered six ground balls, one shy of his career best, and also caused two turnovers and had one assist. Classmate Christian Carson-Banister made 11 saves and collected a ground ball. Sophomore Ryan Johnston and freshman Hayden Ruiz each found the back of the net and sophomore Pat Myers chipped in an assist.
BU began the game with a 2-0 lead with Dearth involved in both markers. He fed Schaal for the opening goal just 1:15 into the proceedings before taking a Myers pass from X and scoring his 18th goal of the season.
The Crusaders answered with two goals of their own to tie the game before BU closed the first quarter with another run of two straight goals. The Terriers made it 3-2 when Dearth picked up the ball at midfield and ran all the way into the Holy Cross defensive end. He then fed Hilburn, who quickly turned and scored his 22nd goal of the year.
Beall gave BU a 4-2 lead with just 29 seconds remaining in the quarter. He completed a clear and kept on running before beating Ortlieb. Wozniak added to the Terriers' lead early in the second stanza when he cleared a Crusader turnover and hustled down field. Schaal was standing at the top of the crease, and he converted Wozniak's pass for his second strike of the game.
Holy Cross finished the quarter with four straight goals to take a 6-5 advantage into the break. Hilburn evened the score, 6-6, before Holy Cross regained the lead. It did not last, however, as Ruiz and Wilson each scored thanks to assists from Dearth. The Crusaders tied the game at 8-8, however, as the teams entered the fourth quarter.
Johnston's goal after an extra-man opportunity just expired gave BU a 9-8 edge, but two markers for Holy Cross caused another lead change. The Terriers capitalized on a man-up chance with Dearth finding Wilson for his team-leading 24th goal of the season, but the Crusaders closed the game with two more goals to break the deadlock and secure the result.
BU has one more tilt remaining on its schedule, as the Terriers will trek to Duke on May 3.
