Box Score
BOSTON - Five overtime saves by junior Christian Carson-Banister and freshman James Burr's game-winner lifted the Boston University men's lacrosse team to a 10-9, double-overtime victory against No. 16 Navy, defeating the highest-ranked opponent in program history in the Patriot League opener on Nickerson Field Saturday afternoon.
Burr's 13th goal of the season with 1:14 left in the second overtime period to give the Terriers (4-1, 1-0 PL) a victory in their first-ever overtime game. Carson-Banister's heroics in net kept the Midshipmen (2-2, 0-1 PL) at bay for over six minutes of sudden-death lacrosse.
The win is the first over a ranked opponent at home and the second over a nationally-ranked team in program history. BU is 1-0 in the Patriot League for the first time and is off to the best start in program history at 4-1 overall.
Burr finished the day with three goals, as did sophomore Jack Wilson, while junior Cal Dearth also contributed three points (1g, 2a). Freshman Brendan Homire also had two assists on the day, including the game-winning feed.
Carson-Banister finished with 15 saves, including four in the first quarter to keep the Terriers within a goal. He also had five stops in the second half prior to his outstanding effort in overtime.
Junior Sam Talkow tied the game with 47 seconds left in regulation and was 8-of-15 at the faceoff X. Classmate Greg Wozniak collected a career-high eight ground balls and also assisted on junior Adam Schaal's man-down marker. Schaal added an assist for a two-point afternoon. Junior Ryan Johnston also got on the board with one of the Terriers' two man-up goals.
Senior Elliott Burr was 3-of-5 at the faceoff X and won two ground balls. Junior Henry Lee was one of three Terriers with two caused turnovers - he was joined in that group by Wozniak and junior Dominick Calisto.
Navy got off to a fast start and controlled the ball for much of the first quarter due to seven Terrier turnovers, but the BU defense kept the Mids in check, allowing the offense to keep pace and finish the opening 15 minutes with just 3-2 deficit.
A quick Navy goal made it 4-2 early in the second quarter, but neither team was able to get on the board for the ensuing 14:35 until Dearth netted a momentum-changing goal with four seconds left in the first half.
BU came out firing in the third quarter and scored the first three goals of the second half to take their first lead of the game. Burr tied the game early in the period and Wilson came through late in the quarter with two athletic moves to the net within two minutes of each other to give the Terriers a 6-4 advantage.
Navy cut it to a one-goal deficit with a tally in the last minute but, not to be outdone, Adam Schaal scored with one second left in the quarter to give BU a 7-5 lead headed into the final 15 minutes of regulation.
The Mids scored four straight goals in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter to take back a two-goal lead. BU maintained its composure, however, and scored two goals in the final two minutes of play, capped by Talkow's fourth goal of the season with 47 seconds left in regulation.
Neither team was able to score throughout the first overtime despite strong offensive efforts on both ends. The Terriers controlled the opening faceoff and recorded two shots before Navy took over and got off four attempts, three of which were saved by Carson-Banister.
With 1:14 remaining in the second overtime period, after Carson-Banister was tested twice more, Burr found the back of the net off of a feed from Homire at X to end the game.
BU is back in action on Saturday, March 5 when the Terriers head to Canisius for a 1 p.m. game in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Terriers will then return to Nickerson Field to take on Patriot League foe Colgate on Saturday, March 12, at 1 p.m. Individual tickets can be purchased here.
