WEST POINT, N.Y. - After senior
Will Barnes made his career-best 22nd save of the day on the first possession of overtime, junior
Jimmy Kohr scored with 2:41 left to lift the No. 19 Boston University men's lacrosse team to a thrilling 10-9 victory over No. 2/3 Army West Point on Saturday afternoon at Michie Stadium.
Exactly one year after knocking off the undefeated and top-ranked Black Knights at Nickerson Field, BU (7-1, 3-1 PL) handed Army (7-1, 3-1 PL) its first loss of the 2025 season. This was the Terriers' fifth straight victory over Army and their second straight overtime triumph at Michie Stadium, as
Jake Cates scored in overtime of the 2024 Patriot League semifinals to end the Black Knights season.
The two best goalkeepers in the Patriot League put on a show, with Barnes making 22 saves and his counterpart, Sean Byrne, stopping 18 shots. BU became the first team to reach double digits against Byrne and the Army defense. Byrne entered the day leading the country in save percentage (.732) and goals-against average (4.24) while Army led the country in scoring defense (4.57 goals allowed per game). In fact, Army had not allowed more than five goals in each of its previous six games.
Andrew Pape was outstanding on the offensive end, as the freshman midfielder scored a career-high four goals. Senior
Jimmy O'Connell notched a goal and added three assists to join Pape with four points while freshman
Timothy Shannehan tallied two goals and one assist for three points. Sophomore
Tyler Fox gave BU a 9-8 lead late in the fourth quarter and then assisted on Kohr's winner, which was his second goal of the afternoon. Sophomore
James Lapina and graduate student
James Corcoran each had one assist.
Sophomore LSM
Donald Varnerin led BU with three caused turnovers and five ground balls. Junior
Connor Kehm collected four ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Pape opened the scoring with 8:25 left in the opening quarter, but Army answered off the ensuing faceoff before taking the lead with 3:35 left in the frame.
- The Black Knights extended their lead to 3-1 just 18 seconds into the second stanza, but the Terriers tallied two goals in 30 seconds to even the score again.
- First, Pape backed down a defender and hammered home his second of the day at 13:39. Then, Lapina picked up a loose ball in midfield and found a wide-open Shannehan in transition. Shannehan wisely shot low to the far side to beat Byrne.
- After Jackson Eicher restored Army's lead at 11:42, O'Connell connected with Kohr on the Terriers' first EMO of the day at 9:34.
- O'Connell then made it 5-4 after a scramble in front. Corcoran gathered a rebound and quickly dished it to O'Connell, who took a big hit as he fired the ball past Byrne.
- The Black Knights scored the final two goals of the first half to take a 6-5 advantage into the locker room.
- Army was penalized off the opening draw of the second half and BU took advantage with Pape notching his third goal of the day to tie game at 6-6.
- The Black Knights responded with 9:03 left in the quarter to take a 7-6 lead.
- BU had another answer, as Fox drew a double and dished it to O'Connell, who found Shannehan alone at the crease. Shannehan's diving effort beat Byrne and made it a 7-7 score.
- Pape's fourth goal of the day gave BU an 8-7 lead with 8:45 remaining in regulation, but Christian Mazur scored on a fast break just over three minutes later to tie the game.
- Fox regained the Terriers' lead exactly 60 seconds later with a nifty shot that beat Byrne low to the near side.
- Bradyen Fountain forced overtime when he scored following a scramble in front of Barnes. The officials reviewed the play, and despite replays showing an Army player stepped in the crease, the goal was allowed.
- Army won the next faceoff and called timeout to set up a play, but the Terriers blocked a shot and kept the game tied.
- The Black Knights won the first faceoff of overtime and once again called timeout to set up a play, but Barnes was equal to Hill Plunkett's shot. He then helped BU complete a clear and the Terriers called timeout.
- Kohr then scored the winner with a shot from six yards out after a nice play by Fox to draw a double and dish it to Kohr.
GAME NOTES
- BU improved to 7-2 against ranked teams since 2023, with the two losses coming by a combined three goals against top-10 foes.
- This is the Terriers' first road win over a top-five team, with their previous two triumphs over top-five foes (18-11 over No. 2 Loyola in 2019, 14-9 over No. 1 Army in 2024) coming at Nickerson Field.
- Barnes raised his save percentage to .625 and now boasts a 7.89 goals-against average through eight games.
- His previous career high for saves was 21 in a 12-10 win at Loyola on March 16, 2024.
- Pape's previous career high for goals in a game was two in a 21-12 win at Bucknell on March 8.
- The Terriers were 2-for-4 on man-up chances and held Army scoreless on its only EMO of the day.
- BU went 27-for-30 in clears, including an 8-for-8 mark across the fourth quarter and overtime, while forcing the Black Knights into four failed clears.
- Each team had seven caused turnovers.
UP NEXT
- BU will travel to No. 12 Harvard on Tuesday, March 25, for the newly named Charles River Rivalry Game against the Crimson.
- Game time at Jordan Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.
- General tickets are now on sale at this link and BU students can purchase discounted tickets at this link.
