Most players who score the winning goal in an overtime playoff game want to savor the moment -- but not Mike Morris.
Laying in a pass from Josh Hahn at point-blank range, Morris lifted No. 3-ranked Loyola to a 7-6 overtime victory over visiting No. 7 McDonogh in a MIAA A Conference first-round game yesterday.
His goal with 1: 43 remaining in overtime lets the Dons advance to the semifinals for the fifth year in a row. Loyola (11-3) has won nine straight games and will meet Gilman, the last team in the league to beat the Dons, on Friday.
It was the first playoff game since 1974 for McDonogh (13-8).
Morris, who had a goal and an assist, wanted to forget this game. "It was the worst game of my career at Loyola," said the senior attackman. "I scored the last goal -- that was the only good thing about it."
At one point, Morris threw the ball into a corner where no one was standing. He wasn't alone as Loyola had one of its worst passing games of the year.
It was unlike the surging Dons, who have won by an average of 6 1/2 goals since April 5, including an eight-goal victory over McDonogh on April 29.
"We had no crispness," Loyola coach Joe McFadden said. "We were on our heels catching the ball and on our heels throwing the ball. These are kids, though, and they had a vivid, vivid memory of a rout of this team a week ago."
The Eagles scored three consecutive goals in the second quarter for a 3-2 halftime lead, then went scoreless for 21 minutes as the Dons reclaimed the lead at 5-3.
Behind unassisted goals from Greg Adams and Bobby Benson, the Eagles tied the game at 5 with 3: 59 remaining in the fourth quarter. Chris Malone powered in a 9-yard shot to put the Dons up with 2: 22 left, but Benson answered for McDonogh just over a minute later to send the game into overtime.
The Eagles had an opportunity to win the game in regulation as Loyola was called for an illegal body check with 24 seconds left. But the Dons killed the penalty.
"I'm so proud of how hard my team played," McDonogh coach Jake Reed said. "Our senior captains have really taken us to the next level. We thought we were really going to win this."
Pub Date: 5/07/97
