CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Overtime continues to be unkind to the Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team.
For the third consecutive game, the Blue Jays were extended to an extra period of play, and for the third straight time, they finished on the losing end.
This time, sophomore midfielder Brian Carroll recorded the game-winner with 7.7 seconds left in overtime to send No. 2 Virginia to a 13-12 win against No. 8 Johns Hopkins before a lacrosse-record announced crowd of 7,579 at Klockner Stadium yesterday.
After the game, several Blue Jays players sunk to their knees or leaned against the stadium wall in stunned silence.
"It's extremely frustrating," said senior midfielder Paul Rabil, who posted a hat trick and one assist. "We've got to be able to pull one out somehow. That's what we've been working on in practice, and we can't seem to get it yet."
The Cavaliers' victory was not only the program's third consecutive against Johns Hopkins, but it will also likely vault Virginia into the top spot in many polls after current No. 1 Duke fell to No. 10 Georgetown, 11-7, yesterday.
Yesterday's outcome was perhaps even more puzzling to the Blue Jays (3-3) considering that sophomore goalkeeper Michael Gvozden got a piece of Carroll's goal.
The play was similar to the one the Cavaliers (9-0) used to nip Syracuse by a goal in overtime at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium on March 1.
The play began with Virginia freshman midfielder Shamel Bratton making a dodge on the right wing. After drawing a Johns Hopkins defender, Bratton passed the ball up top to Carroll, who wound up and took aim at the right side of the net.
Gvozden said the shoulder-height shot smacked his right glove squarely before popping into the upper right corner and ending the game.
"It just hit my glove and went up into the corner," said Gvozden, who finished with 17 saves, eclipsing his previous career high of 11. "It was a good shot. I don't want to take away anything from Brian. He's a good shooter. But it's just one of those where you get a piece and it goes in. We just need to catch a break."
Added Carroll, a Gilman graduate who posted two goals and an assist: "I was aiming for the right side. I just caught it and something was open there, and I tried to place it there."
There were nine ties and four lead changes, but Johns Hopkins led just three times -- late in the first quarter and twice in the fourth.
