Brian Christopher played hero - again.
For the second time in three games, the senior midfielder scored the game-winning goal in double overtime. This time, his tally 25 seconds into the second extra session propelled the No. 9 Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team to an 11-10 victory over No. 18 Loyola on Saturday at Homewood Field.
The Blue Jays won their sixth consecutive game and improved to 9-4. The Greyhounds (9-5), who had won four straight, are in a more tenuous position as the teams wait to find out their postseason fates Selection Sunday.
An announced crowd of 2,732, including Ravens coach John Harbaugh, watched Hopkins go on a 4-0 run to build a three-goal advantage with 6:47 left in the fourth quarter. But Loyola scored three goals in the final 3:49, including one from senior attackman Shane Koppens with four seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 10.
After Christopher struck a crossbar and the left post of the cage on back-to-back shots in the first overtime, he scored the game-winner with 3:35 left in the second extra frame.
Ranging down the left alley, Christopher attracted two defenders, avoided a check as he spun back toward the middle and launched a shot that eluded goalie Jake Hagelin.
"Toward the end, they were starting to slide real early," said Christopher, who scored the winning goal with 1.2 seconds left in double overtime of Hopkins' 11-10 win against Towson on April 22. "I dodged, kind of welcomed the second slide, and as soon as that came, I rolled back, tucked my stick and was able to get a shot off."
Christopher and fellow midfielder Michael Kimmel taunted Loyola in the first half, with Christopher scoring twice and Kimmel making two assists as the duo initiated much of the action from the top of the offensive zone. The Greyhounds switched defensive assignments in the second half, shadowing the midfielders with long poles, but Christopher finished with a career-high-tying four goals and Kimmel recorded one goal and two assists.
"We tried to pick our poison a little bit with those guys," Loyola coach Charley Toomey said. "We felt like we were struggling with the two-man game in man. So we tried to go to some zone, but then you're going to allow these guys to get their hands free and shoot from 18 yards. I don't know that's the way we wanted to play the game."
Hopkins improved to 44-3 against Loyola. The Greyhounds haven't claimed a win in the series since a 14-5 victory on March 12, 1999 - a span of 10 games.
Koppens paced the Greyhounds with two goals and two assists.
No. 17 Massachusetts edged Rutgers, 11-10, in overtime and captured the Eastern College Athletic Conference title and automatic qualifier, so Loyola will have to wait until Sunday to learn whether it will be invited to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season.
"We're going to be praying [the selection committee] chooses us to play somebody," Koppens said.
Note: : Loyola freshman Mike Sawyer, a starting midfielder who had recorded 13 points, did not play because violation of a school policy.
L 3 2 2 3 0 0 - 10
JH 3 2 2 3 0 1 - 11
Goals: L-Koppens 2, Willcox 2, Atkinson, Daly, Finnerty, Hurst, Langan, Lusby; JH-Christopher 4, Wharton 3, Boyle, Bryan, Kimmel, Peck. Assists: L-Koppens 2, Basler, Daly, MacDonnell, Ricci; JH-Boland 3, Kimmel 2, Christopher, Goodrich. Saves: L-Hagelin 6; JH-Gvozden 15.
