A 10-goal run.
An eight-goal answer.
A pole goal to tie it late.
A couple of All-Americans with ice in their veins.
A faceoff guy scoring the winner off a 40-yard outlet.
Cornell’s 18-17 win over Penn State in the Crown Lacrosse Classic had it all, and it had some fantasizing about what a rematch might look like in May.
The undefeated Big Red, ranked ninth in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Men’s Top 20, knocked off the top-ranked Nittany Lions in the most unlikely fashion to cap the college lacrosse triple-header at William Amos Hough High School Athletic Complex in Cornelius, N.C.
Cornell (5-0) scored 10 goals in less than 14 minutes, a flurry almost unlikely as the fact that nine different scorers inflicted the damage during that stretch and none of them were named Jeff Teat.
Teat, the All-American attackman, was involved of course, with three assists. Then he scored twice in the second quarter to give the Big Red a 12-3 lead.
But Penn State (4-2), energized by a switch from Gerard Arceri to Jake Glatz on faceoffs, mounted an equally astounding comeback. It started with a pair of goals late in the second quarter, the latter coming on a pretty behind-the-back Grant Ament feed that hit Kevin Hill in stride on a give-and-go.
Grant Ament out here dropping BTB G&G dimes, but red-hot Cornell leads Penn State 12-5 at halftime on @LaxSportsNet pic.twitter.com/Dlr4ycHIa8
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) March 8, 2020
Trailing 13-5 early in the third quarter, the Nittany Lions proceeded to pick apart the Big Red defense with eight unanswered goals to tie the game.
The two top-10 heavyweights exchanged a few more haymakers before Penn State went on a seemingly decisive three-goal run late in the fourth quarter. After Jack Kelly brought the Nittany Lions within one, long pole TJ Connellan came up with a contested ground ball off the ensuing faceoff and took it all the way for his first career goal to tie it at 16.
4Q (4:25) | Penn State 16, Cornell 16
— Penn State Lacrosse (@PennStateMLAX) March 8, 2020
What a time to get your first career goal, TJ Connellan!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/WGtiA4r8Ut
An illegal body check by Cornell’s Brandon Salvatore on the next possession put Penn State a man up, and Mac O’Keefe sunk a sidearm shot that skipped off the turf and into the goal to put the Nittany Lions ahead 17-16 with 3:46 remaining.
4Q (2:55) | Penn State 17, Cornell 16
— Penn State Lacrosse (@PennStateMLAX) March 8, 2020
MAC O'KEEFE! We've come back from 9 goals down to take the lead!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/RB7HLt4Riw
After a Penn State shot clock violation and turnover, Cornell got the ball back in the last minute. Teat took short-stick defender Brian Townsend down the right alley, changed directions five times and got his hands free to score with 18 seconds left.
Jeff Teat... ties it at 17. What an individual effort! pic.twitter.com/IvyY7jhqgc
— Anish Shroff (@AnishESPN) March 8, 2020
Angelo Petrakis won the next faceoff, but it was contested all the way into the Big Red’s defensive end. Cornell defenseman Dom Doria came up with the ground ball and heaved it upfield as he fell to the turf. Petrakis, who instead of subbing off darted up the field, caught the long pass and sunk the game-winning goal with 8 seconds remaining.
“ARE YOU...KIDDING...ME?”
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) March 8, 2020
The call said it all, as Angelo Petrakis’ game-winning goal with 8 seconds left capped a frenetic fourth quarter and @CornellLacrosse defeated Penn State 18-17. Absolutely wild game with a playoff vibe in Charlotte pic.twitter.com/ldJbde2AG6
Petrakis, a freshman, finished 18-for-29 with two goals. Teat had three goals and three assists.
Ament had five assists and TJ Malone scored four goals to lead Penn State, which lost despite shooting better than 50 percent (17-for-33). Glatz was 17-for-29 on faceoffs filling in for the ineffective Arceri (3-for-10).