Yale men’s lacrosse carried not only the weight of a home NCAA tournament game with it on Saturday, but the pressure of holding the title of defending national champions. The Bulldogs entered this year’s tournament as the No. 5 seed, looking to find the magic that fueled the 2018 national title run.
For the first 12 or so minutes, this Yale team looked every part the team that won the NCAA title last season — if not better. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and put pressure on the BIG East champion, Georgetown, from the start.
Yale in the first quarter = @YaleLacrosse drops NINE GOALS on @HoyasMLacrosse in the 1Q, leading 9-3. Morrill/Sessa with 2G. pic.twitter.com/9153zuME1h
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) May 11, 2019
The Hoyas responded and cut the deficit to three goals on multiple occasions, but could come no closer. Yale’s offense clicked when needed in the second half en route to a 19-16 victory over the resilient Hoyas in the second game of Saturday’s quadruple-header. It was the highest scoring NCAA tournament game since the 1997 semifinals between Maryland and Syracuse.
TD Ierlan won 31 of 35 faceoffs, a tournament record and one shy of the NCAA record set by Hobart's Matthew Pedicine, and moved into the 1,000-win club, despite leaving the game briefly. Yale needed almost every single faceoff, as Georgetown’s Daniel Bucaro tallied eight goals to keep his team in the game throughout.
Yale’s start was what eventually set the foundation for the victory, with seven goals in the first seven minutes of the game. Joey Sessa had multiple goals in the run that helped the Bulldogs take a 9-3 lead after one quarter — tying the NCAA playoff record.
Down 12-6 entering the third quarter, Georgetown scored the first three goals out of halftime. Daniel Bucaro scored one of his six goals in the run that put the Hoyas back in the game with time to spare. Jake Carraway had a hat trick in the third quarter to keep the deficit at three goals entering the fourth quarter.
Georgetown isn’t going away. @HoyasMLacrosse score the first three goals of the second half to cut the deficit to 12-9. Brandau scores to make it a four-goal lead for @YaleLacrosse. pic.twitter.com/NEtmLK9bFv
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) May 11, 2019
Georgetown had the momentum when Matt Brandau scored two straight goals on twin brother, Chris, part of a five-goal run that put Yale up 19-11 with 10 minutes left. The Hoyas rallied once again, but it was not enough to claw back.
Brandau and Matt Gaudet each finished with four goals, while Jack Starr had 12 saves for Yale. Chris Brandau finished with 14 saves for Georgetown.