For the second year in a row, Jamie Trimboli netted the game-winning goal for No. 17 Syracuse (4-3, 2-0 ACC) to take down No. 2 Duke (8-2, 0-1 ACC) in a thrilling one-goal win, 15-14.
The Orange were poised and resilient in Saturday's win at Koskinen Stadium, falling behind be two goals in the fourth quarter after a 6-1 Duke run gave the Blue Devils their first lead of the game in the final quarter, but Brendan Bomberry scored twice to equalize the game so Trimboli could win it.
Highlights from today's huge win over #3 Duke pic.twitter.com/XDsDgahPCf
— Syracuse Lacrosse (@CuseMLAX) March 24, 2018
The win moves the Orange to 2-0 in league play, with both wins on the road, to extend their conference win streak to seven-straight games, dating back to the 2016 finale. The win also marks the 14th one-goal decision in the last-22 games for the Orange, with 'Cuse an astonishing 12-2 in such contests.
The Orange never trailed before the fourth quarter, in a game that saw seven different members of the Orange find the net. Bomberry led the way with four goals, while Stephen Rehfuss contributed a team-high five points on two goals and three assists. Brendan Curry contributed a career-best three points (2-1), while Trimboli (2-0), Nate Solomon (1-1) and Pat Carlin (1-1) also contributed multi-point efforts.
Peter Dearth and Jamie Trimboli opened the scoring in the first for the Orange, with their goals coming a minute and a half apart to take a two-goal lead. Nakeie Montgomery provided an answer right away for the Blue Devils to begin the back-and-forth play that would continue all game. After Bomberry scored his first-of-four, Riley Walsh and Joey Manown each tallied goals for the Blue Devils to give the teams their first of many ties on the day.
Carlin and Manown traded goals to finish the first and start the second, before Curry and Rehfuss scored back-to-back goals for the Orange to open another two goal lead. Bradley Voigt then pushed the Syracuse lead to 7-5 with 3:46 remaining in the half, but Brad Smith scored two goals 26 seconds to knot things at seven heading to the locker room.
Out of the break, 'Cuse scored three in a row, with Curry, Bomberry and Rehfuss all finding the back of the net, to open the largest lead either team would hold all afternoon.
That's when Duke's 6-1 run began. Joe Robertson and Justin Guterding scored back-to-back goals, halted only by Tucker Dordevic's only goal of the afternoon. Sean Lowrie, Joe Robertson and Peter Conley closed the third with goals, to give the Blue Devils a one-goal advantage heading into the fourth.
Smith continued the run in the fourth, scoring with 9:07 remaining in regulation to provide the Blue Devils with their only multi-goal lead of the afternoon.
That's when Syracuse answered. Nate Solomon dodged his way to the cage to pull within one with 4:49 remaining. Bomberry then scored twice in a row, with assists to Solomon and Curry to give Syracuse the lead back.
Robertson evened things up at 14 with 2:11. His goal came off a wild sequence when Bomberry was stonewalled at the doorstep and Smith finished in transition on the other end. The play came moments after another Bomberry goal was wiped out due to a crease violation.
Bomberry goal Fowler save Robertson goal. @DukeMLAX and @CuseMLAX going down to the wire tied. pic.twitter.com/vFKlwdz4Ic
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) March 24, 2018
With 1:14 to play, Trimboli collected a rebound and rifled home the game-winner.
Duke won 20-of-32 faceoffs, in a game when Syracuse sent four different players to the X. 'Cuse won the final three faceoffs though, to come away with the win.
GAME NOTES: The win is Syracuse's first win at Duke since 1938. They had lost at their previous five appearances at Duke … 'Cuse has now won seven-straight ACC games, after starting this season 2-0, finishing 2017 at 4-0, and defeating North Carolina in the 2016 conference finale … The win is the 899th in program history for Syracuse, the next win will make 'Cuse the second team in college lacrosse to record 900 wins.
Nike/US Lacrosse
Top 20 Scoreboard
No. 1 Albany 13, UMass-Lowell 6
No. 17 Syracuse 15, No. 2 Duke 14
No. 3 Maryland vs. No. 19 North Carolina – 10 p.m. ET
No. 5 Denver 11, Towson 10 (OT)
No. 6 Yale 16, Princeton 8
No. 20 Bucknell 12, No. 7 Loyola 8
No. 8 Johns Hopkins 15, No. 10 Virginia 13
No. 9 Villanova 13, Fairfield 12 (OT)
No. 11 Rutgers 15, Delaware 10
Cornell 20, No. 12 Penn 13
St. John’s 9, No. 13 Hofstra 8
Navy 10, No. 14 Lehigh 7
Colgate 8, No. 15 Army 6
Marquette 9, No. 16 Georgetown 8 (OT)
No. 18 Harvard 10, Dartmouth 8