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JU Men: Dolphins Down Blue Devils on Home Turf

Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in , , , .

via JU press release/website, by Alex Kerstetter

BOX SCORE

Jacksonville Wins a Thriller Against Duke

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.- The Jacksonville men’s lacrosse team defeated the number eight Duke Blue Devils in thrilling, comeback fashion on Saturday.

JU STAT LEADERS

GOALS – Jack TaylorBrandon Galloway (3)
ASSISTS – Jacob GreinerJackson Intrieri (2)
CAUSED TURNOVERS – Zack Deaken (3)

HOW IT HAPPENED

In what was one of the more anticipated men’s lacrosse games of the week, Jacksonville (1-1) and Duke (2-1) lived up to the hype. The Dolphins got a goal from Brandon Galloway just over a minute into the game, and Brennan O’Neill responded just 40 seconds later to knot the contest. JU turned up the pressure and used a first quarter hattrick from Brandon Galloway and another goal from Reid Smith to carry a 4-2 lead into the second quarter. 

Duke roared back in the second quarter with seven unanswered goals and seemed to be separating from the Dolphins before the break. Jack Taylor netted the last goal of the half for his first career goal and put a stop to the Blue Devils run. At half, Jacksonville found themselves down 9-5.

The Dolphins were in need of a spark, and the fuse was lit right out of the gate to start the third quarter. Nathan Kapp won the faceoff against Jake Naso and raced down the center of the field and ripped a shot into the back of the net just 10 seconds into the quarter, and JU was off and running in the second half. O’Neill netted another Blue Devils goal in response with just over 12 minutes in the quarter, but from then on it was all Jacksonville.

JU netted the next six goals to eliminate the four goal deficit, and suddenly led by two. The Jacksonville bench and fans cheers grew louder, and as Millican saved eight shots in the third quarter alone, all the momentum was going the Dolphins way. Jack Taylor again found the net two more times to record his first collegiate hattrick, and a pair of goals from Bryce Wojnovich gave JU their first lead since the opening quarter. The eighth ranked Blue Devils would not go away quietly, and responded when Dyson Williams found the back of the net with just under a minute to go. Jacksonville held a one goal advantage as the final quarter opened up.

Into the final quarter, Jacksonville had all the momentum as the game had done a complete 360. With 12:54 to play, Ethan Lamond ripped a shot while falling to the ground past the Duke goalkeeper and pushed the Dolphins back ahead by two. Williams again responded for Duke, however the stout JU defense, led by a 13 save night by Millican, proved to be too much to overcome as Jacksonville clinched the comeback victory.

COACH’S COMMENTS

“Today was a really important moment for our guys to respond to some adversity from last week,” said head coach John Galloway after the upset win. “We knew we may be outmatched in some areas, but we felt we had something to prove today. These games against opponents like Duke often offer a chance for individuals to begin creating their legacy. We have to continue to invest in our growth mindset, and invest in the guys in this team who show up to work everyday.”

“The biggest development of the week was our white (scout) team,” continued Galloway on the week of preparation leading up to the contest with Duke. “Led by Ryan Della Rocco, Max Silva, Quentin Pellegrino, Dan May and Curtis Goddard, that group of guys is why we had success today. They kicked our butts all week long, and prepared us to have success.”

“Duke will be there at the end of May,” further commented Galloway on his opponent. “This game will give us confidence to stay the course and get ready for a very talented Marist team next Saturday.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Brandon Galloway currently has as many appearances in the Green and White (2) as he does hattricks for the team (2).
Jack Taylor’s goals were the first of his career and came in the form of a hattrick.
Kapp, the faceoff specialist, netted his fourth career goal.
JU forced 16 turnovers on the Duke offense. 

UP NEXT

The Dolphins continue their three game home stand to start the season next Saturday, when they host Marist at 12 pm at Rock Stadium.

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