UALBANY UPENDS NATIONALLY-RANKED JOHNS HOPKINS, 8-7, IN SEASON OPENER
Baltimore, Md. ? Frank Resetarits scored four goals, including the game-winner with one minute and 44 seconds remaining, as UAlbany upset nationally-ranked Johns Hopkins, 8-7, in the season opener for both teams on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Homewood Field. The Blue Jays were ranked No. 6 in the USILA coaches' preseason poll and No. 1 in the current Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll.
In a game of runs, UAlbany (1-0) jumped out to a 5-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Resetarits, who led the nation in scoring one year ago, connected on a low bounce shot to give his team a two-goal advantage after the opening period. Matthew Green netted a hard shot, off an isolation play, over the head of goalkeeper Jesse Schwartzman with 9:03 left in the second stanza, before Resetarits rifled a 15-yarder inside the left post 48 seconds later for a five-goal margin.
Johns Hopkins (1-0) would get back into the contest by halftime. Kevin Huntley and Jake Byrne tallied unassisted goals 34 seconds apart. Michael Kimmel, a freshman midfielder, then found the net with one second left before the intermission to close the gap to 5-3. Kimmel went inside the right post off a long pass from behind by Steven Boyle following a restart.
The Blue Jays, who had won 44 of their last 47 home games entering the contest, kept UAlbany off the scoreboard for all of the third quarter and a good portion of the final period with a sticky defense. Meanwhile, the offense put together a string of four unanswered goals. Mark Bryan, who was coming across the face of the cage, scored off a pass from Kimmel to draw his team even at five apiece. Boyle, another freshman, picked up a loose ball and hit the cage from the top of the crease for the go-ahead goal with 38 seconds left in the quarter, before Michael Donegar gave his club a 7-5 lead early in the final stanza.
The Great Danes, who went scoreless for more than 33 minutes, then netted goals 31 seconds apart to tie the contest. Steve Ammann drove around the cage and converted a spin move from the right side. John Alpizar then netted a bounce shot from the top of the crease after moving in from the left. The sophomore would later set up the winning play with another drive that found Resetarits wide open at the top of the crease. The Blue Jays, who captured the 2005 national title and reached the NCAA quarterfinals last year, had two opportunities to get the equalizer. Huntley's blast went wide to the left with eight seconds left, before UAlbany goalkeeper Brett Queener stuffed Boyle in the closing moments.
“John (Alpizar) dodged hard, Merrick (Thomson) set a pick for me, and I caught it and went low,” explained Resetarits about the winning goal. “This is my greatest experience in sports. Everyone in this locker room has a smile from ear to ear. It shows that we can beat anyone if we put our minds to it.”
UAlbany's Queener, who also was used as an attacker in extra-man situations, finished with four saves. Ammann and Alpizar each had one goal and one assist. Resetarits, a preseason honorable mention All-American, scored four or more goals for the tenth time as a collegian.
“That's pretty big to beat one of the best programs in the history of the game, on their field, and on national television,” said UAlbany coach Scott Marr, an attackman on Johns Hopkins' 1987 national championship team. “It shows the character of our kids and that no one stopped playing. They made some adjustments on defense and we got tentative in those middle periods. We went to some different sets in the final part of the game. Alpizar made a heckuva play to get underneath the defender on that tying goal and the momentum shifted back.”
