It seemed nearly impossible for the men's lacrosse team to outdo their 10-9 victory over Yale last season, a game that culminated in a Zach Caldwell '10 game-winner with 2:20 to play.
But Kyle Hollingsworth '09 one-upped Caldwell on Friday, scoring the game-winner over the Bulldogs with just 11 seconds to play, unknotting an 8-8 tie and giving No. 16 Brown its sixth straight victory. The win, in front of a mostly pro-Brown crowd in New Haven, makes the Bears 7-2 overall and 2-0 in the Ivy League. Yale fell to 2-6, 0-4 in Ivy League play.
Yale took a 3-1 lead less than two minutes into the second period against the Brown defense, which has been the team's strength all season. Goalie Jordan Burke '09, who has been "stellar" all season, according to Head Coach Lars Tiffany '90, and who leads the Ivy League with a save percentage of 70.9, was not at his sharpest early on, though he bounced back late in the game when his team needed him.
The Brown offense picked up the slack in the second period, however, scoring four straight goals to put Bruno in the lead. Three came from attackman Thomas Muldoon '10, the team's leading scorer, who had a total of four scores on the day. Two of Muldoon's goals and one from midfielder Brady Williams '09 in the run were in man-up situations.
"The second quarter is when we turned it on," he said. "It started because we got a couple man-ups and we capitalized on them just like in the Delaware game. Man-up was moving the ball really well." Brown converted three of its four man-up opportunities, but Yale was unable to score in its four extra-man chances.
Tiffany said the offensive outburst was crucial given the slow start.
"Down 3-1 on the road against a good Yale team ... it was a huge momentum boost to see the offense explode in the second quarter."
The Bears ripped 17 shots on Yale goalie George Carafides in the second period, half of their total for the game.
The team did not change strategy, they just "started playing tougher, getting to tough ground balls," according to Hollingsworth.
Aiding Brown was a strong fan contingent. Tiffany said Brown fans outnumbered Yale fans, and Hollingsworth said their presence was a factor in the game.
"The fans were a huge inspiration throughout the whole game. We have a strong contingent that comes to every game," Hollingsworth said.
Attackman Brendan Gibson, who had three tallies for the Bulldogs, responded to the run with just eight seconds to play in the half, scoring to make it 5-4 heading into intermission.
Then, seven seconds into the second half, Yale senior Kyle Washabaugh, who gave Bruno trouble in the slot all day with his hard shooting ability, scored to tie the game at five.
The Brown offense responded continually, grabbing two more leads in the second half, but the Bears were unable to pull away and Yale tied the game at six in the third quarter and then again at eight with 5:11 to play in the game.
In the waning minutes, Burke rebounded to save the game for the Bears. After a pair of breakdowns, Burke made close saves to protect the tie. The biggest threat came with three minutes to play, when Brown failed a clear and Yale had a 2-on-1 that eventually left Burke 1-on-1 with Yale attackman Tyler Casertano. Casertano shot from point-blank range, but Burke made a spectacular save.
"It was as big a play as someone can make in a game," Tiffany said. "Friday wasn't a great game for him, but he was there in the end making two huge saves."
The save led to a Brown clear and the final possession. After a few shots missed wide, the Bears called a timeout with 40 seconds left in the game.
Assistant Coach Jon Thompson called a play designed for a midfielder to dodge, but the ball found its way to Muldoon up top.
"I got the ball up top, and I drew a slide and dumped it back to Hollingsworth (behind the net)," Muldoon said of the game-winning goal.
Hollingsworth had a step on his man because of the slide and took the ball around the left side of the cage, beating Carafides on the left for the winner.
"It was awesome. I was right behind the net and saw the whole thing. I watched it go in the left-hand corner," Muldoon said.
The ensuing face-off was knocked around, and Yale was unable to get an opportunity to equalize in the final seconds.
"This was the best lacrosse game I've been a part of at Brown as a head coach," Tiffany said. "To win a game where two teams play really well, we're ecstatic."
Tri-captain Brian Sharnick '08 said the game was a "learning experience" that will hopefully help the team down the road, should it have other close games. He also said that it was great for the team's confidence, though he added that the players "don't take anything lightly and always play like we have something to prove."
The Bears will next try to prove themselves at Penn on Saturday. The Quakers are 3-1 in the Ivy League, and a positive result is crucial for Brown's Ivy League title aspirations.
