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No. 12 men’s lacrosse knocks off Brown 14-13 in Sunday afternoon clash

Kraus’ five-goal performance lifts the Cavaliers over the Bears in their third straight overtime win

<p>Junior attackman Michael Kraus scored five goals against Brown including the game-winner in overtime.&nbsp;</p>

Junior attackman Michael Kraus scored five goals against Brown including the game-winner in overtime. 

After winning back-to-back games in overtime, the No. 12 Virginia men’s lacrosse team continued the pattern against Brown Sunday at Klöckner Stadium, prevailing once again in overtime.

The Cavaliers (4-2, 1-0 ACC) scored on their opening possession courtesy of junior attackman Michael Kraus, who netted a goal after just 1:21. Brown (2-1, 0-0 Ivy League) responded with two straight goals to take the lead 2-1.

The Bears’ lead didn’t last long as sophomore attackman Ian Laviano scored two of his own on the crease, both assisted by sophomore attackman Matt Moore. 

Virginia and Brown traded goals back and forth late in the first period and throughout the second, with both teams displaying a powerful offense. The Cavaliers specifically scored several impressive goals during the stretch, including a goal by Kraus in transition and a team goal finished by Moore. 

With the game knotted at 6-6, Brown scored to take a 7-6 lead which, after 8:32 of scoreless play, held until halftime. 

The first half statistics accurately reflected the extremely close scoreline with Brown possessing the slight edge in shots, 24-22, and shots on goal, 16-13. 

Brown came out firing on all cylinders in the second half with two goals to extend its lead to 9-6. Just as the visiting team was gaining momentum, the Cavaliers ended Brown’s 4-0 run through Moore, who scored his 12th goal of the year. 

The Bears answered back with a 3-1 run to build a 12-8 lead with 14:42 remaining in the fourth period.

Virginia was able to cut the deficit to two with junior midfielder Dox Aitken scoring his second goal of the day in a man-up situation and Laviano following up with his third. However, the Bears once again responded well with an unassisted goal from freshman midfielder George Pike after a point-blank save by junior goalkeeper Phil Goss.

With Brown holding onto a 13-10 lead with 6:52 remaining, Virginia scored three straight goals in two and a half minutes to erase the deficit, with Kraus securing the game-tying score with 3:21 left in the final quarter. Both defenses were able to stand tall late in regulation and the game headed to overtime.  

Virginia made several key defensive stops and create several goalscoring opportunities in overtime. With just over a minute left in the fifth period, Kraus stepped up to the plate and scored the game-winning goal after a pass from senior attackman Mikey Herring found him in space.

For the second straight weekend, Virginia erased a four-goal deficit in the fourth period, sending the game into overtime, where the Cavaliers picked up their third straight overtime victory. 

“I think [winning in overtime] just goes to show our confidence in our teammates and our trust in ourselves,” Kraus said. “When we’re down four in the fourth quarter, we don’t flinch. We embrace it.”

The 14th meeting ever between Virginia and Brown was certainly a dramatic affair, with the Cavaliers defeating the Bears for the 12th time. With the victory, Virginia avenged its loss to Brown in the teams’ last meeting in 2016, when current Virginia Coach Lars Tiffany was Brown’s coach.

“[Brown] just kept throwing blows at us, they kept scoring goals,” Tiffany said. “You can tell they believe, they got that attitude. As a Brown alum, I’m really proud of that.”

Kraus led the Cavaliers with five goals, while Laviano, Aitken and Moore combined for the other nine. For Brown, junior attackman Luke McCaleb led the way with three goals, while sophomore midfielder Ryan Aughavin contributed a pair of goals of his own and three assists.

This season, a number of Cavaliers have earned individual honors. Senior defenseman Logan Greco was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week after an outstanding individual performance against then-No. 14 Syracuse last weekend. 

Furthermore, both Kraus and Aitken were included on the 2019 Tewaaraton Trophy watch list. The Tewaaraton Award is given annually to the top college lacrosse player in the country.

Senior midfielder Ryan Conrad also achieved a massive milestone as he was drafted fifth overall in the 2019 Major League Lacrosse Draft by the Charlotte Hounds. 

Virginia will next face No. 10 Notre Dame at Klöckner Stadium Saturday March 16 for the team’s second ACC matchup. Face-off is set for 3 p.m.

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