PHILADELPHIA—Duke’s bid to win its first men’s lacrosse national championship fell short Monday as the No. 2 Blue Devils (17-3) lost to No. 1 Johns Hopkins (16-0) 9-8 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
With an 8-8 tie in the final period, the Blue Jays’ Jake Byrne gave Hopkins its first lead in almost 45 minutes with a goal with 13:35 left to play. The margin would prove to be enough for the Blue Jays, who clamped down on defense and ran the clock down on the Blue Devils’ season.
Duke had one last opportunity to draw the game even with 3:49 to play, but All-America attacker Matt Danowski’s shot was saved by Hopkins goalie Jesse Schwartzman. Danowski finished the game with two goals and four assists, while fellow attackers Matt Zash and Dan Flannery each added in a pair of their own. Schwartzman recorded 12 saves in the victory to win tournament Most Outstanding Player honors.
The Blue Devils had taken a 7-6 lead into the halftime break, and looked to be in a solid position to take home the title. Hopkins’ defense, however, was able to stymie Duke’s explosive attack and hold the Blue Devils to just one second-half goal.
The title was Hopkins’ eighth overall and their first since 1987. It marked the first time a team has won the national championship with an undefeated record since Princeton did it back in 1997.
Continue to check The Chronicle Online for much more about Mondays's title game.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.