ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After four lead changes and five ties Navy executed a late 6-0 run to rally from a three-goal third quarter deficit and hand Towson a disappointing 14-11 loss in Navy-Marine Corps Stadium Tuesday night.
The 10th meeting between the two schools on the lacrosse field more resembled a ping-pong game with back-and-forth lead changes and momentum swings. But Navy mounted the final charge that erased an 11-8 Tigers' lead with 3:04 left in the third quarter that lifted the Midshipmen to their third win of the season against four losses. The loss dropped the Tigers to 1-4 on the year. The Midshipmen now have a 6-4 advantage in the series.
"I thought that our defense created Navy's offense tonight," said Tiger head coach Tony Seaman. "I don't understand why we were sliding and creating doubles when we didn't have to. No one was getting beat but we slid right in their alley and that's what they wanted ... It's very disappointing from our end."
Navy's Andy Warner found many of the openings, assisting on six goals and scoring twice himself including the game's final goal into an open net.
Another problem area for Towson popped up at center field where Navy's Logan West won 19 of 29 faceoffs, one draw short of the Midshipmen's single game faceoff record.
The Tigers opened the scoring when freshman midfielder Andrew Hodgson found junior attackman John Lamon on the crease for a quick hitter with 9:19 left in the first period. Three minutes later junior attackman Stephen Norris picked up a loose ball right on the crease after RJ Wickham's save bounced back into the field of play. Norris beat Wickham on the put back.
Senior middie Pat Britton gave the Tigers their first three-goal lead, 3-0, on an unassisted transition goal.
Navy finally got on the scoreboard when Nikk Davis tallied unassisted with 1:40 left in the period. Sam Jones then beat the clock to score as the first quarter closed with the Tigers ahead, 3-2.
Taylor Reynolds knotted the score early in the second quarter with a nifty solo, coming from behind to tally the no-angle shot.
The two teams then traded goals and runs. Britton scored his second goal of the contest at the 12:09 mark but shortly after Davis tallied his second also that knotted the score at 4-4.
Senior attackman Tommy Beach gave the lead back to the Tigers on his first career goal when he scored on an extra man strike. That started a three-goal run with sophomore attackman Matt Hughes and Lamon registering unassisted goals a minute apart for a 7-4 Tigers' lead.
But the remaining three minutes of the second period belonged to Navy as the Midshipmen poured three goals into Towson's nets including Tucker Hull's morale buster with 1.7 seconds remaining that sent the hosts into the locker room tied with the Tigers, 7-7.
Navy's run spilled over into the third quarter. Hull scored 1:14 into the period for an 8-7 Navy lead. But that was Towson's cue to get back into it. Beach scored the second goal of his career to start a 4-0 Tiger run on two more goals from Hughes and one from junior Sean Maguire for an 11-8 lead at the 3:04 mark.
That would prove to be Towson's last score of the evening.
Two simultaneous technical fouls put the Tigers two men down. Navy took advantage of the extra bodies with Harrison Chaires scoring to stop Towson's run as the third period closed with the Tigers on top 11-9. Chaires' goal launched Navy on its decisive 6-0 run as Towson went scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Hughes led all scorers with three goals. Senior goalkeeper Travis Love finished with seven saves for the Tigers.
The Tigers are back in action this Saturday afternoon when they host fifth-ranked Stony Brook in Johnny Unitas Stadium. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
