ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Raiders overcame a three-goal deficit with fewer than three minutes remaining in regulation to claim a 16-15 double-overtime victory over Navy. This win marks the first time the Raiders have triumphed at Navy since 2014.
Casey Quinson had an outstanding performance on offense, recording a new career high in goals (6) and points (7). He scored one goal in the first quarter, three in the second, one in the third, and the game-winning goal in double overtime for the Raiders.
Quinn Spillett and Emmet Crotty each recorded their first career hat trick, scoring at critical moments, including the final two goals that forced overtime.
Andrew Lehrman made 13 saves, including one in the fourth quarter and four in the double-overtime period, to lead Colgate to its second Patriot League win.
As a team, the Raiders outperformed the Midshipmen in shots (46-45), ground balls (46-39), and saves (13-7), and they capitalized on two of four man-up opportunities.
COACH KARWECK'S COMMENTS
"Just an excellent team win, and it all starts with the phenomenal leadership from our senior class.
"They embody Grit, Growth, & Gratitude at every turn. Even after this incredible win, we had guys from our senior class in the locker room making sure that it is cleaned up for the folks that will clean it later.
"We have a team full of appreciative, hard-working, committed, and passionate young men.
"On-and-off the field, this team spends their time focusing on the things that matter…just getting a little better each week, and filtering out distractions.
"Today, it was our incredible energy on the sidelines, our poise in the moment, and our fearlessness to make the plays when they needed to be made. That's what Colgate Lacrosse does, and that's how we train.
"When adversity hit, our guys banded together. We stacked play after play, and we learned the lessons from our experience this season.
"I'm excited to get back to work and focus on Lafayette soon, but for now, we'll enjoy a hard-fought victory against a very good Navy team."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Play opened slowly, as both teams took two shots apiece but failed to capitalize on offensive opportunities. Navy struck first just under the 10-minute mark, but Patty Eldredge and Casey Quinson responded with two goals in a 10-second span to give Colgate its first lead, 2-1.
The Midshipmen found the equalizer, but the Raiders' offensive momentum produced two additional goals from Quinn Spillett and Hunter Drouin, allowing Colgate to close out the first quarter with a 4-2 advantage.
Early in the second quarter, the offensive momentum shifted in Navy's favor. The Midshipmen went on a 5-0 tear over a seven-minute span to recapture the lead, 7-4.
The tide turned in favor of Colgate late in the second quarter, as Quinson scored three goals—two unassisted and one during a man-up possession. He totaled four goals heading into halftime and tied the game at 7-7.
A fast-paced third quarter led to a scoring surge for both teams. Navy outscored Colgate 6-4, but Andrew Lehrman's three saves helped keep the Raiders within striking distance. Navy opened the half with a quick pair of goals, but Colgate responded with two of its own from Eldredge and Crotty.
The Midshipmen added two more goals, but Spillett briefly halted their momentum, cutting the deficit to 11–10. Navy scored twice more in the quarter, while Quinson added another goal for the Raiders, keeping the game within two at 13-11.
Colgate fell behind early in the fourth quarter, 15-11, after two Navy goals, but the Raiders held the Midshipmen scoreless for the remainder of regulation. Lehrman sparked the effort with a critical save just under six minutes remaining. Crotty then began the comeback, scoring Colgate's 12th goal off an assist from Freddy Fowler.
With three minutes remaining, Drouin and Crotty each scored on individual efforts to cut into the deficit.
With 41 seconds left, Fischer Burke won a crucial faceoff that led to the Raiders' game-tying goal, scored by Spillett and assisted by Drouin. With the score tied at 15-15, the game advanced to overtime.
In the first overtime, Colgate and Navy were locked in a defensive battle, with neither team able to score. The Midshipmen attempted six shots compared to the Raiders' four, but Lehrman made two saves to keep the score even and force double overtime.
In the second overtime, Navy gained initial possession on the faceoff, but Colgate's defense held firm, with Lehrman recording two additional saves.
The defensive stand allowed the Raiders to regain possession, execute a successful clear, and call a strategic timeout. Fowler then found Quinson, who beat his defender and scored the game-winning goal, securing a 16–15 victory for Colgate.
NOTES
- Three Raiders totaled career highs in goals Quinson (6), Spillett (3), Crotty (3).
- John Carrabine collected seven ground balls, bringing his season total to 50, which ranks third in the conference.
- This is the first time Colgate has beat Navy on the road since 2014.
- Colgate faced its first overtime game of the season and prevailed, 16-15.
UP NEXT
Colgate (3-6, 2-3 Patriot) will host Lafayette (5-5, 1-3 Patriot) on Saturday at Andy Kerr Stadium at 2:30 p.m.
