UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – Senior midfielder Tanner Roberts (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to cap off a second-half comeback for the Baldwin Wallace University men's lacrosse team as it defeated crosstown rival and defending Ohio Athletic Conference Champion John Carroll University by a final score of 12-11 to remain undefeated and atop the OAC standings.
BW (9-2, 5-0 OAC), who scored 10 of its 12 goals in the second half, outscored John Carroll (7-4, 3-1 OAC) by a margin of 10-3 in the final 34:25 minutes of action, including 7-0 in the fourth quarter and overtime periods.
The Blue Streaks held a 3-1 lead after the first quarter. John Carroll outscored the Yellow Jackets, 5-1, in the second quarter to lead 8-2 at halftime. BW and John Carroll each scored three goals in the third quarter with the Blue Streaks holding a 11-5 lead. The Yellow Jackets scored all six goals to tie the game at 11-11 in the fourth quarter. Neither team scored in the first overtime period. BW got the game-winning goal from Roberts just 25 seconds in the second overtime session.
The Yellow Jacket offense was led by senior All-OAC attack Brock Riemenschneider (Rocky River) and junior All-OAC attack Chad Steinwachs (Buffalo, N.Y./Williamsville North) as each had three goals. Steinwachs, whose third goal sent the game into overtime with two seconds left in regulation, also had two assists. Sophomore midfielder Ben Kubiak (Wooster) tallied two goals and an assist. Roberts, senior Academic All-OAC attack Alex Binner (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North), junior defender Brian Jandzinski (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster Central) and freshman attack Ethan Miller (Delaware/Hayes) provided the other goals. The goal for Jandzinski was the first of his career.
John Carroll was led by senior Academic All-OAC attack Logan Calhoun, senior All-OAC attack Collin Rice, sophomore midfielder Colin Corcoran, sophomore attack Skyler Blake and freshman attack Brendan Whitty with two goals apiece.
In net for BW, senior All-OAC goalie Mike Dizonno (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) earned the victory as he allowed 11 goals with seven saves.
In the first quarter, the Blue Streaks jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Calhoun found the back of the cage at the 10:17 mark. The Yellow Jackets cut the lead down to 2-1 when Riemenschneider found the back of the cage at 5:45. John Carroll closed out the opening quarter scoring when Blake scored with 1:29 remaining.
The Blue Streaks opened the second quarter on a 3-0 run to push their lead to 6-1 when Blake scored his second goal of the game at the 6:58 mark. BW would find the back of the cage for the final time in the quarter when Jandzinski scored the unassisted goal at 5:45. John Carroll closed the second quarter on a 2-0 run to push its lead to 8-2 at halftime.
The Yellow Jackets opened the second half scoring and cut the lead down to 8-3 when Riemenschneider scored off the assist from Kubiak at the 11:35 mark. The Blue Streaks responded with goals from Corcoran and Rice to extend their lead to 10-3 at 9:21. BW closed got goals from Kubiak and Steinwachs with the last coming at the 7:47 mark to cut the lead down to 10-5. John Carroll tacked on the final goal of the stanza as senior midfielder Peyton Elliott scored with just 11 seconds remaining.
The Yellow Jackets scored all six goals in the fourth quarter, including the game-tying goal with two seconds remaining in regulation from Steinwachs, which was his second of the period. BW also got fourth quarter tallies from Kubiak, Miller, Binner and Riemenschneider.
The two teams battled to a scoreless first overtime session but just 25 seconds into the second overtime period is when Roberts struck with the game winner for the Yellow Jackets.
BW returns home to the friendly confines of the Tressel Field inside the George Finnie Stadium on Saturday, April 14 when it hosts an OAC and Seniors' and Parents' Day game against Ohio Northern University at 1 p.m.
