Keasey, Keating Play Huge Roles

NEW HAVEN, CONN. - Ben Reeves, who was held without a goal through four quarters,  scored the most important goal of the game two minutes into overtime. The sophomore attackman gave the Yale men's lacrosse team an 11-10 victory over the No. 20 Penn Quakers. The OT goal was the finishing touch on a huge comeback for the No. 1 ranked Bulldogs. Yale trailed 9-4 after a Quakers goal with 6:33 left in the third quarter. The Elis notched seven of the last eight scores of the game to improve to 8-0.

With less than a minute remaining in regulation, the Elis found themselves down a goal after having tied the game at nine with a furious rally in the fourth quarter. A Penn penalty on Eric Scott gave Yale their second extra-man opportunity of the game.  The team struggled with the man advantage this season, having only converted on 20% of their opportunities. But, with 17 seconds left, senior Michael Keasey fired a shot from 15 yards out that sailed past Penn goalie Reed Junkin, tying the game at 10 and forcing overtime.

The Quakers won the opening face-off in the extra period, with a chance for a fast break and a quick score to end the game. Junior defenseman Christopher Keating, who already had five caused turnovers on the day, got his sixth and most important one early in the play, and goalie Phil Huffard recovered possession. Huffard, who was then double-teamed and forced out of bounds in the corner, made a reverse shovel pass at an impossible angle to get the ball to a teammate and continue the clearing attempt.

On the Bulldog's first offensive possession of overtime, they turned to a familiar page in their playbook. Reeves was left behind the net, and his fellow attackmen spread the zone to give him space. He then sprinted around the net with single coverage, and fired a shot past Junkin before the second defender could reach him, and the final whistle was blown to confirm a victory for the Elis. Reeves has scored a goal in a similar fashion in nearly every game this season.

The OT winner was the only time the Bulldogs held a lead in the game. The Quakers got on the board quickly, scoring in the game's first minute. It took a few possessions for the Elis to get used to the wet conditions, as a few uncharacteristic turnovers prevented them from holding possession in the early minutes. The Bulldog defense, however, caused two turnovers before the ten-minute mark of the first quarter to prevent Penn from building on their early lead.

After falling behind 2-0, the Bulldogs got their first goal of the game from a beautiful passing play. Eric Scott made a run towards net, drawing the Quaker defenders. He then caught all of them with a fake shot, and instead passed to Reeves. Reeves quickly found Jeff Cimbalista in front of the net, who fired it past Junkin to get his 11^th goal of the season.

Another turnover by Yale in transition resulted in a Penn goal to increase their lead back to two. But the Elis then forced a turnover of their own in transition to keep possession in their offensive zone. Freshman Jack Tigh, fresh off a two-point game against Princeton, drew three defenders as he ran in front of the goal. While being checked, he jumped and launched a shot that flew in, and the Elis had once again pulled themselves within one.

A quick clear by the defense gave the Bulldogs the personnel advantage as they once again moved into their offensive zone. Reeves wrapped around the crease behind the net, and fired at the small angle he was allowed. The shot went wide, but Scott picked up the loose ball on the opposite side of Reeves. He then made the same move that Reeves had tried, and he was able to put it past Junkin to bull the Elis level at three.

Penn scored on the last possession of the first quarter, and again on the first possession of the second to build another two-goal lead. The Elis, used to facing a deficit by this point, kept their form on offense, and it gave them results. Michael Keasey was given a clear lane towards net three minutes into the second quarter, and his powerful shot sailed over the shoulder of Junkin, to cut the Quaker lead to one.   

In line with the theme of the first half, the Quakers notched another goal to build a two-goal lead. The Bulldogs were caught in transition on the ensuing possession, and Penn had a 3 on 1 break. A Quaker attackman received the ball with only 10 feet and Phil Huffard between him and the goal. He faked a shot, but the second attempt was on target, but Huffard made a huge point-blank save to regain possession and prevent the lead from growing to three.

A goal with five minutes remaining in the half brought the score to 7-4 in favor of the Quakers. The Bulldogs had only faced a deficit after two quarters once this season, when they were down 5-1 to St. John's. There were 21 turnovers combined between the two teams at the half, and Penn held an advantage in both shots and face-offs. Rare turnovers in clearing attempts and in the offensive zone could be attributed to the poor conditions, but that was a factor both teams had to face as the rain kept falling down on Reese Stadium.

The Quakers continued to score early in the third quarter, as two goals, including one on a minute and a half extra-man opportunity. Yale was desperate for a goal to spark a potential comeback, and they got one courtesy of Keasey. The senior midfielder wrapped around the net while attracting three defenders and absorbing two checks. He drew out Junkin, and put a shot into the wide-open net to make it 9-5 in favor of Penn.

Tyler Warner scored his first goal of the season on the ensuing possession for the Bulldogs. The sophomore midfielder, primarily known for his defensive abilities, was left open between the Quaker defense, and launched a shot low that beat the goalie. Within 30 seconds, the Elis had brought a quiet crowd to its feet at Reese Stadium, and the idea of a comeback was brought to life. The 9-6 scoreline was held to the end of the third quarter.

The Bulldogs held possession in their offensive zone for the first three minutes of the offensive zone, getting shots off and backing them up, something they did not do as well in the first half. This offensive pressure resulted in a goal from Scott from 12 yards out off a pass from Keasey. The shot clock expired on the Quaker's ensuing possession, and the lead was cut down to two.

The Yale offense returned to routine in the fourth, dominating possession and waiting for the right time to make a move. Keasey, who already led the team with two goals on the day, was slashed after making a move towards net. But even after drawing the flag, he got back up and launched another rocket that flew into the net, and suddenly the deficit was only one.

With the crowd aggressively urging the Bulldogs on, a huge turnover caused by Phil Huffard gave possession back to the Elis. After a Penn midfielder tried to launch a 40 yard pass into their offensive zone, Huffard sprinted out of his crease, and snagged the ball out of the air while fully extended. He then successful managed a clearing attempt which gave the offense a chance to tie the game.

On the ensuing offensive possession, a shot from the point was deflected in front of the net. Cimbalista was part of a crowded scene going after the loose ball, but he got there first, and put a quick shot into the net to tie the game at nine with only minutes remaining. With the Bulldogs looking to continue their run and claim the lead, a late Penn goal temporarily silenced the crowd of over 2000 that watched the Elis play in the rain.

Keasey's goal with 17 seconds remaining set the fans into a frenzy. Members of the Yale squash team, who were honored at halftime after winning the national championship this past winter, started chants and provided constant support that seemed to fuel the Bulldogs effort, as they once again showed that they are a threat, regardless of the scoreline.

The difference in play from the Elis in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, is evident on the stats sheet. The Bulldogs had only two turnovers in the fourth quarter and OT, while forcing the Quakers to commit six. During this time Yale also outshot Penn 15-6. Keasey lead all scorers in the game with five points, including three goals in the late comeback effort. On defense, Keating shined once again with his six caused turnovers, at times coming at crucial moments, while fellow defensemen Robert Mooney and Michael Quinn each added three of their own.

This is the largest comeback for the Elis since their six-goal deficit against St. John's, which also resulted in a win for Yale. The team is now 8-0 for the first time since 1990, and sits on top of the Ivy League standings. The fourth quarter and overtime display showed why the Bulldogs deserve to be ranked the top team in the nation, and silenced any doubt that they would lose their spot in the rankings after being down five goals. There will not be much time to recover, however, as the Elis play host to Sacred Heart on Tuesday. The game will be at 7 p.m. and will be aired live on the Ivy League Digital Network. 

filed by Andrew Del Vecchio '19 (andrew.delvecchio@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity