Bears Snatch a Big Rivalry Win in OT

Landon 6, St. Albans 5

David Mann called it the highlight of his Landon lacrosse career, "a moment I'll never forget." And why not? It's not every day you score the winning goal in overtime against a fierce league rival, just after your team blew a three-goal lead in the final minutes of regulation.

That was the scenario that played out yesterday at St. Albans School in Northwest Washington. Third-ranked Landon controlled the tempo for most of the first three quarters and built a four-goal lead. Then No. 4 St. Albans tied the score in the final period.

And with 34 seconds left in overtime, Mann took a beautiful lob pass from senior Michael Grossman, putting the finishing touch on a 6-5 win before 600 fans who never sat down.

"Mike is so good at riding, getting the ball back," said Mann, recounting how Grossman stole a pass from standout defensive midfielder Roger Ferguson and spotted Mann near the crease. "When [Mike] got it, I was yelling my heart out, and when I got it I had all intention of shooting."

Mann, a junior, received the pass, then turned and fired a shot from about eight yards that beat junior goalie Guy Van Syckle, who excelled in the late stages of regulation.

The field at St. Albans was muddy from Thursday's rain, and players from both teams slipped on several occasions, but Landon -- which plays home games on turf yet practiced on grass this week to prepare -- was the clear aggressor in the first half.

Trailing 1-0 early, Landon (7-3, 2-0 IAC) got goals from Grossman and Matthew Morrison just 35 seconds apart as the first quarter came to a close. Buoyed by senior Nick Rhoads's dominance on face-offs, Landon bumped the lead to 3-1 on Grossman's tally early in the second, and the Bears made it 5-1 early in the third when Grossman and sophomore Joe Paoletta scored less than two minutes apart.

The Bulldogs (7-2, 1-1), trailing 5-2 entering the fourth, couldn't beat Landon senior goalie C.T. Fisher (14 saves) on a quick barrage of shots. But they broke through as the clock ticked under four minutes.

Junior Matt Miller bounced one in at the 3-minute 36-second mark and, after St. Albans won the ensuing face-off, Ferguson fed sophomore Greg McKillop and it was 5-4.

With just more than a minute to play, Landon was called for a push in the back, and St. Albans capitalized on the man-advantage as Miller whizzed in a shot from 20 yards to tie the score.

"We gave it all in the second half," McKillop said.

In overtime, St. Albans seemed poised for one more surge down the field. Ferguson picked off a Landon pass in the St. Albans zone, but his next pass was stolen by Grossman, leading to Mann's winner.