Men's lacrosse suffers double overtime loss to No. 8 Duke

The University of Richmond men's lacrosse team continues to challenge the nation's top teams, taking No. 8 Duke University into overtime before narrowly losing 13-12 at Robins Stadium on March 15.

The Spiders have broken barriers this season, claiming Richmond’s highest rank in program history, upsetting No. 7 University of Virginia, and narrowly losing 12-11 to No. 3 Cornell University.

Duke has historically dominated Richmond, with the Spiders only winning once in the series, a 2016 victory in their first meeting. Last season, Richmond fell 12-3 to the Blue Devils on the Spiders’ home field.

The first quarter opened with a quick goal by the Blue Devils, which the Spiders matched seven seconds later. Duke then pushed a hard line, scoring back-to-back goals within a minute. A scoring drought followed as graduate goalkeeper Zach Vigue settled into his position, saving two goal attempts. Midway through the quarter, junior midfielder Joe Sheridan sparked a 3-1 run for the Spiders, and the score was tied, 4-4, when the buzzer sounded.

Scoring slowed significantly in the second quarter as both teams adjusted to each other. The Spiders struggled to find the back of the net, scoring no goals for the remainder of the half. The Blue Devils managed two man-up goals in the first half of the quarter, but an eight and a half minute scoring drought left both teams struggling to capitalize. The Spiders and Blue Devils both attempted to score but were left empty-handed, and the score stood at 6-4 at the break.

“Duke has a great defense,” Head Coach Dan Chemotti said in a postgame interview. “They really made it tough for us.”

Richmond came out strong in the second half, tying the game with back-to-back goals. However, Duke responded with three goals, taking a 9-6 lead into the fourth quarter.

A strong performance by the Spiders pushed the game into overtime. Duke opened the fourth quarter with a goal, but Richmond found its rhythm, making a 4-0 run to tie the game. The Blue Devils only recorded one shot during the run, which Vigue saved. With six minutes left, Duke netted a goal, regaining the lead.

However, Richmond showed determination, tallying shot after shot before finding the back of the net with two goals in a row by sophomore attacker Lucas Littlejohn, giving the Spiders a fragile 12-11 lead. Duke called a timeout with a minute on the clock before tying the game with a last-minute goal. Richmond attempted a goal with mere seconds left, but the Blue Devils saved the shot, sending the game into overtime.

Both teams felt the pressure as the four-minute overtime period began. Duke made two goal attempts after winning a faceoff due to a violation by Richmond but couldn’t score. Senior attacker Max Merklinger sought a point for the Spiders, making two shots that both flew wide. With two seconds on the clock, Littlejohn recorded Richmond’s first shot on goal for the period, but it was saved.

While the Spiders had outscored Duke in faceoffs for most of the contest, they struggled when it mattered most. The Blue Devils won the final faceoff and scored the decisive goal 15 seconds later, ending Richmond’s hopes for another upset.

Sheridan and Littlejohn led the Spiders, each tallying three goals and an assist. Senior attacker Aidan O’Neil was quieter than usual, recording only one assist for the game. On the other side of the field, Vigue saved 10 goal attempts.

“There’s still real belief in the locker room here,” Chemotti said. 

Next up, Richmond will face Georgetown University in its final non-conference game of the season. The Bulldogs are a newer opponent for the Spiders, with the teams meeting for the first time in 2022. Richmond has yet to beat Georgetown, losing 14-8 last year.

The Spiders will face the Bulldogs at noon on March 22 in Washington, D.C.

Contact sports editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu.