Blue Devils advance to lacrosse final four

ITHACA, N.Y. — Senior attack man Zack Greer registered a career-high 11 points on six goals and five assists to lead top-ranked and top-seeded Duke to a 21-10 victory over 12th-ranked Ohio State in NCAA Quarterfinal action on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Ithaca, N.Y.

While winning their 10th consecutive game, the Blue Devils establish a new NCAA single-season record with 18 victories against just one defeat. The previous standard of 17 wins was held by Duke (2005 & 2007), Hofstra (2006) and Virginia (2006). Duke will make its fourth overall and third trip in the last four seasons to the national semifinals and will meet Johns Hopkins on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

The Buckeyes conclude their season at 11-6.

Duke’s 21 goals rank as the fourth-highest total in NCAA Quarterfinal play and stand as the third-best total in playoff action for the Blue Devils. In addition, Duke pushed its team season totals to 295 goals, 172 assists and 467 points. The point total ranks second on the NCAA single-season list, nine behind the record of 476 set by Cornell in 1976 while the goal total also is second on the NCAA chart, five back of the record of 300 established by Yale in 1990.

Ohio State’s Mario Ventiquattro scored the first goal of the game on an extra-man opportunity 30 seconds into the contest to take a 1-0 advantage, but Duke responded with nine straight goals to make the score 9-1 after one period of action.

To begin the Blue Devil rally, Greer scored on a pass from Michael Young at 12:47 for his 200th career tally. Brad Ross netted an unassisted goal at 10:39 before Matt Danowski scored on a Sam Solie feed 16 seconds later and Ross struck again for a man-up goal at 8:22 on an assist from Ned Crotty. Steve Schoeffel and Max Quinzani each scored twice in the spurt, while Greer added a second tally. Crotty dished out two more assists, while Greer also recorded two helpers.

Ross netted his third goal of the day at the 12:59 mark of the second period to increase Duke’s lead to nine at 10-1 before Joel Dalgarno ended the Blue Devils’ run at 12:43 to make the score 10-2.

Greer then scored twice to increase Duke’s lead to 12-2 as the Whitby, Ontario, Canada native converted a man-up opportunity on a pass from Ross at 10:23 then netted a rebound goal at 7:50. Ohio State’s Peet Poillion scored at 7:22 to make the score 12-3. Both squads were held scoreless for the remainder of the half.

Duke’s nine goals in the opening quarter marked the second-most in a period this season, trailing only the 10-marker output in the first quarter against Vermont. The 12 goals in the first half matched the Blue Devils’ best effort, equaling 12-goal halves versus both Lehigh and North Carolina.

Ohio State began the second half scoring with a goal from Kevin Buchanan at 14:14 to put the score at 12-4, but Quinzani found the net at 13:24 on a pass from Greer to make it 13-4 and Greer recorded a goal of his own at 13:24 to give Duke a 14-4 advantage.

Poillion and James Green each scored for the Buckeyes to bring Ohio State within eight at 14-6 with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter before Duke retaliated with goals by Mike Catalino and Quinzani. Quinzani struck again on a pass from Chris Loftus at 2:30 to give Duke a 17-6 advantage.