Men’s lacrosse: UMass beats Hofstra at the buzzer to advance in CAA Tournament

By MATT VAUTOUR

@MattVautourDHG

Published: 05-04-2017 11:27 PM

Dan Muller didn’t have time to get even a step closer, so from 35 yards out off a Hofstra turnover, the UMass senior midfielder let it fly with the game tied and one second left.

The long shot found its mark, eluding goalie Jack Concannon low to give the No. 3-seeded Minutemen a 13-12 upset over No. 2 Hofstra in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament at Towson.

“It was instinctive by Dan to turn and shoot it,” UMass coach Greg Cannella said. “Incredible that it went in.”

Before 2016 it wouldn’t have counted. That’s when the rule changed to a basketball-type rule where the shot has to be off instead of across the goal line before time runs out.

“I just hucked it at the net and hoped for the best,” Muller said. “I thought he saved it. I saw it hit him, then I saw it pop up behind him. I just went nuts. I didn’t know what to do at first. I’ve never been a part of a play like that in my life. I was really confused.”

UMass will face No. 1 seed Towson in the championship, Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner will earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers beat the Minutemen, 11-8, on April 8.

“(In that game) we turned the ball over early and they went up 6-1. They tend to control the ball and wear you down,” Cannella said. “Hopefully we can win some draws and finish the ball.”

Hofstra entered the game ranked No. 14 in the nation and had rolled the Minutemen, 15-8, on April 22.

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But UMass took an 8-3 lead at halftime. The Pride dominated the second half and tied the game 12-12 with 4:14 remaining.

“It spiraled away from us. Honestly it’s a little disappointing,” Cannella said. “We lost our composure a little bit.”

UMass had four shots in the last 2:31 before Muller’s moment, but couldn’t convert.

The Minutemen took a penalty with 23 seconds left, but Hofstra got just one shot before turning the ball over.

Muller scored four goals in the game, while Jesse Leung and Ben Spencer scored two apiece.

Senior goalie D.J. Smith continued his strong play of late with 12 saves for UMass (7-7).

Towson beat Drexel, 8-4, in the other semifinal.

WOMEN’S LAX BEGINS POSTSEASON — UMass (14-3) will begin its pursuit of its ninth straight Atlantic 10 title, Friday at 1 p.m. when it plays No. 5-seed Davidson, in the semifinals of the conference tournament at Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia.

The Minutewomen, who are seeded No. 1 in the event, had a bye in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats earned their spot in the semifinals by beating George Mason, 14-13, Thursday. The Patriots had the Minutewomen on the ropes last week.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage

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