Tyler Barnett’s second try in overtime lifts St. Mary’s boys lacrosse past Boys’ Latin, 11-10

St. Mary’s attackman Tyler Barnett wasn’t about to let a rare second opportunity in overtime slip away at rainy Boys’ Latin on Tuesday.

Stifled in the crease just moments before by Lakers junior goalie Cardin Stoller, the senior captain had another try after the Saints defense did its part at the other end.

Finding space on the same right side, Barnett scored his second goal of the game with 1:13 left in the extra period to give St. Mary’s an 11-10 overtime win against the Lakers in Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference play.

The Saints won their fifth in a row to improve to 6-1 overall and in league play, good for second place. The Lakers, who were coming off a big 10-8 come-from-behind win over Calvert Hall on Friday, fell to 4-3 in the league.

Barnett’s game-ending goal epitomized the Saints’ resilient road performance.

“I had to get it back there because he stopped me on the crease in overtime. So they were pressing out, I just got it and went to goal,” he said. “It’s great. They’re a good team. They came out fighting and we were back and forth there the whole game and we were able to end up on top.”

Plenty of help came before Barnett’s overtime heroics. Sophomore attackman Nick Golini, who scored with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter to force overtime, finished with four goals and an assist. Nicky Souza and Bobby Keane each scored twice and senior goalie Wes Schmidt stopped eight shots.

“When we come inside the beltway … we get no respect, but we try to take what we earn and our kids earned this today. It was a hell of a game between BL and ourselves,” St. Mary’s coach Victor Lilly said.

After Stoller made his 13th save on Barnett’s point-blank try in the opening minute of overtime, the Lakers had their chance to pull out the win with a possession that lasted over a minute. But the Saints defense clamped down and forced a turnover with 2:07 left. After a timeout, the ball found Barnett’s stick and then the goal, with the visitors soon celebrating in a pouring rain.

On Friday, the Lakers scored six unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to beat Calvert Hall, 10-8, and the top priority for the Saints on Tuesday was putting an immediate halt to any potential momentum.

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They did just that by jumping out to a 3-0 lead by the midway point of the first quarter with freshman faceoff specialist Teddy Androus getting them the ball for three straight possessions.

The Lakers, behind a two-goal, three-assist effort from junior attackman Dom Pietramala and three goals an assist by senior Garrett Glatz, would settle in and go on to take their first lead at 7-6 going into the half.

The game was tied four times in the second half. Boys’ Latin senior Ben Smith (two goals) cut without the ball to collect a feed from Pietramala to give the home team a 10-9 lead with 3:20 to play. After the Saints kept it a one-goal game, they called time with 30 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. Seconds later, Will Hopkins (two assists) found Golini on the left side for the tying goal.

The loss ended a two-game winning streak for the Lakers.

“It was a great effort from both sides. It’s why you play the game, and they made one more play than we did,” Boys’ Latin coach Brian Farrell said. “Still proud of our guys. I think they battled as best as they possibly could and that’s a good team. Obviously, they’re in the position they are in because they make that play. [There’s] nothing to hang our heads about.”

St. Mary’s will host Archbishop Spalding at 4 p.m. Thursday, while the Lakers will look to bounce back against host Mount Saint Joseph at 4 p.m. Friday.

Goals: SM – Souza 2, Keane 2, Golini 4, Burlace, Barnett 2; BL – Pietramala 2, Glatz 3, McClernan, Zapitello, Smith 2, Walsh Assists: SM – Hopkins 2, Barcus, Golini, Manley; BL – Walsh 3, Pietramala 3, Glatz, Zapitello Saves: SM – Schmidt 8; BL – Stoller 13. Half: BL, 7-6