2015 NCAA Lacrosse Tournament: Johns Hopkins Blasts Virginia, 19-7

Johns Hopkins v. (7) Virginia

Johns Hopkins completely dominated Virginia in every facet of play -- including mind-bending scores that exist only in an insane person's timeline -- en route to a soul-shattering 19-7 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The master class that the Blue Jays orchestrated featured a six-point performance from Ryan Brown while Shack Stanwick and Wells Stanwick contributed to the effort with a combined nine-point performance. Matt Barrett, Virginia's rock in the crease throughout 2015, didn't officially make a save. Ryan Lukacovic and Greg Coholan had identical two-and-one days for the 'Hoos.

Hopkins administered an unmitigated whipping of Virginia's rear end in the first half. In an environment where the Jays operated in only an estimated three possession advantage, Johns Hopkins shot 54.17 percent and converted on 65 percent of its estimated 20 offensive opportunities to put 13 tallies on the board over the game's first two periods. The onslaught from the Columbia Blue and Black was punctuated by three highlight reel tallies: First, Wells Stanwick pressed the crease from X and managed to uncork a behind the back attempt while falling to the ground, the shot finding twine off of Barrett's right ankle; next, Shack Stanwick made a one-handed catch on a high pass from his brother and, with his back to the goal, wrapped the ball around his defender and finished a backhanded attempt that slipped past a crouching Barrett; finally, with just over three minutes remaining before the intermission, Hopkins ran a lethal hidden ball trick in a man-up situation that started with a subversive assembly line near the restraining area and ended with Shack Stanwick calmly dropping the ball into the net on a feed from Wells Stanwick as the entire Cavaliers defense had their collective heads turned. When the horn for the half sounded, Johns Hopkins had taken 13 shots on goal and deposited each of them past Barrett, a rate of conversion that should have had a skull and cross bones tattooed on Virginia's forehead.

Exacerbating Virginia's issues in the contest's first 30 minutes was an impotent offense that couldn't solve Hopkins' defense and, in many instances, made the Jays' defensive effort easier than it should have been. On an estimated 17 offensive opportunities, the 'Hoos converted on a miserable 11.76 percent of their attempts and had more turnovers (five) than markers (two). The Cavaliers mustered only 16 shots in the first two stanzas and breached Eric Schneider's net on only 12.50 percent of their attempts, witnessing Schneider make eight saves in the first half while holding a remarkable 80.00 save percentage. Yielding a baker's dozen and creating only a deuce requires a confluence of horrendous circumstances, and Virginia exhibited every possible atrocious circumstance possible -- including a 23:09 scoring drought that offered the Blue Jays the chance to put 11 goals on the board -- as Johns Hopkins engaged in amateur surgery on the Cavaliers' body.

The second half was merely an academic exercise. The 'Hoos improved their overall competitiveness, but the deficit the Cavaliers were attempting to pivot from was far too large. The loss ends Virginia's season at 10-5 while Johns Hopkins improves to 10-6. The triumph sends the Blue Jays to a virtual home game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis for the quarterfinal round.