DU Beats Villanova 12-11 in Double OT

DU Beats Villanova 12-11 in Double OT

Joey Murray scores a sock trick, and Dillon Roy hits the game-winner on his first career goal

DENVER – With No. 20 Denver trailing by one and only one tick remaining on the clock, John Dickenson (Dallas) scored a game-tying goal, and Dillon Roy (Denver) stole the ball and scored the game-winning in the second overtime, as DU beat Villanova 12-11 Saturday afternoon in the Pioneers Face Off Classic.

Joey Murray (Denver) scored a sock trick with six goals, and one of his two assists was a feed to Dickenson to set up the goal at the end of regulation.

Villanova (1-2) scored first at the 11:23 mark, but Denver (2-2) responded with three unanswered, a pair by Murray and one by Brad Richardson (Langley, British Columbia).

The Wildcats went on a 4-0 run over the next six minutes, but Murray’s hat-trick goal with just over a minute left in the first period left the Pioneers only a goal down.

Villanova opened up the second period with two goals in a six second span at 13:08. Murray scored his fourth goal, and Ilija Gajic (Burnaby, British Columbia) scored with just over eight minutes remaining in the half.

After the Wildcats increased the lead to three, Jon Paulson (Fleminton, N.J.) scored with 13 seconds left in the half, and DU trailed 9-7 heading into the locker room.

Murray hit the back of the net again with 10 minutes remaining for the Pioneers only goal of the third period. DU held Villanova scoreless until Tim Atkins scored with one second remaining and keeping the Wildcats in front, 10-8.

The Wildcats added a goal with 5:55 remaining in the fourth quarter to increase their lead to three.

Paulson and Murray brought Denver within one with a goal each in the final 4:17, setting up Dickinson and Roy’s heroics.

Eric Heidenberger led the Wildcats with four goals.

The Pioneers continue the Pioneer Face Off Classic when they face No. 19 UMBC at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium on Sunday, Mar. 4 at 1:30 p.m. MT.