Delaware men's lacrosse: Blue Hens storm back but fall just short in NCAA tourney

DURHAM, N.C. -- For the second straight year, the University of Delaware met the challenge but couldn't avoid defeat when it ventured into treacherous Atlantic Coast Conference lacrosse territory.
That left satisfaction and disappointment dwelling in close company as the vanquished Blue Hens digested a 15-14 NCAA tournament first-round loss to defending champion Duke on Saturday in front of 2,572 at Koskinen Stadium.
Two remarkable comebacks put Delaware in a position to leave with such regret."They never quit," Delaware coach Bob Shillinglaw said of his players. "They played their hearts out. I wish we had maybe another 20 seconds. Who knows?"Delaware trailed by as many as six goals three times in the first half but rallied to within 9-7 at halftime and 9-8 early in the third quarter.
Duke then surged ahead 15-10, but Delaware got goals from Grant Kaleikau, Eric  and Taylor Burns 29 seconds apart beginning with 3:45 left to pull within two. Burns then picked up a loose ball and scored on a nifty backhanded scoop with 19 seconds left to make it 15-14.
Dan Cooney, who won 19 of 32 faceoffs, initially gained possession on the last draw but slipped on the wet grass and lost the ball. Delaware backup goalie Ryan Smith eventually got off a length-of-the-field shot as time ran out. It went wide.
"Sports is a game of momentum," said Kaleikau, who plays one especially known for its scoring spurts. "We rode it out. We couldn't get that last one."
The loss came a year after the Hens fell 14-13 in an NCAAtourney opener at nearby North Carolina.
"I don't think anybody thought we were going to be here," senior defender Pat Dowling said of Delaware winning two road games to take the CAA title and reach the NCAA tourney. "And down five goals in the first quarter, everybody thought the game was over. It's bittersweet to come down here and lose so close, but it's a huge accomplishment for the team and for the program."
The game was delayed 45 minutes by lightning between the third and fourth quarters.
No. 14-ranked Delaware (11-7) had rebounded from a 5-0 deficit to beat Towson this spring. No. 6 Duke (13-5) was a significantly greater challenge, but Delaware outshot the Blue Devils 40-30.
"What you saw from them for four quarters was phenomenal ball movement," said Delaware goalie Noah Fossner, who made five saves. "That's what lacrosse offense is supposed to look like."
Duke senior goalie Mike Rock was making just his third start of the year in place of injured sophomore regular Dan Wigrizer (concussion). He had 12 saves.
Duke moved to next Sunday's quarterfinals at 2:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., against Notre Dame. The No. 4-seeded Irish beat Penn 13-6 Saturday. It's a rematch of last year's title game won by Duke 6-5 in OT.