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Wilson Lifts Utah LAX Past BU with Game-Winner in Double OT

by Utah Athletics
Apr 3, 2021
Photo Credit: Robert Manning

BOSTON – With 3:32 left on the clock in the second overtime period, Branden Wilson turned from his defender and bounced the game-winning goal into the net to lift Utah lacrosse past Boston University at Nickerson Field Saturday afternoon.

 
Zion Dechesere and the Utes defense played tremendously as the game went on, making key stops in the waning moments of the fourth quarter and in the overtime periods that paved the way for Wilson's game-winner.

 
The first OT period did not see much action until the 2:00 minute mark when BU rattled off four shots, two of which were saved by Dechesere – including one with five ticks left to go near the crease. Cole Brams, who had just won his ninth faceoff all game, came away with the most important one to start the second OT period and gave Utah the ball. After a timeout by the Utes, the offensive came out and gave Wilson just enough room to rifle in the game winner.
 
Utah (3-5) did a great job of recollecting itself in the opening minutes of the game after the Terriers took an early 2-0 lead. The Utes answered with two of their own, but a last second goal with six seconds left in the quarter gave BU the 3-2 advantage after one quarter of play.
 
The second frame was a very defensive battle between the two programs with each goalie playing marvelously between the pipes. But with 1:40 left to go, Drew Wasserman and Tyler Bradbury connected with one another on back-to-back goals to send the game into halftime tied 4-4.

 
Wilson's first goal of the game came at the 12:19 mark in the third quarter from the outside to give the Utes a 5-4 advantage. With the game tied once again, 5-5, Utah's offense came alive at the end of the frame and took a 7-5 lead into the fourth before Peter Hagan found Bradbury for a canon into the net just 22 seconds in.

 
Boston University (5-2) was able to tack one on shortly thereafter, but MJ McMahon knocked in his second goal of the day to make it a 9-6 lead for the Utes with 12:17 left. Not to be routed on their home turf, the Terriers responded with three-straight goals and tied things up at 9-9 with the tying goal coming on a man-up situation. With less than three minutes left in regulation, Ruben Santana came in and rocketed one past BU's goalie for the 10-9 edge at the 2:49 mark. However, with 1:40 on the clock BU's Christian Quadrino was able to slide past his defender and get one through against Dechesere, which ultimately sent the game into overtime.

Utah will get a next week off before hitting the road once again and will have a tough task ahead as it travels to Charlottesville, Va., to take on a perennial powerhouse in Virginia on Saturday, April 17, at 10 a.m. (MT) on ESPNU – who is currently ranked No. 5 in the USILA Poll.
 
NOTEABLES

  • Tyler Bradbury is now 3rd on the single-season points list with 34, passing Jimmy Perkins (2019) & Colin Burke (2020) – who had 31 points
  • Cole Brams is now the all-time single-season leader in ground balls with 58 after collecting six Saturday and passes Seth Neeleman (2019, 54)
  • He's also the all-time career leader in ground balls with 95 ground balls and counting
  • Zion Dechesere with back-to-back double-digit save games after recording 13 Saturday
  • Saturday was Utah's first win playing a morning game (prior to noon) this season
  • Saturday was Utah's first OT victory as a Division I program
  • Saturday was also the first-ever meeting between Utah and Boston University
     

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