Chris Gray Posts Monster Day as Lacrosse Falls to Harvard

By: Liam O’Brien

The only thing rarer than an 18-goal game in lacrosse is an 18-goal game where you add a tally in the loss column.

This unusual episode is just what the Boston University men’s lacrosse team experienced on Tuesday night at Harvard Stadium against the Crimson, as they succumbed, 19-18, in overtime. A face-off win to begin the OT frame led to Harvard securing the win as senior attack Morgan Cheek ran unassisted for his fifth goal of the game, clinching his team’s sixth win in the first seven games of the season.

The loss dropped the Terriers to 4-5, but the offense displayed their potential for being one of the scariest units in the Patriot League. Freshman attack Chris Gray continued his magical rookie season by setting a new BU record with 10 points, dishing out eight assists while scoring two goals of his own. Gray now has 16 goals and 25 assists on the season, and ranks ninth in the country with 2.78 assists per game.

Junior attack James Burr – who ranks in the top 50 in the nation with 3.44 points per game – scored five goals while accumulating an assist. Sophomore midfielder John MacLean scored four goals of his own while scooping up three ground balls.

Senior attack Jack Wilson got in on the scoring barrage as well, notching four goals and adding an assist of his own.

The two teams essentially traded goals up until the beginning of the third quarter when BU put some distance between themselves and Harvard.

Starting with Burr’s unassisted goal with 9:43 to go in the third, the Terriers embarked on a 6-1 run, which accumulated into a 15-9 lead with 14:16 remaining following a man-up goal by MacLean. The lead remained at six goals after two consecutive scores by Burr gave his team an 18-12 advantage with 7:05 left.

But BU was unable to fend off the pesky Crimson, who received votes for the Inside Lacrosse Top 20 poll this past Monday. Harvard rattled off six goals in the final 6:59 of regulation, including four straight from sophomore attack Kyle Anderson between 5:38 and 1:12. The seven-goal outburst for Anderson bumped him up to fifth in the nation in goals per game (3.43).

A goal by senior midfielder Joe Lang with 48 seconds remaining tied it up, and BU was unable to notch their 19th goal of the game before regulation expired.