Lopez Launches No. 5 Miami Past No. 11 Colorado 11-10 OT SD in National Collegiate Club Quarterfinals

Juan Lopez

2010 Men's National Collegiate Club Schedule & Scores 

CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Player of the Game Juan Lopez (So., Miami, Fla.) connected on his fifth goal of the game with a heave at the 2:07 mark of the fourth overtime period to launch No. 5 University of Miami into the National Collegiate Club Championship semifinals with an 11-10 sudden death overtime victory over the University of Colorado.

In a game that lasted 37:53, it was what occurred with 53 seconds gone in the fourth OT that made the difference.  Following a whistle, and with the shot clock winding down, Lopez side-armed a shot which sailed inside the right post and inches in front of the outstretched arm of Buffaloes' goalie Dylan Gantly (Jr., Cupertino, Calif.) for the deciding factor.

Neither team led by more than two goals in the contest as neither Miami nor Colorado could muster enough offensive firepower or defensive stands to put the other squad away during regulation.

Tied 5-5 at halftime, the Hurricanes took the lead when Andrew Fitzpatrick (Jr., Melbourne, Australia) found the back of the cage with a blast at the 6:35 mark of the third period.  Colorado responded two minutes later when Bob Craib (Fr., Newport, Calif.) netted a man-up tally at 4:24  before Ryan Vick (Sr., Thousand Oaks, Calif.) struck at even-strength with 13 seconds left in the period for a 7-6 lead.

Miami pulled even at the 3:01 mark of the fourth period due to a man-up goal by Fitzpatrick, but Craib pinched the Hurricanes with a natural goal at 2:05 to restore a one-goal lead for the Buffaloes at 8-7. 

Needing a tally to force overtime, Miami received a sizzling line-drive from Ian Dixon (Jr., Miami, Fla.) which knotted the game at 8-to-8 and brought on the dramatic conclusion to the longest game to date in the 2010 tournament.

Playing two three-minute overtime periods to start, it took Colorado just 27 seconds to retake the lead as Vick whizzed a shot into the cage at 2:33.  The teams traded goals throughout the remainder of the first overtime period as Mike Oetken (Sr., Sacramento, Calif.) tossed in a man-up goal for Colorado (00:33) and Lopez sank a shot into the back of the cage (00:13) for a 10-9 Buffaloes' lead.

Facing a loss, Miami once again turned to Fitzpatrick who beat his defender and floated a shot into the cage with 2:24 left in the second OT frame to knot the game at bring on a third, yet still undecisive, overtime period.

Following a third period of OT in which neither team could crack the other's vaunted defense and combined for a total of four shots, a weary Lopez weaved down the pool, drew a foul and finished the game in heroic fashion.

Alan Groll (So., Miami, Fla.) picked up the victory for the Hurricanes with 13 saves, while Gantly took the loss with 12 stops.

Miami will meet No. 4 the University of Texas in the semifinals at approximately 8:00 p.m. tonight, depending on other overtime games that could push it later.  Colorado will face No. 3 Arizona State University at approximately 5:50 p.m. with a berth in the fifth place game on the line.

Miami Goals: Juan Lopez (5), Andrew Fitzpatrick (3), Hernan Gonzalez (2), Ian Dixon

Colorado Goals: Ryan Vick (3), Bob Craib (2), JP Muller (2), Steve Nester (2), Mike Oetken

Saves: Miami - Alan Groll (13) ; Colorado - Dylan Gantly (12)

Exclusions: Miami - 15 ; Colorado - 10

Advantage Opportunities:  Miami - 3-for-10 ; Colorado - 7-for-15

Officials: Gene Gill, Rick Marsh