Jack Reid (senior close defenseman): “The game really had worked against us most of the day, things were just not going our way. There was urgency to the energy in our huddle before the start of the fourth quarter, but the mood hadn’t turned sour.”
Andrew Recchione (senior midfielder): “The goals we scored enabled the win, but the team locked-in, in response to the hustle plays in between the lines and during the faceoffs. Jaco (Brian Jacovina), Jack (Reid), (Paul) Manesis, (Pat) Larmon, Whip (Dan Whipple) and Snake (Jake Deane) were relentless all season and they helped ignite this comeback.”
Clay Stabert (senior attack): “If you aren’t a supporter of ours you’re thinking Hofstra has this in the bag. Although they were No. 2 in the country, we felt we had as good a chance as any other. Between our success against them in years past and our strong senior leadership from Jake Deane, Jack Reid and Sean Morris, who had tremendous success against them in years past. We had that to rely on even when we were down five goals.”
Doc Schneider (freshman goalie): “We never lost faith as a team. I was frustrated with myself. I didn’t play well enough and felt that I put us in that spot. We had come back the week before against Cornell and even a few weeks earlier, we had an incredible comeback vs. Fairfield. We knew as a group we had the togetherness and toughness to fight back even being down five and Hofstra being a really, really talented team. We had great leadership and we chipped way. With Jake Deane facing off – none of this would have been possible without him dominating the X – we showed resiliency, scored some quick goals, and got back into it.”
Sean Morris (senior attack): “Doc Schneider’s save (when trailing 9-5) may have been the best save in UMass history. Not only was it spectacular, but given the sequence of events that came out of it, he propelled an epic run.”
Clay Stabert: “It was not something we were scared of, or were thinking was insurmountable, especially with having what I considered the two best players in the country in Sean Morris and Jack Reid. We had arguably the fiercest competitor, Jake Deane, at the most important position, faceoff. We knew we had those guys, and especially with Doc (in goal), and how talented he was. We had the key contributors playing to the best of their abilities.”
Jason Miller (former assistant coach): “Down by five, the mood was surprisingly upbeat. I think that came from having been in that position before, as recently as the Fairfield and Cornell games, when we were down late against both. There was a stretch in that Fairfield game where we were down a couple goals, with a couple minutes left on the clock, and we’re not here without that comeback. Jake Deane put us up on his back and carried us when we were down, and he did it again in this game. You had that feeling that we had been in worse positions than this. You give the credit there to the guys and their ability to stay poised in that situation. That’s what led to it turning out the way it did.”
“We all believed and knew we were the tougher team and that toughness was on display at numerous points throughout that fourth quarter comeback. The game had gone against us and we found ourselves down five goals, but hadn’t thrown in the towel. That’s not the way Coach Cannella prepared us to play. Our toughness saw us through. We applied pressure across the board, we were able to maintain the effort and capitalized on Hofstra’s mistakes. It just stacked one play to another, and rolled into another play after that. You get momentum going, string a couple goals together and all of a sudden a five-goal deficit is a one or two possession game and you’re right back in it. Teflon.”
- JACK REID
Hofstra 10, Massachusetts 6 | 8:01 to play in the fourth
Jamie Yaman (senior midfielder): “I remember that up until this point we were getting hammered by a more determined and effective Hofstra team. There was no real sense of fire or urgency, and that was particularly concerning because we were a team that relied on both to get our edge. This goal was definitely the biggest goal I have ever scored in my life. It's interesting to think about because I was normally not the type of player that would take a shot like this. I remember clearly, that shift I was trying my best to get my head back in the game and really believe that we could still win this.”
Brett Garber (junior midfielder): “As a program, we never counted ourselves out of any game. Gorilla's will fight until the end! When Jamie scored this goal, I remember all positivity amongst the players and coaches, stressing one play at a time. We just had to keep fighting and believing in one another.”
Rory Pedrick (sophomore midfielder): “Jamie was one of my favorite players to play with all-time, he was always so crafty and smooth. We called him the Rhythm Man – he is one of the best musicians I know and his musical talents always translated to the field in the way he played. The catch, switching hands, spinning away from defender to skip a high bounce shot off the turf, it’s quintessential Jamie. I remember the second he scored, it seemed as if we finally snuck one in and we broke through the ice.”
Andrew Recchione: “Jamie was and still is one of my closest friends. We played in the midfield together and ran on the same line during the ’06 season. I practiced alongside him every day for three years and never saw him even attempt a shot like that. I’m glad he pulled it out when it mattered most.”
Jack Reid: “Sean (Morris) had roasted Hofstra’s defense for something like eight points in the first matchup that season and so during this game they tried to deny him the ball as often as possible. Our secondary dodgers and shooters stepped up throughout the second half and Jamie capitalized here with a great spin and finish to get us started.”
Greg Cannella (head coach): “An offsides call gave us the ball back. We were just playing, sort of just looking to make a play. Clay started one way and threw the ball back to Jamie, who caught it, spun and let it go. This unique bounce popped up high on the goalie and in. This was truly the start the magic, an incredible shot. If you asked Jamie to repeat that 10 times, it wouldn’t go in nine.”
Jason Miller: “That (goal) embodied the makeup of this team. We had a dominant guy at every position, Morris at attack, Jack at d-pole, Doc Schneider gave us confidence in goal, and we fed off his energy. Jake was dominant in middle of the field. The best part about that goal is it’s Jamie Yaman from Clay Stabert that got us going. It wasn’t Morris or Connolly. That’s what made that team special. Defensively, we had (David) Von Voigt and (Sean) Krygier, who were both young, and Diogo Godoi, (Brian) Danvers and Doc were all freshmen. We were just getting contributions from everyone. That goal sparked everything and that’s how that team was.”
Hofstra 10, Massachusetts 6 | 7:47 to go in the fourth
Brett Garber: “Jake (Snake) was a core reason we had a chance to win, not just this game, but every game during the season and playoffs. Snake was going to out-scrap and out-work any player on the field. Jack, being one of the best d-men in the country, got the GB playing as he always did, relentless and physical.”
Clay Stabert: “That was as 50/50 a faceoff as could be. That was the embodiment of a team effort. Those three key leaders – Jake, Sean, Jack – all played a role in that play and it led to a goal. Without those three guys giving the effort and doing the dirty work to get the ball, we don’t have possession and the opportunity to score. Jake had a tremendous amount of strength and stick-to-it-iveness. This embodied our team, and, specific to Jack, he was second-to-none in situations where it came down to getting a tough groundball.”
Jim Connolly (freshman attack): “On the field everything really started with Sean Morris and Jack Reid that year – two of the best players in the country. It really gave you a lot of confidence as a teammate knowing those two guys were going go out there and dominate they’re one-on-one match ups.”
Doc Schneider: “Without the shot clock that we have now you don’t make a comeback like that if you don’t dominate the faceoff X like Jake did.”
“Jake Deane is a beast. He’s the reason we won this game. If we had one person to pick to represent our team in any competition where grit, determination and hustle would be the main drivers of success, he’d be the first choice by everyone. I don’t know exactly what was going through his head, but I bet he said after every goal, ‘let’s go Jake, gotta win another one.’”
- CLAY STABERT
Rory Pedrick: “Not sure whose call it was to put Jack up on the wing, but looking back I realize how incredible of an adjustment that was by our coaches. Jack was deadly coming off the wing and playing in the middle of the field. With our backs against the wall, every possession counted!”
Jason Miller: “Jake’s faceoff dominance late in the game was huge and Jack was a big part of that, whether it was when he bumped up to the wing or on the ride. It was Jack’s idea. He came up and said, ‘Unterstein is out, put me on the wing.’ All of sudden, we have Diogo on close defense and Jack on the wing, all predicated by Chris Unterstein getting hurt. ‘Let your great players be great,’ that’s a Coach Garber line. To have Jack’s presence in the middle was a game-changer.”
Jack Reid: “At some point in the fourth quarter I asked to join the wing on faceoffs. Jake was doing a great job scraping for wins and creating 50/50 groundballs and we were going to need more possessions to close the gap. This draw was initially won into the Hofstra end, but Sean (Morris) made a great move to keep it alive. The whole sequence highlights the Gorilla approach. Tireless effort, sideline-to-sideline pursuit, ride hard as an attackman, be willing to run through the check to pick up a ground ball. Be tough.”
Hofstra 10, Massachusetts 7 | 7:27 to go in the fourth
Jack Reid: “Sean put so much pressure on the defense every time he had the ball, you can understand why teams tried to faceguard him. There was only one defenseman in 2006 that could square up one-on-one with #25 and have any hope of success, but it only happened in practice. Morris dodging from X is a nightmare scenario for a defenseman and this is a perfect example of why.”
Clay Stabert: “I’ve told him countless times, he was the best player in the country that year. Sean had all the talent in the world. He was by far the best, most skilled player on the team. No other player could have led our team and offense the way he did. He had the ability to score and pass, and most importantly he understood his role and where to be assertive and score it. But he also knew when he needed to be a facilitator, knowing so much of the defense was focused on him.”
Andrew Recchione: “While it appeared impossible, I never felt like we were out of this game. At 10-5, I was at the substitution box, with a perfect view of the Hofstra bench. They were celebrating and dancing to music played in-between sets. The mood quickly changed after Sean’s goal to bring us within three.”
Brett Garber: “We all expected Sean to make plays like this, as he did all season. It was just a matter of timing and his goal to bring us within three kept our momentum and energy rolling.”
Hofstra 10, Massachusetts 8 | 6:29 to go in the fourth
Clay Stabert -> Jim Connolly = the 3rd goal in 94 seconds
Clay Stabert: “In a minute we go from being down 10-5, to 10-7 with the ball. Jake was winning us faceoffs. We know we have six minutes still and that’s a world of time when you’re winning faceoffs. We were just moving the ball and getting settled. Jim was a freshman but we’d played 16 games so he wasn’t really a freshman on the playing field anymore. Since the first practice and first game he was never shy about shooting. That was probably his greatest attribute as a freshman, he never lacked for scoring confidence. He was a good distance away, but his confidence in himself reflects the confidence of this team.
Jack Reid: “Sean’s initial dodge drew the attention of the Hofstra defense and the slide to help created a mistake in Hofstra’s recovery as the ball moved around the perimeter. Clay found Jimmy with a little space to do what he did best, finish the ball.”
Clay Stabert: “There was always support when someone felt they could make a play, this team was always had each other’s backs. Jimmy took initiative to fire that shot. We had momentum and that played into his mindset. A nice catch-and-release. His confidence and his ability to shoot it off stick side put the goalie in a tough position.”
Jake Deane: “I remember fast-breaking two faceoffs in the fourth quarter and giving the ball to our point man and my best friend, Clay Stabert. I was yelling at him to shoot the ball, but he would make the smart play and slow things down. We would then score on the possession.”
Brett Garber: “Jimmy was always sneaky off-ball, finding ways to get himself in good positions to score and make plays.”
Hofstra 10, Massachusetts 8 | 5:10 to go in the fourth
Brett Garber: “We took pride in our riding, and we challenged each other every day at practice in these types of situations. You’ve got Jack Reid, Dan Whipple and Pat Larmon all battling at the midfield line, not letting the Hofstra guys make a play.”
Clay Stabert: “Jack covers about 100 yards and went after three different guys to force that. That was his ability to be a superior athlete.”
Jamie Yaman: “I remember feeling that this is when we really started to smell blood. It was as if someone switched the light on in us, and made it dark for them. Every bit of momentum that they had was now in our corner, and one of the biggest mistakes they made was that when someone on their team made a mistake it was as if their entire squad would come down hard on that player. We were rallying and growing tighter as a unit, and they were turning into a team of individuals not trying to make a mistake.”
Jim Connolly: “This game is really just a great example of how momentum can just be an absolute monster and that day we were lucky to control it and ultimately ride it to the win.”
Greg Cannella: “Fred Federico’s shot is saved and Hofstra tries to quick clear the ball with a long pass. Big mistake – Jack Reid is sitting at the midline and jumps the ball. At the time, once the ball went over the midline, you had 10 seconds to get it into the box. Reid chases everyone, he forces two bad passes as he gets to guys’ hands, they don’t get it in on time, turnover. Great hustle by Jack and the others getting back in the hole – it felt like we had more players on the field at this moment and caused the violation.”
Hofstra 10, Massachusetts 9 | 4:14 to go in the fourth
Rory Pedrick: “Rec was such a strong North-South type of guy. When he saw the middle was wide open, he B-lined a cut towards the ball and got a step on his man, Just a great awareness to catch his man sleeping for a split second and cut to the open space.”
Brett Garber: “Pedrick makes an awesome feed to Rec cutting through the middle, and Rec buries the ball into the back of the net. The cut Rec makes came at such a clutch moment, and he made that play and that goal happen.”
Jason Miller: “He scored a similar one vs. Cornell. I remember Rec was comfortable in his role. Go back and watch Cornell. It was a backside flash, he flashes to the middle, the defender falls a step behind, catch and finish. Rec had gotten comfortable and confident. That goal was not a big surprise, but it was huge. That was his niche. He really blossomed in that role. All those guys did. There are a bunch of goals in this game that are credited to those guys being comfortable contributing and playing together.”
Clay Stabert: “We had first and second midfields, but they were interchangeable, it was 1A and 1B. There was no talent dispersion. We didn’t drop off with what we could do or expect for production with them. Every other team would be subbing to get specific personnel at this point. We were interchangeable and felt great with either line out there. That goes to show Coach Cannella’s preparations and how he managed our team and personalities. He blended the team to where the personalities gelled perfectly. It didn’t matter that the second line wasn’t in the game when it started, they were trusted to be on the field when it ended.”
Doc Schneider: “The thing that was incredible was that it was all different guys (scoring). That’s what made it special. We had a really deep team and we just had really strong players all over. They were doing a good job pushing out on Sean Morris and a lot of other guys stepped up and made a play. I didn’t have to make one save after giving up the one I wish I had back (Hofstra’s 10th goal). The defense dominated the middle of the field. Jake Deane and the guys on the wings took pressure off us and gave the offense a bunch of extra possessions.”
Hofstra 10, Massachusetts 10 | 0:49 to go in the fourth
The gutsiest shot ever taken
Clay Stabert: “There is no one behind the goal, so if Rory misses the cage, we lose the ball. I am thinking ‘whoa hold-on, hold-on… let’s make a pass or two… No. No. No. YES!’ Rory never lacked confidence on or off the field, and it’s not surprising he stepped into this shot. It took confidence to fire that shot. No one was behind the goal, the goalie would have won a chase to the line without leaving his crease.
Doc Schneider: “We had a chance, we had the momentum, jumping every time our guys took a shot, hoping to tie it up. We just did a tremendous job riding the ball back and Sean Krygier scooped up a tough GB in the middle of the field. I remember Rory slowing up a little bit and it looked like we were going get organized on offense. I think Rory’s defender felt the same and gave Rory more cushion then he realized. He pulled up and it was an ‘oh my god’ moment, and he just hammered it. It surprised me, and then everyone erupted. I think it surprised a lot of people. Rory just pulled up and blasted it.”
Andrew Recchione: “We went into this man-up play with a timeout to spare. If the play broke down, the plan was to use the timeout to reset and call another play. Everyone was on the same page – the bench, the coaches, and the players on the field. After a failed clearing attempt by Hofstra, Rory received the ball at the midline and began racing toward the box. As he’s running toward the box, I’m waiting for the timeout to be called. When he steps into the box, I’m 10 feet away from him and instead of hearing the whistle I just see him starting to crow-hop toward the cage from 15 yards out. I start screaming – No, No, NO!”
"I was completely locked in, and once I got my famous power cradle going, I knew I was getting the ball upfield. I thought we would settle it up a bit on offense, but clearly Rory had other intentions. He took a low angle, low percentage shot -- he ripped it goalie stick side high. On paper it sounds like a save, but I knew it was going in. With the goalie on his heels, Rory was relentless and determined. He made it happen. Big time players, make big time plays, in big time games."
- SEAN KRYGIER
Jake Deane: “Rory Pedrick shot it from the restraining line to tie up the game. That is the gutsiest shot I have ever seen. From the restraining line, high-to-high. My god.”
Sean Morris: "’Pull it out, Pull it out....Oh My God, he is going to shoot it. Stings it stick side high! YESSSSS!!!’"
Clay Stabert: 10-9, a minute left, they have the ball. It’s not looking good from a normal game perspective, but we’d shown our ability to ride already. We had the ability to force some difficult clearing situations and unsettled situations from Hofstra. It was our second line again; Down one, rarely would you have a team that doesn’t call a timeout to get personnel on, but with Coach Cannella and our prep we were always coached to play. On the field, everyone knew you had the skill set, everyone believed in you. No need for a timeout here to take players off. Rory was one of the top-5 athletes, a young playmaker with tremendous skill, who definitely didn’t lack for the confidence.”
Brett Garber: “This goal starts with Pat Larmon riding his tail off. He forces the Hofstra player to make an errant throw. We love playing fast and the quick feed upfield to Pedrick in transition from Krygier allowed us to push the ball, and led to Rory making an unbelievable play. He saw an opportunity to take his shot, and fired a missile past the keeper.”
Jamie Yaman: “This one makes me smile. Rory was a sophomore then, and was one of the most fearless players I have been around. I knew right when he picked up that loose ball that he was going to shoot it, but in my head I remember pleading with him not to shoot until we had settled the offense. Looking back at it there was not a better way to take a shot that could tie it up. The goalie at this point was practically frozen and hadn't saved anything in a while. We had them on the run and this was a huge blow to them, and one that instilled even more confidence in our play.”
Clay Stabert: “Rory shooting and missing this in the regular season? Not a problem, probably chewed out for missing. However, that point in time in the game and the season, you need that confidence in yourself to take the game into your hands. Pause the video. You’ll see the entire team is near goal line or trailing him. No chance we get it back if he misses. He pings it top-corner.”
Jack Reid: “Pat Larmon hustled to help turn the ball back in the ride. That produced another risky pass from Hofstra who was up a goal with the clock running down. The pass missed its target and Krygier made a solid play on the ground ball. After Rory gathered his pass I could see from my angle near the midline he had a lot of field in front of him. Hofstra tried to switch their matchup as they got in the hole instead of playing Rory and he took advantage of the space to put the stick in his strong hand and sting that corner. TIE GAME!!”
Greg Cannella: “I can remember everyone was fired up. We were on EMO, they shut off Sean Morris, so we took a long-range shot that was blocked. Everyone rode hard here and Hofstra threw it away as Pat Larmon turned a Hofstra player around at the midline. Great awareness and GB by Sean Krygier. When Rory got the ball, both assistant coaches, Jason Miller and Jake Coon, were screaming at me to take a timeout. I just felt we had some unsettled action – Hofstra had just turned it back over – so let’s see if Rory or the attack could make a play. Fortunately for all of us, Rory hammered an overhand shot, and that sent the bench crazy!”
“We were man-up and denied twice. Pat Larmon’s relentless hustle to the midline on that ride was huge, he turned John Keysor back along the sideline and slowed their momentum. Krygier came up with the loose ball in the middle of the field and slung it forward to me. As I was running into the box I realized the defender closest to me, who should have been stopping the ball, was retreating, so I kept pressing and let one fly from 10 yards. I knew it was unsettled, but carrying that momentum downhill and getting as close as I did with no-one stopping me was a no-brainer to get a solid shot on goal.”
- RORY PEDRICK
Hofstra 10, Massachusetts 10 | 2:45 left in overtime
The OT save & clear series
Doc Schneider: “For me, I felt a lot of pressure. I didn’t have my best game. I was thinking, ‘you better make a play here to have these guys backs.’ With just how great the leadership was and the upperclassmen were, I wanted to come through for them. Sam Moody had a tough task defending Mike Unterstein, who was an excellent player.”
Jason Miller: “Coming out of the timeout Hofstra made personnel changes. They put Mike Unterstein in, and had taken Tom Dooley out. Dooley was the guy we short-sticked so we could double-pole the middies. We felt like he was the least threat to dodge. Sam Moody, who had a great tourney, was matched on Dooley and that allowed us to double-pole. That helped us versus Cornell and was the formula vs. Hofstra. With Dooley not on the field, Sam didn’t have the right matchup and I remember looking at Greg and saying “We’re screwed. Dooley isn’t on the field. They’ve put Mike Unterstein there.” Sam Moody gets stuck behind the cage. Chris Unterstein is on the crease covered by Jack and we weren’t sliding off of Chris. It was Sam Moody vs. Mike Unterstein.”
Jack Reid: “Doc had weathered the storm in the first half and came on really strong in the second. He was resilient, all year, as just a freshman. This was a tough match up for us behind the net, Sam Moody worked hard to force a low angle shot and Doc made a really tough save. We talked about being prepared to make a stop in OT to give the offense a chance to win it and Doc followed through on that promise.”
Doc Schneider: “Earlier in the game, Unterstein beat me with the same exact shot. I was dipping down this time as he was shooting it, anticipating a similar shot and release point. I got the shaft of my stick on it, Dan Whipple came flying in and grabbed the ball mid-air and we now had to the clear the ball.’’
Dan Whipple: “I’ll never forget this play... When I saw the ball come back into the air after Doc’s save, I felt a ‘this is it’ moment. (I’d felt I wasn’t contributing as I should throughout the game and told myself at halftime that I would ‘make a play’ at some point). The game slowed and this was the ‘make a play’ moment. Knowing how Hofstra was relentless on the ride it was imperative to get a settled clear. Get the ball away from pressure. I think we all felt a little different inside once Pat Larmon stepped into the box with the ball.”
Greg Cannella: “Doc makes just an incredible save on the bounce shot – and then Whipple gets a great GB in traffic and an over pass to Jack Reid. Hofstra had been a great riding team all year. John Orsen, now an assistant at Navy under Joe Amplo, was a captain for Hofstra and owned the middle of the field all year.”
Jamie Yaman: “I can still conjure up the feeling that I had in my stomach when the Hofstra player dodged from behind the net and took what appeared to be a pretty decent shot to win the game from them. Doc was an absolute animal the whole season and especially in the playoffs, and had perfect position to get in front of that shot. It almost made the win sweeter knowing that they had a chance to win it in overtime. Larmon's clear was all heart and determination and was right in line with the way we were playing.”
“We didn’t have help for Sam, no one that could was going to slide. We were in a pickle based on matchups and Doc made the tough save, we cleared it and that’s how we won in OT. I still remember thinking coming out of that timeout, ‘oh boy we’re in trouble here.’”
- JASON MILLER
Pictured: Sam Moody on defense vs. Hofstra
Jake Deane: “Before the (overtime) faceoff, I said I was going to pick up the ball and end the game. I had my mind on scoring before the whistle blew. All Coach Cannella wanted me to do was get in the box and call a timeout. I ended up turning over the ball. Luckily, Doc made this save and we got the ball back.”
Brett Garber: “Doc made huge saves all year for us. He made a few during this game that were unreal and kept us in reach to make this comeback happen. It goes without saying, without this save, history would have been different. Whipple finds the rebound, snags it out of the air and starts our clear. Once again, Larmon makes a huge play for us fighting through multiple Hofstra guys, and gets us the successful clear – allowing us to call a timeout.”
Clay Stabert: “This was a tremendous shot, heading right for the corner. That’s a tough save by Doc, but one he’d made on me about 1,000 times in practice. Seeing his technique and motion brings back memories of not scoring on him. He was playing well above his tenure, that is true to the ‘nth degree.’ Although he was a freshman, he led like he was a senior and played like he was a senior. The team bought into him early and he didn’t let being a freshman change the way he played. He led like he was a senior and made this play like he was a senior. We had tremendous senior presence in our leadership, but we also had Doc as a freshman playing as a leader on the field.”
Rory Pedrick: “That Hofstra possession was scary. Doc was always game ready and when he made that stop off a bounce shot, and then successfully cleared the ball, I knew we were right there to stop Hofstra’s 17-game win streak and knock them out!”
Jason Miller: “It was such a huge relief from my standpoint. We were so out-of-whack defensively. Trying to predict what was going to happen next was tough. We were grasping at straws at that point, just so far away from our gameplan – from who we short-sticked, to where does Jack go. Is he on Chris Unterstein? or do we move Jack up? So then where is Diogo and who does Dan Whipple cover? Krygier and Von Voigt were both young guys back there. What would have happened coming back down the field without Jimmy’s goal with no timeouts? We would have been completely unscripted, a long way away from our game plan. It was a ‘players game’ at that point.”
Clay Stabert: “We still had to clear the ball after that save. We spent all that energy getting to overtime, having to stop them. Fatigue can set in, so many things can go wrong, clearing here was such a big moment. Pat made a tremendous play, and got right through a double-team.”
Doc Schneider: “The entire 4th quarter, any time Jack Reid had the ball on the clear, he’d throw a bingo pass clear across the field. Just fire an absolutely rope and clear it himself. I wasn’t expecting him to throw it back to me. He probably shouldn’t have! They had an attackman jump down on me pretty quick. I was able to face dodge past the riding attackman and saw Pat Larmon in the middle of the field. It was a tight window to throw the ball and honestly wasn’t a great pass! I just trusted Pat in those situations. He was a tough, athletic guy. He easily could been knocked down or turned the ball over. He was tough enough to handle it in the middle of the field. Once we made that play we felt the momentum coming back.”
Greg Cannella: “Doc makes a great play on the clear, just to get past a riding attackman and gets the ball to Pat Larmon, but he is jumped at the midfield line. Pat is a superior athlete, eludes this pressure and sprints it into the box. This is the true game winning play – not taking anything away from Brett and Jimmy a few moments later.”
Hofstra 10, Massachusetts 10 | 2:15 left in overtime
Timeout | Reset
Brett Garber: “Coach has an amazing capability of keeping us in the moment, not to high, not too low. We knew as a team that what we had been doing offensively got us to this point. We needed to keep playing our game, and be patient for the right opportunity.”
Greg Cannella: “You saw it at the timeout, how people felt about Pat Larmon’s play. Watch video and count how many people touch him! After that defensive stand and clear – the timeout was an easy one just to call, to get settled into what we were going to do and get some fresh bodies on the field.”
“I’ll never forget that huddle. Being really fired up after the clear, I remember trying to find Pat Larmon, but everyone knew the play he’d just made and were all around him. Guys came up to me then and Sam Moody pretty much headbutted me saying ‘thank you’ for the save. I remember Jake Coon, who was my goalie coach, challenged me all year and helped me become the player I was, come up to me and said something like, ‘not a bad play there…’ with a little bit of a sarcastic smile. In the huddle it wasn’t as much of a feeling of excitement as it was a feeling of determination to finish this. We celebrated the play, but it wasn’t guys going nuts. Not too high, not too low.”
- DOC SCHNEIDER
Jack Reid: “The successful clear and timeout gave us a chance to gather and organize for our offensive possession. We’re riding a wave of energy at that point coming back from 5-down. The momentum was on our side, we got the stop we needed and escaped with a groundball and the clear. The timeout was about the offense getting together and doing their thing. On the defensive end, we’re out of the offense’s hair, preparing in case we need make a stop. We were just focused on playing the game all the way through, one play at a time.”
Jamie Yaman: “I remember Coach Cannella giving Larmon a few hard pats of approval on his shoulder pads after he cleared the ball. In the huddle there was a whole lot of confidence and fire in the eyes of each of us. We couldn't take anything for granted and had to finish them off, but we knew that although Hostra was the better team for most the game, we woke up and were playing like a team that had decided not to lose.”
Massachusetts 11, Hofstra 10 | FINAL (OT)
The Game-Winner
Clay Stabert: “We wanted Sean to have the ball in his hands. This was our sixth game versus Hofstra as seniors. All the seniors had played these guys more than any other team in our four years. We were comfortable and knew we could play them well. Sean started with ball, but didn’t feel he had to be the one to finish. That goes in-part to how our team played. He is the best player in country, the defense focused on him, so Jimmy ends up wide open because Sean’s man wouldn’t leave Sean’s side.”
Sean Morris: “I started out with the ball at the top of the box where I loved to dodge from. I had talked to Coach Cannella about where they would likely slide from and I went at him with just speed. They actually came from the adjacent and from the crease quickly, so I pulled up a bit to look inside. When they showed from all over, I bumped it up to Larmon who kicked it over to Garber.”
Clay Stabert: “I was behind the goal, not involved in the play initially until Brett gets it and as he is driving, I’m thinking, ‘Jimmy has a five yard radius around him where no one is covering him.’ Jimmy did exactly what coach taught, get through and give Brett room to work. Brett, being the player he is, he probably knew he was going to pass it the moment he saw what was developing. Jimmy scored a lot of goals in high school and at UMass, and he is never going to get more open than that. It’s a no-brainer, puts it right in the corner of the goal."
Jack Reid: “Sean’s initial dodge flipped the field on the Hofstra defense. I could see them spread out on the perimeter. As Brett starts dodging downhill I saw Jimmy’s defender peeling off to prep a slide. There was no help on the crease with Morris’s defender preoccupied. All of a sudden from my perspective at the midline it was just Jimmy in the frame of the goal, uncovered, catching a pass from Brett. I just held my breath and waited…”
Brett Garber: “My father (Ted Garber) would always tell me, "Don’t watch things happen, make things happen." Going into this offensive set, I had a short-stick defending me, so I knew I wanted to attack and try to make something happen. Hofstra slid early, and it looked like at the time, Jim was on an island by himself. Jim did what he did best, got open, and finished the game-winner. It was a surreal moment, and I just remember seeing sticks flying through the air and pig piles all around.”
Sean Morris: “When Brett dodged hard, my match-up never left my side and missed his two-slide, which left Jimmy wide open. Jimmy was excellent at finishing on the crease and when he caught it, it was automatic.”
Jim Connolly: “After all this time, it’s still amazing that Brett Garber was the one that came up with the game-winning assist. Just to think of what the Garber family name means to UMass lacrosse and the fact that my dad, Steve, and brother, Ryan, both played for UMass, and that my father played for Brett’s grandfather (Richard F. Garber) back in 1969. It’s something I feel very proud to be a part of.”
Rory Pedrick: “Brett, who seemed to glide across the field when he ran, drew Jimmy’s man on the dodge, and as soon he dumped it to Jimmy on the door step, it was a done deal. Jimmy wasn’t missing that shot.”
“I was on the sideline watching and couldn't stand still. Even now I have a hard time taking a deep breath and keeping my excitement down. When Connolly scored that goal I just started running around the field. I flew my helmet and gloves off, and eventually collapsed to my knees. Before the game Larmon and I said to each other, ‘I think this is going to be a great day.’ He found me during the celebration and we shouted at each other, ‘we knew this was going to be a great day!.’”
- JAMIE YAMAN
Clay Stabert: “Everybody goes crazy. It looks as though we didn’t expect to win, but the celebration was that we did it in this fashion. It was such a cool experience. Personally, getting to play in Philadelphia where I’m from (during the Final Four). We never thought we wouldn’t beat this team. We were always confident we’d win the game.”
Jake Deane: “I just remember sprinting onto the field after we scored the overtime goal. Such a great feeling. Unbelievable feeling.”
“It felt like Jimmy was wide open and we all saw it. I remember Jack Reid running over and tackling me. We couldn’t have been happier. There was a bit of relief there for me as well. I’m happy my teammates had my back.” - Doc Schneider
Sean Krygier: "Once Jimmy scored that final goal, euphoria and pandemonium erupted inside that stadium all at once. We were all so overwhelmed with happiness and so proud of what we accomplished we didn't know what to do; guys were literally jumping up and down with excitement. Nobody thought we had a shot, but we stuck to the plan, believed in one another and got the job done! We got what we all came to UMass for - we came to fight and create unforgettable moments - and that day, we did just that."
“Hard to explain the feeling. Literally every emotion running through your brain and body. I remember running onto the field with no destination repeating ‘YES’ looking for anyone and everyone to hug. It truly was a surreal moment. The locker room was electric. Two things really stick out to me post game, hugs and Gatorade baths.”
- DAN WHIPPLE
Sam Moody (senior midfielder): “This was just a great team effort with so many people contributing, and such a great moment in program history.”
Sean Morris: “Maybe the best celebration we've had as a program. UMass has been to so many quarterfinals and had many great teams, that to finally break through to the Final Four, you could feel the electricity run through everyone that has ever been a part of the program. Alums were charging the field, coaches, trainers... everyone seemed to hit that pig pile.”
Sean Krygier (sophomore close defense): "Being down in a game is never the issue, the issue is when you start to question your own ability and that of your teammates. You have to have an unwavering, almost arrogant confidence in yourself and one another. The 2006 UMass Men’s Lacrosse team had just that. When you watch the comeback, there are players from every grade, and every corner of the field making big plays. It’s not the big plays, though, that make the game; it’s the commitment to the fundamentals that makes it all happen. Each faceoff, groundball, pass, ride, clear, check, save and shot were executed with relentless precision. If you watch the last quarter of that game, we did not play perfectly – in fact, we made lots of mistakes; but we never questioned our ability and never stopped believing in one another."
Jim Connolly: “We had a great team that year, but the truth is that UMass and Coach Cannella has had a lot of great teams over the years. I feel like Coach Cannella really does an amazing job in getting the absolute most of his players and getting them to play at their full potential.”
Jason Miller: “I’m not where I am if this didn’t happen. It was a huge moment in my life. My wife, my father, my brother were all there. My son, Liam, was still an infant, my wife was pregnant with my daughter Maggie. This was just such a special, special moment. I remember leaving there in a rental car with (assistant coach) Jake Coon, driving to Maryland to scout the next round. That 24-hour stretch was just surreal, and such a special time for me in my life.”
“We had come back in a few games that season. We had tremendous leadership everywhere. Jack Reid, Sean Morris and Jake Deane formed a trio of captains who did not let anyone quit, ever. I can remember being asked in the postgame interview if I felt this was a miracle. I was miffed by that question. I felt these guys earned everything they got that day and they deserved the credit for it! Looking back now, I can say it was miraculous the way these players believed in each other, they manifested incredible power from that belief.” - Head Coach Greg Cannella