There is no time like the present. Eastern University Men's Lacrosse, with 22 new players and enormous graduation losses from last year's 5-5 team, rallied from a 10-7 fourth period deficit to take an 12-11 overtime win at Elizabethtown College (9-3, 7-1 MAC). Eleven of the twelve Eastern goals were scored by newcomers to the program, but in the end, it was a senior captain who made the difference. Michael Hofmeister scored the game-winner 1:25 into overtime.

"Hof is the man for us," said second year Head Coach Brandon Childs, "He does so many things that we need from an older player. [Zac] Ivy had five goals, but the story of the game is Michael Hofmeister making the big play." Hofmeister finished with a goal and two assists, but it was a play he made at the end of regulation that proved to be the difference.

With the two teams tied at 11-11, Childs called Eastern's first time out of the second half with 1:14 to play. The plan was to take time off the clock and call a time out to set up a final play. Out of the timeout, Hofmeister took the ball and dodged, and dodged, and kept dodging. In the process an Elizabethtown defender slashed and a flag hit the ground.

Rather than take the timeout, the Eagles kept the ball in the box and started the overtime up a man with the ball. Not having to face-off in overtime proved to be of great benefit for the Eagles, who won just six of 26 on the game. When a set for Ivy broke down, Hofmeister dodged from behind the crease and fired high to the near pipe for his 16th goal of the year.

The dramatic endgame was set up by a fourth period rally that saw the Eagles score four straight to erase a 10-7 deficit. The two evenly matched sides each scored six in the opening half hour. Ivy scored four of his five before the break, and fellow newcomer Cal Napolitano added a pair. 

The host Blue Jays scored three straight to start the third period, Chris Farrar scored in tight on a Napolitano feed to cut the deficit to 9-7 at the end of the third period. Elizabethtown held a 12-5 advantage in shots in the third period. 

Aaron Weber, Etown's leading scorer, set up the host's tenth goal at the 10:26 mark. Weber entered today's game leading the MAC in points per game, and finished with two goals and two assists. Weber scored seven times against the Eagles in last year's contest in St. David's. Childs commented, "We did a really good job defending Weber today. I think we broke down in other areas, but Matt [Mandia] was outstanding on him."

The Eagles scored off the ensuing face-off to cut the deficit to 10-8. David Darling took advantage of an unsettled situation and flipped to fellow freshman Will Johnson for his first of the day. Less than a minute later, Napolitano scored his third of the day on a pass from Hofmeister. Hofmeister set up the game-tying goal with seven minutes to play. Johnson buried his second of the afternoon and 17th of the year.

Eastern took the lead just two minutes later. Though Ivy scored the goal and Farrar had the assist, the Eastern coaching staff pointed to the work of Joey Wilmot in a subbing situation. The defensive midfielder faked leaving the box several times, and the Etown offensive midfielder had to stay with him. When Wilmot made the decision to go, he beat his player to the midfield line and gave Farrar a ten yard head start into the attack. Farrar used that edge to draw a defender before finding Ivy on the doorstep for his fifth.

Elizabethtown tied the game at a minute and a half later, and they had two chances to take back the lead. One shot hit the pipe, and Aaron Benz made a solid save on the next one to set up Hofmeister's heroics. Eastern's first year goalie finished with 15 saves. 

The Eagles (10-3, 8-1), who were picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll, are now tied with Etown and FDU-Florham atop the MAC with three games to play. After a home-date with Lebanon Valley on Saturday, Coach Childs' young squad will travel to Madison, New Jersey to take on FDU.

"We got great efforts from our young guys today," Childs said, "but three returning guys made a huge difference for us. Hof, Matt, and Joey were each tremendous."