It took extra time to find a winner in the first marquee matchup of the Division III season, but in the end it was Salisbury emerging victorious. The Sea Gulls erased a 9-5 halftime deficit to knock off Lynchburg 12-11 in overtime on a goal by Greg Korvin. The goal was Korvin’s third of game, all of which came during the second half comeback.
Lynchburg took its biggest lead of the game heading into the break on a goal from Chris Hower with 27 seconds to play. From then on, however, the Hornets would be outscored 7-2. Aaron Murphy netted one in the third quarter that briefly gave Lynchburg a three-goal lead once again, but the Sea Gulls answered with Corvin’s second goal and back-to-back scored from Luke Phipps to even the score at 10 apiece with eight seconds to play in the third quarter.
Jon Gill’s goal at the 9:31 mark of the fourth quarter gave Lynchburg its last lead of the game at 11-10 – a lead that would last just 23 seconds before Mike Kane netted the equalizer. The teams would trade possession for the remainder of the quarter, but things started to slow down as the snow started to fall on Sea Gull Stadium. After lengthy possessions for both teams came up empty, the game headed to overtime where lengthy possessions, and a pair of stellar individual efforts preserved the game for Salisbury and led to the win.
The first was an intercepted pass by Zeke Smith, his fourth caused turnover of the game, that put an end to a threatening Lynchburg extra-man opportunity. The clear, followed by a Salisbury timeout, gave the Sea Gulls enough time kill off the penalty and have an offensive opportunity. The second game-saving play was made by goalkeeper Alex Taylor, stuffing Murphy on a backside attempt with 1:33 to go. The ensuing clear led to Korvin’s goal with 57 seconds to play in the overtime period.
This was a statement win for Salisbury early in the season that serves as a reminder that yes, they are still here and will not be a team to be trifled with come postseason play. Doing so without a single point from Brady Dashiell also bodes well for Salisbury’s offensive balance. The loss, which will sting the Hornets for some time, should give them an early dose of confidence that will help them through the murder’s row schedule they have given themselves.
Leading Scorers: Lynchburg – Murphy (2 goals, 2 assists); Salisbury – Korvin (3 goals, 1 assist)
Goalkeepers: Lynchburg – Adam Davey (L, 12 GA, 7 saves); Salisbury – Taylor (W, 11 GA, 8 saves)
Faceoffs: Lynchburg – Bobby Distler (14-23); Salisbury – Chris Blank (9-22), Michael Schiavone (0-1)
Special Teams: Lynchburg (1-5, Todd Galvin); Salisbury (1-5, Phipps)
