Box Score AMHERST, Mass.—The Hobart lacrosse team led Massachusetts 7-5 with 2 minutes remaining in the team’s ECAC matchup this afternoon, but the host Minutemen scored twice in the final 80 seconds to force overtime and notched the game-winner 1:19 into the extra session to snatch an 8-7 victory. The loss evens Hobart’s record at 5-5 (2-3 ECAC), while UMass improves to 5-5 (3-1).

Senior midfielder Nick Currie led the Statesmen with three goals, while sophomore midfielder Doug Shiver added a pair of goals. Senior faceoff specialist Dan Spinella won 11 of 17 restarts, thanks in part to the wing work of first-year long-stick midfielder Alex Caton, who collected a game-high tying six ground balls.

The Minutemen were paced by Peter McNichols, who counted the game-winner among his three scores. Bobby Hayes notched a goal and three assists, while Tim Balise added a pair of goals and Zach Rodgers notched two assists. Defenseman David Von Voigt scooped up six ground balls to lead UMass.

In goal, sophomore Max Silberlicht turned back 11 of the 19 shots he faced, while Doc Schneider earned the win with 10 stops.

Currie and McNichols traded goals in the first quarter. In the second, the defenses ruled until the final two minutes, when the offenses finally came to life. Balise scored 1:44 before the break, giving the Minutemen a 2-1 advantage. Hobart answered with back-to-back scores 33 seconds apart to take a 3-2 lead. Shiver scored the first with 56 seconds remaining, followed by junior d-middie Matt Smalley’s fourth goal of the year. Hayes scored just six seconds before the intermission to tie the game at 3-all.

The Minutemen regained the lead with the first goal of the third quarter, but the Statesmen responded with three straight scores in a span of just 2:05. Currie scored his 12th and 13th of the season to give Hobart a 5-4 edge. With 1:56 remaining in the third, Shiver capped the run with his sixth goal of the season.

UMass trimmed its deficit to one when McNichols opened the fourth quarter scoring, but Caton restored the two-goal lead at the 2:19 mark with his third goal of the season.

Midfielder Steve Zorkers started the comeback with his first career goal on a fast break with 1:19 left in regulation. Balise equalized for the Minutemen with just 7.3 seconds left. McNichols game-winner was the only shot for either team in overtime.

The Minutemen outshot Hobart 39-38, while the Statesmen had a 27-26 edge in ground balls. Hobart was a perfect 22-of-22 clearing, while UMass was 19-of-24.

The Statesmen are back in action on April 19, when they host St. John’s on Boswell Field. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.