Max Hewitt (So / Denver, Colo.) scored a career-high 4 goals, including the game-tying and game-winning targets just 49 seconds apart, to lead the Navy men's lacrosse team (5-3) to an 11-10 come-from-behind victory over 18th-ranked Johns Hopkins (4-4) Friday evening at historic Homewood Field in Baltimore, Md. Navy outscored Johns Hopkins 4-3 in the final frame, holding the Blue Jays scoreless over the final six minutes.

"It is history for our guys. They're so proud to wear the jersey and play for the guys who came before them," said third-year Navy head coach Joe Amplo."I told them they had their moment, now this is your moment. Our guys really seized it tonight and I'm really proud of them for that. We grew up tonight."

The win marked the Mids' first win over the Blue Jays at Homewood Field since May 10, 1969, as Navy had lost 22-consecutive games on JHU's home field prior to Friday night's victory. Additionally, it marked just the third win by the Mids in the series overall since 1975 (9-8 OT in 2010 / 8-2 in 2012). It marked the 20th one-goal game in the 91-game history and the eighth one-goal game in the last 16 meetings (Johns Hopkins has won 6 of the 8).

In a game that featured seven ties (1-1 / 3-3 / 5-5 / 7-7 / 8--8 / 9-9 / 10-10), the back-and-forth contest saw the Mids lead just three times over the course of the game. Xavier Arline (So / A / Wading River, N.Y.) punched in the game's first goal just a minute-and-a-half into the contest, but after the game was leveled at one-apiece on an unassisted goal by Connor DeSimone, the Mids would spend the next 41 minutes fighting to get the lead back.

Navy rallied in the third quarter with All-Patriot League midfielder Patrick Skalniak (Jr / Dallas, Texas) shouldering the responsibility and scoring back-to-back goals to knot the game at 7-all.

The Mids made it three in a row (13:18) when Skalniak's defender slipped at the top of the box and the defense slid, leaving Jon Jarosz (A / So / Gambrills, Md.) open at the crease. Jarosz one-timed the goalkeper before punching in his second goal of the evening to give Navy its first lead since 13:25 in the opening quarter.

The Blue Jays, however, answered with back-to-back goals of their own, including Garrett Degnon's fourth of the game and the 50th of his career which put Johns Hopkins back in the driver's seat with a 9-8 lead.

Hewitt evened the game, beating the shot clock with the first of what would be three-consecutive goals from the Colorado native. JHU once again had an answer, as DeSimone sent a pass to Joey Epstein who had space and time to drill his second goal of the game and give the Blue Jays a 10-9 lead with 6:05 remaining in the contest.

Hewitt tied the game at 10-all when he dodged his way past veteran short-stick defensive middie Jake Lilly at the top of the box and drove his way into the middle of the field before targeting his shot. Just 49 seconds later, Hewitt again found the back of the net, scoring the game-winner from the left wing and tucking his shot over the left shoulder of Blue Jays keeper Josh Kirson.

Johns Hopkins would get three looks at the cage, including a shot by Epstein, the team's leading scorer this season, a man up that would be turned aside by first-year Navy keeper Pat Ryan (Jr / Groton, Mass.) with 1:37 remaining in the game. The Blue Jays would put the ball in the stick of Degnon for their final shot of the game, but that attempt would sail wide as Navy celebrated the long-awaited victory.

Hewitt finished with career highs in goals (4), assists (2) and points (6), while posting his third hat trick in the last four contests (3 vs. High Point / 3 vs. Lehigh). Remarkably, Hewitt and Skalniak, who turned in 6 points for a second-straight week, combined to play a role in 10 of the 11 Mids' 11 goals. The only goal in which one of them did not record the goal or assist was the opening goal of the game, though Skalniak did feed Arline who made a fantastic move to get free for the goal.

With his 3 goals and 3 assists in Friday's win, Skalniak now has 35 points on the year and is just the 17th different Navy midfielder in the program's history to reach 30 points in a season. His 35 points are tied as the 10th most by a Navy midfielder.

Johns Hopkins had 17 turnovers in the contest, including 7 that were forced by the Mids. All-Patriot League defender Jackson Bonitz (So / Shrewsbury, Pa.) recorded 2 takeaways, as he moved into 16th on the Mids' all-time leader board with 23.

Ryan played a solid game between the pipes for the Mids where he made 12 stops.

Degnon, a DeMatha Catholic graduate who wears No. 40 in honor of former Navy lacrosse player and Navy SEAL Brendan Looney who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010, paced the Blue Jays with 5 points on 4 goals and an assist. Epstein and Johnathan Peshko, meanwhile, contributed a pair of goals.

Navy returns to Patriot League play next weekend when it plays host to Holy Cross on March 26 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Next Saturday's game is set for a 12-noon faceoff and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Additionally, WNAV 1430 AM / 99.9 FM will carry the game live with Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller on the call.

### Go Navy ###