Helm, Duke in Final Four
Loudonville native has 14 saves as Blue Devils advance in NCAA event
ALBANY — Duke men’s lacrosse goalie Will Helm was excellent in his homecoming. Attack Brennan O’Neill was dazzling, especially on his highlight-reel final goal.
The top-seeded Blue Devils were on point at both ends of the field in a 15-8 NCAA Tournament quarterfinal victory over upstart Michigan before a crowd of 4,224 at the University at Albany’s Casey Stadium.
Helm, a graduate student from Loudonville, made 14 saves and O’Neill, a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award, scored six goals.
Helm played in front of an audience that included his parents, sister, and former teammates at St. Lawrence, the Division III school where Helm spent four years before transferring to Duke.
“Definitely, I think you kind of feel a different sense of pressure playing in front of a hometown crowd or even just your family,” Helm said. “But I was really excited. I love the upstate, I love Albany, and when I think about how crazy this year has been, it kind of seemed fitting to come back and play in Albany one more time.”
Duke (15-2) advanced to the Final Four next Saturday in Philadelphia. The Blue Devils will play in a semifinal against the winner of Sunday’s quarterfinal between Army and Penn State in Annapolis, Md.
O’Neill scored four goals in the first half as Duke seized a 7-4 halftime lead. The Blue Devils built their advantage to 11-6 after three quarters and then O’Neill saved his best for his last goal.
O’Neill carried the ball from behind the goal to four yards in front. With Michigan defenseman Andrew Darby on his back, O’Neill took a quick peek over his right shoulder before unleashing a behind-the-back
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shot over his left shoulder that bounced through the legs of Wolverines goalie Hunter Taylor.
“Just having fun with it and I don’t really think about it,” O’Neill said. “When an opportunity comes, I’ll do it. I don’t go into it thinking I’m going to do it. It just happens. I just felt like it was a good time to do it.”
Duke senior attack Dyson Williams added a hat trick in the city where he could begin his professional career. The Albany FireWolves own the No. 1 overall pick in the National Lacrosse League draft and are expected to take Williams.
O’Neill said he wasn’t surprised by how Helm has played this season in his jump from Division III to the three-time national champion Blue Devils.
“I saw it as soon as he stepped on campus,” O’Neill said. “His work ethic in the weight room in the fall, I knew he was a different player. He was a great goalie right from the bat.”
Michigan fell one win short of the Final Four in the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The game was also a return to the area for Wolverines coach Kevin Conry, who started his career as a Siena assistant from 2004 to 2006.
“When you go on a ride with a team like this, it puts everything in perspective,” Conry said. “Today we fell short. We lost to a better team. But ultimately … we’ve set a new standard in Ann Arbor for men’s lacrosse.”