With less than seven minutes remaining, any restraint either team had harbored was lost. The game broke into an end-to-end affair.

Syracuse’s JoJo Marasco forced an entry pass to Derek Maltz, turning the ball over and sending Virginia’s Chris LaPierre sprinting across midfield. LaPierre cradled the ball into Syracuse’s defensive box along the right hash marks. Brandon Mullins wheeled around LaPierre’s right shoulder, set to clear out the Virginia captain.

Instead, Mullins went down in a heap untouched. The official stopped play with 6:43 left in the fourth quarter. The game was tied 8-8. Mullins writhed on the ground, dragging himself away from the play by his arms.

After the medical staff rushed on the field, he was helped to his feet. A medical staffer walked under his right arm and Brian Megill supported his left side, as Mullins appeared to favor his right knee. Matt Harris came on for Mullins, marking UVA junior attack Nick O’Reilly.

“Next guy’s got to step up,” Megill said. “We’re at a Division-I school, Syracuse University, the highest level, Matt’s just got to take his spot.”

Harris helped shut out O’Reilly and the rest of the Cavaliers (4-1) the rest of the way in Syracuse’s (2-1) 9-8 overtime victory. On his first defensive possession, O’Reilly was frozen by Harris’ coverage, unable to pick a side to dodge by Harris from behind the net.

Mullins did not return and his status remains uncertain.

Prior to his injury Mullins turned in a stellar performance, earning praise from head coach John Desko after the game for his versatility in close, in front of and behind the net.

“Our thoughts are with him right now and we’ll see,” Desko said. “I didn’t like the way he hit the ground, that was scary, but we’ll think about him tonight.”

Published on March 2, 2013 at 12:28 am

Contact Jacob: jmklinge@syr.edu | @Jacob_Klinger_