College Lacrosse Team Loses By One After Two Balls In Play At Exact Same Time Create Mayhem

14th-ranked Delaware suffered its first loss of the 2024 college lacrosse season on Saturday as the University of Pennsylvania took them down at home. A bizarre and chaotic sequence ultimately proved to be the difference!

Two different balls somehow ended up in play at the exact same time during the second quarter. It all went down right before halftime.

The Quakers were defending in their own half when the ball bounced toward the end line. Senior defenseman Brendan Lavelle appeared to keep the play alive by flicking the ball back over his shoulder.

However, despite what looked like a clean effort, the referee blew the play dead. And then the confusion began.

Blue Hens midfielder Brendan Powers also thought that Lavelle kept the ball in bounds. He scooped it up and took off toward the far half of the field. Meanwhile, Delaware attacker J.P. Ward passed a ball in from the end line as result of the official’s decision to rule the previous play dead.

As (more than) one half of Penn’s defense followed Powers, no one marked Ward on the other end.

He passed the ball back out toward the wing where freshman attack John McCurry ripped a one-timer and scored. Delaware reacted as if the goal was good. The home team was utterly confused.

A goal that would have put the Blue Hens up by three at the break was immediately called off. It did not count. The officials were just as confused as the Quakers as to what had happened. Although Ward was correct in how he was operating, the second ball rightfully made it so that the goal was invalid.