As the clock hit zero, the John Carroll men's lacrosse team swarmed the field in celebration as the Shula Stadium faithful roared.

For the first time in program history, they stood alone at the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference.

The Blue Streaks seized the title with a 14-11 victory over the Otterbein Cardinals on Saturday night in University Heights, Ohio. With the win, JCU earns the automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament.  

John Carroll (12-5, 5-1 OAC) scored nine unanswered goals in the second half and held off a late Otterbein comeback to clinch the tournament title after earning the regular season crown.

"It's a testament to the character of these guys," said head coach Chris Cooper. "Their attention to details, going through a lot of changes, they stepped up and worked hard."

"These guys care about each other, they've matured as a group. It really is exciting and special to see this happen."

Declan O'Grady had six goals and an assist in the victory. Six Blue Streaks scored in the win. JCU won the ground ball battle, 42-31, and forced 28 Otterbein turnovers.  

The first period featured a measured pace and a few highlight scores. Collin Riley absorbed a hit and fought off pressure to level the game at 2. With 3:58 left in the period, Willis drilled his 31st goal of the season on a smooth shot from the left side of the defense.

Willis leveled the score just 1:42 into the second period with his second goal of the day. Michael Hubert electrified the crowd, sprinting right to left and depositing his shot in the back of the net at 11:25. Otterbein took their first lead of the night at 7:57 after back-to-back goals by Connor Dziewit just 44 seconds apart.

After the tight 4-3 JCU advantage in the first, Otterbein dominated to the tune of a 4-1 mark in the second. Otterbein finished the half with a 7-5 lead. The Blue Streaks led in shots, 22-16, and held a 24-16 advantage in ground balls.

The Cardinals took a three-goal lead on Dziewit's third goal of the game at 10:07. JCU roared back with a goal from Collin Rice (8:39) and a man-up score from RP Whitty (7:20).

Declan O'Grady charged up the crowd once again by ripping a shot under the goalie's right hand at 5:49 to level the score at 8. From that point, the complexion of the game changed. Feeding off that energy, O'Grady took a pass from Pike and ripped another goal just 47 seconds later.

Goals from Connor Pike (2:09) and O'Grady (0:21) rocked the stands and left the score at 11-8 at the end of the third period.

O'Grady's hat trick in the third left him with four goals through the third. The unanswered goal streak continued, as O'Grady scored two (13:51 and 11:01) and Riley (11:31) netted a score to push the lead to 14-8.

Despite the impressive run, the game was not decided yet. Willis battled back for the Cardinals in the final minutes, scoring his third with 4:47 to go. Dziewit's fourth of the night came at 3:23, breathing new life into the Otterbein faithful. Robbie Guiliano added another layer of tension with a goal at 2:02. JCU stopped the momentum and ran out the clock without further incident. 

[JCU] is a great place, it takes a lot of people to support this program and get it to where it is now," said Cooper after the game. "It's the other coaches, the staff I have, that make this such a great thing."

Director of Athletics Laurie Massa reflected on the program's growth after the game. "Chris [Cooper] just represents us so well," said Massa. "We were confident in our belief of what he could be and that he could this program in a positive direction."

"An NCAA appearance is such a mark of accomplishment for really any team, and something you can't take for granted. Leadership across the staff and within the team brought them to this point."

Massa also credited former head coach Brian Small's efforts in the growth of the team. 

O'Grady also reflected on the path this team has taken in three short years. "It was a hard journey to make [the title game] in year one, and we've been building back since then," said O'Grady. "We stuck together, pulled together tonight, and had one of the most exciting nights of our lives. It is something none of us will ever forget."