By Nathan Max
WSL Executive Editor

ORANGE, Calif. -- Chapman senior middie Chris Small saved the finest moment in his lacrosse career for a live national television audience.

Small scored a spectacular game-winning goal with 11 seconds remaining in overtime to give the second-ranked Panthers a thrilling, 12-11 victory over No. 3 Brigham Young in an MCLA Division I game Saturday night at Wilson Field.

Playing before a crowd of more than 2,000, and in front of the Fox College Sports cameras, Small came through in theatrical fashion, spinning through two defenders before firing home a bounce-shot from 10 yards.

“It was pretty impromptu,” Small said. “I just got a step on him and felt like spinning was a good idea, which I normally don’t do. I turned around, I just shot it, and it went in.”

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Small, who finished with a co-game-high four points on three goals and one assist, also dominated on face-offs, going 16-7 on the night.

Senior attackman Connor Martin also played a huge role in the win. Martin scored a game-high four goals, including the equalizer with 10 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.

Sophomore attackman Andrew Clayton added three goals, junior attackman Andrew Nordstrom dished a pair of assists and junior attackman William Morrison and sophomore defenseman Tom Wolf each scored once for Chapman (2-0).

Defensively, freshman goalie Matt Sathrum saved 13 shots.

In defeat, senior middie Elliot Grow scored a team-high three goals, sophomore middie Andrew Harding had three points on two goals and an assist and junior middie Daniel Cole and sophomore middie Jared Houghton each scored twice for Brigham Young (1-1).

Sophomore attackman Kent Mann had a goal and an assist, and freshman attackman Zach Hansen scored once.

Brigham Young outshot Chapman, 39-35, but the Panthers led most of the game. The Cougars erased a two-goal deficit in the fourth quarter before taking the lead twice, including in the final two minutes.

“There’s not much more you can ask for than an overtime thriller,” Grow said. “It’s too bad we lost, but that’s a great team over there. That’s one of the top teams in the nation. To lose to a team like that, you keep your head up and just go forward from here.”

Chapman led 8-6 going into the fourth quarter, setting the stage for a wild final 18:49. Brigham Young started the fourth quarter with a three-goal run and took a 9-8 lead on a goal by Hansen with 6:22 remaining in regulation. It was only Brigham Young’s second lead of the game and its first since 5-4 early in the second quarter.

The Panthers answered with two straight goals to go up 10-9, but Brigham Young responded with back-to-back man-up goals at 2:31 and 1:39 to take an 11-10 lead. Grow scored the go-ahead goal with a 10-yard rip from the right side of the cage.

Chapman regained possession in the final minute of regulation, and Martin hit the post with 29 seconds to play. Chapman maintained possession after the ball went out of bounds, and 19 seconds later Nordstrom found Martin camping out at the far post.

Martin scored from point-blank range to draw Chapman level and force overtime.

“I was just cramping up on the crease, kind of just posting up,” Martin said. “Luckily, they didn’t call a crease violation, and I got an easy goal, lefty.”

In the overtime, both teams had goal-scoring chances from point-blank range in the opening two minutes, and both teams failed to covert. Chapman also had an extra-man opportunity in the overtime, but Brigham Young valiantly fought it off to say alive.

But the Cougars couldn’t stop Small, who left a sea of blue in his wake on his way to scoring the clincher.

“We fought to the very end,” Chapman head coach Mike Wood said. “Everyone’s a shooter on our team, and that’s what we talk about. If you’ve got a shot, get it. Get your hands free. He got his hand’s free, God bless him.”