Big Day in Baltimore for Carson Dutkanych

The junior transfer from Utah scored three goals, including the game-winner with 2:51 remaining in the No. 3 Cardinals’ 13-12 win over No. 2 St. Paul’s in the conference opener for both teams Tuesday afternoon in Towson.

Dutkanych took a pass from senior midfielder Kevin Diehl and deposited the ball into the net past sophomore goalie A.J. Barretto, whose seven second-half saves nearly helped the Crusaders (10-1, 0-1 league) overcome an 8-6 halftime deficit.

“Carson had been having a tough time adjusting to the speed of the game (in the A Conference),” Calvert Hall coach Bryan Kelly said after his team improved to 5-2 overall). “But he’s really starting to figure it out, and I couldn’t be happier for him.”

The Cardinals had to dig out of an early hole after goals by junior attackmen Henry Riehl and Mikey Wynne, junior midfielder Connor Sheehan and sophomore midfielder Alex McGovern staked St. Paul’s to a 4-1 lead.

Sophomore attackman Timmy Kelly’s goal was the only score for Calvert Hall during that span.

Attackman Jordan Germershausen started the Cardinals’ comeback by converting a feed off a won face-off by fellow senior Stephen Kelly before senior defenseman Tyler Mayes finished a fastbreak with an assist from senior midfielder Jon Heneberry to make it 4-3.

Wynne answered quickly on senior midfielder Mike D’Amelio’s pass to give St. Paul’s a 5-3 advantage until Calvert Hall surged on top on goals by Dutkanych, senior defenseman Garrett Epple and Timmy Kelly.

After the Crusaders tied it on sophomore attackman Carter Flaig’s goal, the Cardinals used goals by senior midfielders Jon Belz and Johnny Kelly for an 8-6 halftime lead.

Successive goals by McGovern, Wynne, junior midfielder B.J. Mattheiss and Wynne again put St. Paul’s ahead, 10-8, in the third quarter and the Crusaders stayed in front until Timmy Kelly’s goal knotted the score, 11-11, heading into the final period.

Mattheiss gave the Crusaders a 12-11 lead early in the fourth quarter that lasted until Johnny Kelly’s left-handed laser netted the equalizer with 3:40 remaining.

Then Dutkanych came through by solving the stingy Barretto when it counted most.

Still, Calvert Hall had to hold off St. Paul’s in its final possession in the waning moments, including the Crusaders’ man-advantage for the final 18 seconds.

St. Paul’s coach Rick Brocato said that Barretto is “getting better and better. It’s great to have two terrific goalies like A. J. and Hunter (Pearl, who played the first half). We have some things to work on, though, We only scored one goal on our extra-man (offense), and that really hurt us, especially on the last (possession).”

Goals: (SP)-Wynne 4, Flaig 1, Riehl 1, Sheehan 1, McGovern 2, Mattheiss 3 (CH)-Dutkanych 3, Germershausen 1, T. Kelly 3, Belz 1, J. Kelly 2, Mayes 1, Epple 1, Fanshaw 1

Assists: (SP)-Wynne 1, Anderson 2, D’Amelio 1, Mattheiss 1 (CH)-Germershausen 1, Belz 1, J. Kelly 3, S. Kelly 1, Diehl 1, Heneberry 1, Fanshaw 1