NBA legend Kevin Garnett once said, “Anything is possible.” 

Quinnipiac men’s lacrosse echoed that sentiment during its opening round matchup against Canisius. 

The Bobcats 12-10 victory over the Golden Griffiths seemed improbable. Quinnipiac dragged its way into the postseason as the No. 6 seed with a 2-6 conference record while on a six-game losing streak. 

But stellar play on both sides of the ball and a career game from junior attacker Justin Robbert helped shock the conference and send the Golden Griffiths home. 

“It’s a big win for us,” Robbert said on the ESPN+ broadcast. “Turning the season around after starting 2-11, we’re happy to be here.”

When the playoffs come around, it’s usually harder for teams to score. Teams are more physical, and that usually leads to fewer points on the scoreboard. 

But the start between the Bobcats and the Golden Griffiths was nothing short of a shootout. 

Quinnipiac struck first as Robbert found the net in the opening minutes. The Second Team All-MAAC member cut in from behind the back of the net and delivered a strike to put the Bobcats on the board.

Canisius responded accordingly with sophomore attack Mason Wolford finding a crease in the middle of junior goaltender Mason Oak’s defenses, tying the game up, just minutes after Robbert’s goal.

But the Bobcats weren’t finished yet. Senior attacker Owen Murray rose from the left side of Canisius territory, cut his way to the middle of the field and let his stick do the rest of the work, securing a 2-1 Quinnipiac advantage before the first timeout of the game.

Following the stoppage in play, Robbert flipped the ball to a cutter in the open field who completed the play for an easy goal. That cutter was none other than sophomore attacker Nate Watson, Quinnipiac’s leading goalscorer in the regular season. 

Watson’s goal grew Quinnipiac’s lead to three to one.

What could go wrong? 

Two minutes later, four unanswered goals by Canisius put the Bobcats in a shocking deficit.

The goals were flying in from all angles of the field and coming at a fast and furious pace, highlighted by junior face-off specialist Micah Hanson securing his second goal of the season. 

But as momentum was leaving the claws of the Bobcats, they pounced when the opportunity arose. 

During the opening face-off of the second quarter, sophomore face-off specialist Frank Mousa won the battle for the ball and charged at the Canisius net. Mousa cocked back his stick and fired away, delivering Quinnipiac a lead it desperately needed. 

While the opening quarter saw an offensive explosion, the second quarter of the game was defined by one thing: defense. 

Just two goals were scored during the quarter, as Canisius was able to tie the game at six apiece. 

Oak helped to slow the game down for the Bobcats, securing five saves in just the second quarter while giving Quinnipiac’s offense a chance to shine. 

But the Bobcats were unable to capitalize, and both teams returned to the locker room at halftime tied 6-6.

The third quarter mirrored the quarter that preceded it: elite defense with minimal movement on offense. 

Both Robbert and Wolford secured their second goals of the contest, and Canisius senior midfielder Patrick Mitchell etched his name on the statsheet, securing the eighth Griffith goal of the contest.

A penalty committed by Quinnipiac during the waning seconds of the third quarter allowed Canisius to play with a man-up penalty for the first minute of the fourth, but Oak rejected any shots the Golden Griffiths sent his way during the penalty period. 

But the next two minutes of the quarter spelled trouble for the Bobcats as Canisius exploded on offense, the Golden Griffiths went on a two-goal run within 10 seconds to take a 10-7 advantage. 

The Bobcats may have been down, but they weren’t out yet. After going ice cold on offense for over 12 minutes, Quinnipiac’s offense gained a much needed boost when Robbert secured himself a hat-trick with his third and fourth goals of the game, slashing Canisius’ lead to only one goal with eight minutes to go. 

“(The) game just kind of came to me today,” Robbert said to ESPN+. “We were hitting our looks, following the game plan and the defense did a great job getting the ball to us.”

Graduate student midfielder Trevor Douglas got in on the action, delivering a striking blow to the Golden Griffiths net to tie the game with six minutes remaining. 

Then the man who has come up clutch time and time again this year for Quinnipiac did it once again. Watson found his way to the net, causing the Bobcat bench to erupt in cheers and giving Quinnipiac the lead once again. 

Four straight goals for the Bobcats. This is what playoffs are all about. 

Quinnipiac went on a defensive stand for the final three minutes, as the clock continued to dwindle, the pressure to keep Canisius out of the net continued to grow. 

But with 20 seconds left to go in the contest, Quinnipiac hit the dagger. Sophomore long stick-midfielder Glenn Platania drove from the midfield logo to an open net and sealed a longshot victory.

“(Today’s game) was a great learning point,” head coach Mason Poli said on the ESPN+ broadcast. “Just to get a few more days with the boys, to be able to get into the semifinals, we’re excited.”

That semifinals matchup will see the Bobcats take on top-seeded Sacred Heart on May 1 in Fairfield, Connecticut. Faceoff is set for 3 p.m.