Towson and Hereford faced off for the Baltimore County boys lacrosse championship for the second straight year on Monday, with the rivals adding yet another captivating chapter to their storied history.

Hudson Arrup was the hero, scoring the overtime game-winner in the Generals’ 5-4 victory.

“They earned it,” Towson coach Phil Rossetti said. “We got on the bus with our gear on, and that was something that set the tone for us today.”

Earlier in the season, No. 11 Hereford handed Towson one of its two losses on the Generals’ home turf. Towson (11-2) made the trip to Hereford looking to end a two-game losing streak to the Bulls, which includes last year’s county championship.

After winning the overtime faceoff, Towson set its offense into motion. It took all of 31 seconds for Arrup to find the look he wanted. The Generals’ attackman fired home a game-winning goal to stun the Bulls.

“I just tried to stay relaxed and stay poised,” Arrup said. “A lot of people doubt us, a lot of people don’t, but regardless, we’re just going to be some dogs out there.”

Besides shooting the winning goal, Arrup had a great day on the field, scoring a hat trick.

In the first quarter, the Bulls came out of the chute as if it were a rodeo. Sophomore attacker Ian Smith scored the opening goal just over two minutes in.

However, the Generals quickly tightened the reins on any Hereford momentum. Towson junior attacker Brody Donovan scored midway through the first quarter to tie the score.

Both defenses then began to settle down. Generals’ junior midfielder Max Kosmides put pressure on Hereford’s attack, while Hereford goalie Luke Barnett made several solid saves on Towson shots.

Barnett’s heroics in net were rewarded, as the Bulls would hit pay dirt again later in the quarter. A nice pass from senior attacker Brady Manakil set up junior midfielder Tyler Costa to spin past the Towson defensemen and score Hereford’s second goal, giving the Bulls the lead back.

In the second quarter, Hereford wasted no time building their lead. Junior attacker Griffin Walter scored just 36 seconds into the frame for a 3-1 lead.

After going down two goals, the Generals kicked their offense into gear. Miscues from Hereford’s defense allowed Towson to have the ball for extended possessions. Towson’s senior attacker Alex Tyler finally broke through midway through the frame, getting the Generals within 3-2 at halftime.

The momentum shifted in the third quarter. After a nearly eight-minute goal drought, Arrup scored two goals in 50 seconds, turning a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead.

“Once I get hot, I just start rolling,” he said. “Once I put that first one in the back of the net, I realized I felt comfortable.”

However, the Towson lead would be short-lived. Just over a minute later, Smith rifled home a game-tying goal thanks to an errant pass between Generals defensemen.

Despite the flurry of goals in the third, the fourth quarter went scoreless. Both defenses stood tall, with both goalies saving potentially game-winning shots in the final minutes of regulation.

Smith finished with two goals for the Bulls, while Barnett racked up 11 saves for Hereford.

Towson’s season continues this Friday as the Generals take on Catonsville in the first round of the regional playoffs.