Atlanta Blaze Fall Short against Chesapeake BayHawks
Published on June 17, 2018 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Atlanta Blaze News Release
In a game dominated by defense, the Blaze fell behind in the fourth quarter
Kennesaw, GA- The Atlanta Blaze (3-5) fell short against the Chesapeake Bayhawks (6-2) last night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 6-9, in a contest dominated by defensive forces.
Led by veteran Graeme Hossack, who returned to the lineup after finishing a season of indoor lacrosse with the Rochester Knighthawks, the Blaze limited the Bayhawks to just 17 shots on cage, providing goalie Adam Ghitelman with a fighting chance to make saves.
"Defensively we were awesome today. The guys did a great job playing one-on-one defense," said head coach Liam Banks. "Obviously, the addition of Hossack is truly helpful. He's a shutdown guy and I thought he did a great job on (Josh) Byrne. I was extremely pleased with our effort. If you give up nine goals you should win." Byrne, who set the MLL rookie goal-scoring record for a season in 2017, was held to a single goal by Hossack and his defensive cohorts.
On the other side of midfield, Atlanta's offense struggled mightily for most of the game scoring just four times six-on-six against Bayhawks' goalkeeper Niko Amato, who made 15 saves. The Blaze did tally twice in man-up situations but finished the game just 2-of-8 overall in those situations.
Middie sharpshooter Deemer Class scored two of his three goals with the Blaze a man up and registered his second-in-a-row and fourth game this season with three or more goals.
Close defender Garrett Epple limited Atlanta's leading scorer, Kevin Rice, to just one goal and an assist.
"Epple did a good job on Kevin. We didn't make the Bayhawks pay when they were in the box. We had a lot of man-up opportunities," Banks said. "We didn't bury the ball even after getting the shots that we wanted. We could have neutralized the effort that Epple had on Kevin by burying the ball on the man up. We didn't finish a lot of feeds Kevin threw out there."
Banks said finishing from close in remains a problem. "It is still an issue. We addressed it this week. It was one of those things we talked a lot about and worked on it in practice," he said. "We got into the game and just didn't execute. Amato plays great positionally and makes it tough on shooters. Today we didn't put the ball where he wasn't."
After the Blaze took the lead, 6-5, on Class' third goal of the evening with 10:23 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Atlanta was shut out the rest of the way. Chesapeake scored the final four goals of the game and for the fifth consecutive game, the Blaze has been outscored in the fourth quarter.
The six goals scored by the Blaze was its fewest number in franchise history. The previous low of seven occurred July 29, 2017, against the Rattlers.
Rookie Christian Cuccinello scored a one-handed, workmanlike goal with the shot clock running down in the second quarter and also added two assists. He now has two goals and five assists in three MLL games since graduating from Villanova. All-star Scott Ratliff scored a beautiful goal after a brilliant dodge early in the second. Shifty newcomer Sergio Salcido put pressure on the Bayhawks' defense on several occasions and picked up his first Blaze point on Rice's goal. Matt Gibson was held without a goal for the first time this season. Dan Eipp's five-game goal-scoring streak also came to an end, while Tommy Palasek had just two good looks at the cage during the game.
The Blaze return to action Saturday, June 23 at 7 p.m. against the Dallas Rattlers at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. The team will salute both the Military and First Responders before and during the contest. The Rattlers won the initial meeting between the two teams, 15-14, in overtime earlier this season.
Game Notes
- Goaltender Chris Madalon missed the Bayhawks game to attend his sister's wedding.
- A total of 14 penalties were called during the game.
Highlights
The Atlanta Blaze will return home on June 23rd for the Military and First Responders Appreciation game. All Atlanta Blaze home games are played at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA. Single-game tickets are on sale now at AtlantaBlaze.com/Tickets
Major League Lacrosse Stories from June 17, 2018
- Atlanta Blaze Fall Short against Chesapeake BayHawks - Atlanta Blaze
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