Blaze Fall to BayHawks in Rematch
Published on July 6, 2019 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Atlanta Blaze News Release
The Atlanta Blaze fall to 3-2 after the Chesapeake Bayhawks (3-2) use a late fourth quarter run to pull away.
Coming off of two straight losses including a previous 19-10 loss to the Blaze, Chesapeake was prepared to grind out a win. Lyle Thompson and the Bayhawks came speeding out the gate, pouring in four unanswered goals before Randy Staats dribbled in an answer with 5:21 left in the first quarter.
Both teams looked to impose themselves physically and tempers flaring on both sides caused a brawl with 10:20 left in the second quarter. Blaze attackman Randy Staats and Bayhawks defender Warren Jeffrey were both ejected after getting tangled up and throwing punches.
Following an extended delay and penalties, Atlanta ended up man down as Steele Stanwick scored two quick goals to put Chesapeake up 7-3 late in the second quarter.
Despite missing a key playmaker in Staats, the Atlanta offense continued to fight its way back from the early 4-0 deficit. With quiet nights from the Blaze veterans, the younger players stepped up to the plate and flashed their potential.
"We're a team," Coach Banks said. "We're 20 strong and we depend on all 20 of those players every game."
An attackman turned midfielder, Sunday stepped up as the offensive playmaker in Staats' absence, finishing with three goals and two assists. Fellow Blaze teammates Dylan Maher (A), Christian Mazzone (M) and Leo Stouros (D) also scored for the Blaze.
After a gritty effort from Sunday tied the game at 11-11 with 6:18 left in the third quarter, The Bayhawks went on a three goal scoring run to push the lead to 14-11. However, late goals from Tommy Palasek and Dylan Maher closed the score to 14-13.
The Atlanta offense was held scoreless for the last five minutes of the game, losing with a final score of 16-13.
The Blaze will head home quickly as they prepare for a Sunday matchup with the New York Lizards (1-4) at Grady Stadium at 4 p.m. Tickets are available at AtlantaBlaze.com/Tickets.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 6, 2019
- Blaze Fall to BayHawks in Rematch - Atlanta Blaze
- Thompson Totals Eight Points as BayHawks Beat Blaze, 16-13 - Chesapeake Bayhawks
- MLL Week Six Preview - MLL
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
