Chesapeake Continues Playoff Push Against Resurgent Hamilton
Published on July 28, 2011 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Chesapeake Bayhawks News Release
ANNAPOLIS, MD - Head coach Brendan Kelly is still waiting for the Chesapeake Bayhawks to put together a complete game and regain the form the team showed late last summer en route to capturing the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Championship.
Chesapeake has played brilliantly at times this season, lackluster at others. The Bayhawks held leads in all four games they lost, but conversely, had to rally from multiple goal deficits in two of the games they won.
With three games remaining in the regular season, Kelly believes it is time for Chesapeake to start playing four quarters of solid, smart and inspired lacrosse.
"Our guys have got to commit to playing sixty minutes of lacrosse. We have seen all season that the margin of error is so minimal in this league. It's all about who can execute on both ends of the field," Kelly said. "If you are not prepared and focused on Saturday night, you are not going to win. Turning the ball over, not clearing properly, failing to get back in the hole on defense - those are the little things that mean the difference between winning and losing."
Chesapeake stands in a three-way tie for second place in the MLL along with Denver and Hamilton as all own 5-4 records. However, the Bayhawks currently hold the second seed for the playoffs by virtue of having swept both meetings with the Nationals and winning their lone matchup with the Outlaws.
"I like the position we're in. We control our own destiny," Kelly said. "When we play well we are fantastic. We just need to play well for longer stretches of games."
Chesapeake will continue its push for a second straight playoff berth this Saturday night when it hosts Hamilton at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Chesapeake is coming off a disappointing 15-8 home loss to Long Island. The Bayhawks jumped out to a 5-1 lead on the Lizards, but managed just three more goals the rest of the way.
"I think our guys are fired up. They're embarrassed to lose at home the way they did," Kelly said "Sometimes a loss can serve as a motivator. Our players are upset with the last showing and are anxious to make up for it."
Chesapeake continues to be led offensively by attackman Danny Glading, who is enjoying the finest season of his three-year professional career. The University of Virginia product leads the Bayhawks and ranks third in the MLL in scoring with 31 points on 17 goals and 14 assists. Glading has been particularly effective within the friendly confines of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, scoring all but six of his points at home.
"Danny has really stepped up and is having an unbelievable season," Kelly said. "Nobody has been able to hold him down."
Glading owns a stellar shooting percentage of .436 and Coach Kelly can only hope some teammates start following his example. Chesapeake ranks last in the six-team MLL with a team shooting percentage of .560.
"Our shooting percentage is terrible and that is something we need to fix. We've gone through stretches when we just cannot put the ball in the back of the net," Kelly said. "We have too many good shooters on this team for that trend to continue. Sooner or later, the shots are going to start dropping."
The Bayhawks are getting plenty of opportunities on offense thanks to the typically dominant work of face-off specialist Alex Smith, who leads the league with a .667 winning percentage. Smith, who captured 22 of 27 draws last week against Long Island, is on the verge of a major career milestone. The former University of Delaware standout needs just 14 more face-off victories to become only the third player in MLL history to reach the 1,000 plateau.
"Alex has proven over the last two weeks that he's the best face-off man in the league, if not in the history of the game. He is really finding his rhythm," Kelly said.
Chesapeake defeated Hamilton 14-10 on May 19th and 12-11 on July 16th with both games being played in Canada. The Nationals are the hottest team in the league right now, having won four of their last five contests.
Attackman Joe Walters leads the team and ranks fifth in the league with 31 points on 13 goals and 17 assists. However, the left-hander out of Maryland has been defended well by the Bayhawks, being held to just two assists in the two meetings this season.
Hamilton is coming off a 16-12 upset of league-leading Boston with goalie Scott Rodgers coming up huge with 20 saves and midfielder Brent Bucktooth exploding for five goals. Rodgers is rounding into form and ranks third in the MLL with a .552 save percentage. Long stick midfielder Brodie Merrill has been a force on ground balls, gobbling up 13 against Boston. Merrill now has 507 ground balls in his seven-year career, becoming only the second player in MLL history to surpass the half century mark in that category.
"My prediction at the beginning of the season was that Hamilton would be there at the end. They are a very viable contender for the championship," said Kelly, who believes the addition of rookies such as attackman Jeremy Boltus (Army) and Stephen Keogh (Syracuse) has really bolstered the Nationals. "Hamilton is riding high right now and is going to come down here hungry to play us. We're coming off a tough loss so we should be hungry as well."
The Bayhawks return home this Saturday, July 30th to battle the Hamilton Nationals at 7pm. The game will be live on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic and ESPN3.com. Come out early for the Bud Light Tailgate Zone including live music and Bud Light Specials. The first 500 fans through the gates will receive mini Aqua Bright misters. The pre-game clinic presented by Cascade will begin at 4:15pm and is taught by the players and coaches so don't miss out on all the action at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Saturday! For more information on pre-game activities, please visit www.thebayhawks.com or call 866-99-HAWKS (42957).
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 28, 2011
- Nationals to Do 'Civic' Duty in Burlington August 1st - Hamilton Nationals
- Chesapeake Continues Playoff Push Against Resurgent Hamilton - Chesapeake Bayhawks
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