Chesapeake Overheats against New York, 14-10
Published on July 20, 2019 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Chesapeake Bayhawks News Release
ANNAPOLIS, MD - The Bayhawks' young defense and the absence of the team's three All-Stars combined to hurt the Chesapeake Bayhawks in a 14-10 loss to the New York Lizards on Saturday night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Attackman Steele Stanwick missed the game due to a personal commitment and the Bayhawks missed his on-field leadership as the offensive quarterback. Short stick defensive midfielder Isaiah Davis-Allen sat out the contest with a hamstring injury and his loss was felt in several areas of the field. Brendan Bomberry was also unavailable for the game.
"We gave up the most six-on-six goals we've given up all year. They won the matchups," Chesapeake Bayhawks Head Coach Dave Cottle said. "They got most of their opportunities by beating us from behind the goal, either off a pick or a dodge."
New York boasts one of the most talented attacks in Major League Lacrosse which provided a challenge for Chesapeake's defensive group that is still learning. Rookies Zac Prattson and Warren Jeffrey found themselves in the starting lineup along with third-year pro Chris Fennell.
"This team is a tough matchup for us. We had first-year players covering Rob Pannell and Dylan Molloy and those two guys took advantage," Cottle said.
Midfielder Colin Heacock had a hat trick to lead the Bayhawks (4-3). Attackman Lyle Thompson, the leading scorer in Major League Lacrosse heading into the game, was limited to a season-low three points on two goals and an assist.
Midfielder Ryan Tucker scored two goals while attackman Andrew Kew added a goal and assist for Chesapeake, who was outscored 5-1 in the second quarter and trailed 10-4 at halftime.
Attackman John Wagner, a rookie out of Marquette, made his MLL debut and was a bright spot for the Bayhawks with two assists. "I really liked Wagner out there. I think he's going to be a really productive player," Cottle said.
Chesapeake opened the scoring just under four minutes in with Kew using a nice pick to get to the middle of the field for an uncontested sidearm crank shot that whizzed past the right ear of goalkeeper Austin Kaut.
A lengthy scoring drought allowed the Lizards to take a 4-1 lead before the Bayhawks finally came to life offensively late in the opening stanza. Heacock ended an 8 ½-minute scoreless stretch by cutting hard to the crease and finishing a nice inside feed from Wagner.
Just 35 seconds later, Heacock dodged left, bullied his way past a defender and shot on the run - blasting an overhand shot and beating the goalie off-side high to cut the deficit to 4-3.
New York opened the second quarter with a 5-0 run to take a comfortable 9-3 lead. Thompson got free for a wicked low-to-high shot from the right wing, but that would be the lone goal of the period for the Bayhawks.
Chesapeake came out of the locker room fired up and outscored the visitors 3-1 to start the second half. Midfielder Nick Mariano faked a pass then faked a shot, all while charging forward, basically waltzing into the heart of the defense for a 5-yard shot.
The Bayhawks drew a penalty that executed a textbook power play, using great ball movement to get Ryan Tucker open inside. Four passes in rapid succession culminated with Kew quick-sticking a feed to Tucker on the crease for a point-blank shot that made it 10-6 with just 3:15 elapsed in the third period.
Less than three minutes later, Thompson made a great look and an even more amazing sidearm pass to Heacock on the doorstep for a one-on-one opportunity that maintained the four-goal difference. However, the Lizards closed the quarter with two goals to take a 13-7 lead into the final frame. Thompson used one of his patented individual moves to pull the Bayhawks within five at the 10:15 mark of the fourth quarter - blowing past defenseman Ben Randall while cradling the stick with one hand. Thompson somehow got all the way to the goal for a slam dunk, prompting the Lizards to call timeout to stem any momentum.
However, as was the case throughout, the Bayhawks just could not string together enough goals or defensive stops to get back into the game.
"Give credit to New York for playing better than we did tonight," Cottle said. "They beat us up in the six-on-six game on both ends of the field and deserved to win."
The Bayhawks will be off for a week for the Major League Lacrosse All-Star break but then return to Annapolis on August 3rd at 7:00 PM for their second of three consecutive games against the Lizards. This game is the Bayhawks' Super Powers Night and will celebrate adaptive athletes. Tickets for this game are available at thebayhawks.com/tickets or can be purchased through the Chesapeake Bayhawks Ticket Office by calling 866-99-HAWKS or emailing sales@thebayhawks.com. Come early to the Lexus Tailgate Zone, starting at 4:30 PM, featuring live music, a photo booth, games for kids, and complimentary Bud Light for ticket holders 21 and older.
The Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game will be hosted in Annapolis, Maryland on Saturday, July 27th @ 7:00 PM EST. Tickets for this game are available at thebayhawks.com/tickets. The Bayhawks will have ten All-Stars playing in this game.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 20, 2019
- Blaze Victorious in Battle, Down Cannons 15-12 - Atlanta Blaze
- Chesapeake Overheats against New York, 14-10 - Chesapeake Bayhawks
- Blaze Power Past Cannons, 15-12 - Boston Cannons
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