Dougherty Stonewalls Pride
Published on July 12, 2007 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
New Jersey Pride News Release
PISCATAWAY - Rob Scherr was brilliant for the Pride, but it was not enough to overcome the dominance of Brian Dougherty as the Philadelphia Barrage topped New Jersey 12-7 at Rutgers' Yurcack Field Thursday night.
Unlikely as the scenario may seem, the final score undersells the defensive effort, as the final three points came in garbage time.
The Pride's offensive effort was far better than the seven-goal result would imply, but Dougherty was nearly unbeatable, stopping 20 of 27 shots he faced to earn Bud Light MVP honors.
"I thought we fought hard," said Pride coach Peter Jacobs, "we played hard, but either we're running into hot goalies or we make goalies look hot, but every week it seems we make the goalie look hot, and that starts with me.
"Doc is great, and we know he's a great goalie, but if we come in thinking he's going to beat us, he is. I think we came in with Doc in our head tonight."
Scherr, who has often had his solid play overshadowed by defeat, was terrific in goal for the Pride again, shutting the door on 18 of 27 shots the Barrage took.
"I've been happy with Rob's play all year," Jacobs said, "and I think Robbie played great tonight."
"I felt great tonight," Scherr said. "I was seeing the ball pretty well."
Philadelphia's leading scorer Ryan Boyle, who entered the game with 39 points, was shut down decisively by Brett Hughes, registering only two points, with a goal and an assist. Hughes, who has said he enjoys the chance for his nephew in Ohio to see him play when given the national spotlight, was excellent in back again for the Pride.
"Hughes did exactly what he had to do tonight," Jacobs said. "He played the way the game is supposed to be played when you're against one of the game's top attackmen, and Hughes played phenomenal again tonight."
"I'm ready for these guys every week," Hughes said of guarding teams' top players. "It's not like I have to be up and down from week-to-week.
"It doesn't surprise me [I played well,] because that's what I'm supposed to do. I knew what I wanted to do, and I feel like I got him to play my game."
Scott Urick got the scoring underway on the power play for the Pride, taking a Chris Unterstein feed and burying the shot 3:08 into the opening quarter. He nearly extended the lead shortly after when crisp transition passing found him leaping on the doorstep, but Brian Dougherty denied the shot.
Rob Scherr answered with an in-tight save himself, but the rebound squirted free and Roy Colsey scored for the Barrage to even the score 1-1.
The strong goaltending continued throughout the quarter, with Justin Smith's goal at 9:13 concluding the scoring for the period, giving Philadelphia a 2-1 lead after one.
Jesse Hubbard was the first player to break through the walls in goal in the second, evening the score on another Unterstein feed 7:29 into the quarter, ending a 13:16 scoreless stretch.
The Barrage answered with two goals by Ian Dingman, the first of which came with one second remaining on the shot clock on a feed from Colsey.
Following a possession in which both Urick and Kevin Boland hit the post for the Pride, Kevin Cassesse fired a laser from 18 yards past Rob Scherr, who was sun-screened on the play, to give the Barrage a 6-2 halftime edge.
"I think I saw him bring the stick back," Scherr said, "and then I saw it as it went past my shoulder."
The goaltending dominance continued into the third quarter with nearly ten minutes elapsing before Boland opened the scoring on a Hubbard feed 9:53 into the half. Philadelphia answered shortly after with a slam-dunk goal by the long-pole Kyle Sweeney to extend the lead to 7-3 with one to play.
The Barrage connected early to extend the lead when Andy Corno won the opening draw and found Boyle for the 8-3 lead just seven seconds into the quarter. Colsey made the lead six at 9-3 two minutes later.
The Pride broke through Dougherty to narrow the lead to 9-4 after 7:04 of play in the fourth when Hubbard found a streaking Dan Chemotti in front of the net.
Dingman, making his MLL debut, completed his hat trick 7:53 into the quarter to bring the lead back to six, bur Merrick Thomson, also in his debut, again narrowed it as he beat Dougherty to make the score 10-5 with 5:00 to play.
Hubbard cut the margin to four goals with a spin to goal, beating Dougherty to the far side to bring the score to 10-6 with 1:52 to play.
Matt Streibel added two to the Barrage lead with a shot into the empty net, with Scherr helping to pressure for a turnover, with nine seconds remaining, and Urick concluded the scoring for the Pride.
"They said it was for point differential," Jacobs said of the two-pointer into the empty net. "It is what it is."
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 12, 2007
- Dougherty Stonewalls Pride - New Jersey Pride
- Barrage Break Road Curse, Defeat Pride 12-7 - Philadelphia Barrage
- LA Riptide Release Event Schedule for Home Game on Saturday - Los Angeles Riptide
- LA Riptide to Visit Miller Children's Hospital - Los Angeles Riptide
- Denver Outlaws Head to LA on Saturday - Denver Outlaws
- Lizards Trade For Millon - New York Lizards
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