Hartzell Sparks Chesapeake to 13-11 Victory
August 6, 2011 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Chesapeake Bayhawks News Release
ROCHESTER, NY - Defenseman Kyle Hartzell scored two goals, including a 2-pointer, to spark a strong second quarter surge that lifted the Chesapeake Bayhawks to a 13-11 victory over the Rochester Rattlers on Saturday night at PAETEC Park.
Chesapeake trailed 3-2 when Hartzell and long stick defensive midfielder Jake Deane fueled a decisive run. Deane opened the second quarter by scoring on a hard crank shot off a fast break. Deane then assisted the first goal by Hartzell, who later in the period fired in a 2-point goal.
"We said in practice this week that we wanted to push the ball in transition whenever we could. We definitely have the wheels on the back end to go up and down the field and run-and-gun a little more than we have been," Hartzell said. "Whenever I got the ball off the ground I was taking it up field and trying to make things happen. I consider myself an offensive threat whenever I have the ball in my stick."
Hartzell, who was named Bud Light Most Valuable Player, took the feed from Deane and raced into the heart of the defense before firing a shot between the legs of Rochester goalie John Galloway.
Midfielder Kyle Dixon also netted a 2-pointer off a power play during the second quarter as Chesapeake outscored Rochester, 7-2, to take command. Short stick defensive midfielder Matt Abbott also scored a transition goal as the Bayhawks took a 9-5 lead at halftime.
Midfielder Ben Hunt contributed two goals and an assist for Chesapeake (6-5), which snapped a two-game losing streak and moved closer to securing a playoff berth for the second straight season. Dixon, who has been in a bit of an offensive slump this season, had a breakout game with four points - adding two assists to go along with the 2-point goal.
"We made a commitment to push the ball tonight," Chesapeake head coach Brendan Kelly said. "We wanted to pressure the ball all over the field and cause some turnovers. We wanted to get the ball off the grass and push it every chance we could. We were running downhill all night and really had Rochester back on its heels."
Alex Smith captured 16 of 26 face-offs for the Bayhawks, who also won the ground ball battle to the tune of 32-25. Chris Garrity played three quarters in the goal and was outstanding with 14 saves. Garrity was also a big part of the crucial run, as he stopped eight shots in the second quarter and made several great outlet passes to jump-start the fast break.
"Garrity was just tremendous tonight. He really made some fantastic saves and some great clears," Kelly said. Abbott finished with two goals for Chesapeake, which was 3-for-5 on power play opportunities. Attackman Danny Glading and midfielder Steven Brooks also had power play goals. The Bayhawks got a total of eight points from defenders as short stick defensive middie Jeff Reynolds also scored a goal.
Chesapeake now controls its own destiny in terms of qualifying for the Major League Lacrosse championship weekend. If the Bayhawks beat the Denver Outlaws next Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, they will clinch a chance to defend their MLL crown.
"This is definitely a big win for us. I think we made a statement tonight that we want to be there on championship weekend to defend our title," Hartzell said.
There could also be scenarios in which Chesapeake could make the postseason despite a loss to Denver, but Kelly did not want to even think about that. "The bottom line is that we need to win next Saturday night. We need to get on a roll and win four in a row to finish out the season," he said.
Attackman Ned Crotty scored four goals to lead Rochester (2-9), which had already been eliminated from playoff contention. Midfielder Jeff Colburn had two goals and three assists for the Rattlers.
Bray Malphrus, a rookie out of Virginia, made his Bayhawks debut on close defense along with Hartzell and Michael Evans. That group was aggressive going after ball-carriers and challenging shots.
"Bray Malphrus has looked good in practice so we decided to give him an opportunity tonight and he played great. Malphrus, Hartzell and Evans really clicked tonight and played some lockdown defense," Kelly said.
Chesapeake returns home for their last game of the 2011 regular season on August 13th when they take on the Denver Outlaws. Come early for the Bud Light Tailgate and stay after the game for the post-game fireworks! Don't miss out on all the fun at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
2011 Home Schedule May 14th vs. Rochester Rattlers W (14-10) June 25th vs. Boston Cannons L (17-10) July 2nd vs. Rochester Rattlers W (13-10) July 23rd vs. Long Island Lizards L (15-8) July 30th vs. Hamilton Nationals L (16-6) August 13th vs. Denver Outlaws 7:00 PM August 27th MLL Semifinals 12:00 PM & 3:00 PM August 28th MLL Championship 3:00 PM
Bayhawks season tickets can be purchased online at www.thebayhawks.com or over the phone by calling the box office 866-99-HAWKS (42957). Reserve your seat today and see the 2010 MLL Champions battle to defend their title at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium this summer.
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Major League Lacrosse Stories from August 6, 2011
- Cannons Claim First Place in League with 13-8 Win Over Hamilton - Boston Cannons
- Hartzell Sparks Chesapeake to 13-11 Victory - Chesapeake Bayhawks
- Denver Clinches Its Sixth Consecutive Playoff Berth with 14-11 Victory - Denver Outlaws
- Cannons' Late Run Dooms Nationals - Hamilton Nationals
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