MLL Chesapeake Bayhawks

Mark Millon Gives Baltimore 17-16 Overtime Win Over New Jersey

July 22, 2006 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Chesapeake Bayhawks News Release


TOWSON, Md. - Attackman Mark Millon scored the game-winning goal just 52 seconds into the overtime period as the defending Major League Lacrosse champion Baltimore Bayhawks (4-5, 3-4) overcame a late deficit and earned their second straight win with a 17-16 overtime victory over the New Jersey Pride (3-6, 3-4) in front of 3,167 fans at soggy Johnny Unitas Stadium on Saturday night.

With the victory, the Bayhawks win back-to-back games for the first time this season while sending New Jersey to its fourth straight defeat. It also marked the first overtime game for the Bayhawks since July 24, 2004 when Baltimore lost by 15-14 to the Long Island Lizards at Unitas Stadium.

Trailing by 16-15 with less than a minute remaining, rookie midfielder Bill McGlone tied the game for the Bayhawks with an unassisted goal past goalkeeper Rob Scherr to send the game into the extra session. In the overtime period, New Jersey gained the opening face-off, but defenseman Casey Connor forced the turnover to set up the game-winning play. Millon took the Bayhawks' lone shot in the extra possession and scored over Scherr's right shoulder to give Baltimore the victory.

After Baltimore took a 3-2 lead with 5:56 left in the first quarter on a goal from rookie attackman Matt Ward, the Pride went on a 6-0 run to take a commanding 8-3 advantage with 12:29 left in the second quarter. Attackman Jesse Hubbard scored twice during the spurt while attackman Conor Ford added a goal and two assists during the spurt.

Millon cut the deficit to 8-4 when he converted a feed from midfielder Paul Gillette with 10:28 left in the second quarter, starting a 5-2 Baltimore rally which narrowed the gap to 10-7 at the end of the first half. Five different players scored for Baltimore during the spurt, including rookie midfielder Joe Boulukos, who scored his first goal as a Bayhawk with 2:34 left in the period.

After midfielder Joe Ghedina opened the second half with a goal off a Greg Raymond assist, the Bayhawks went on a 5-0 run to take a 13-11 advantage with 1:28 left in the third quarter. Midfielder Mike Mollot scored a pair of goals during the rally while rookie midfielder Kyle Dixon added a pair of assists. However, the Pride countered with four straight goals, including a two-point goal by attackman Liam Banks, to take a two-point advantage with 8:02 left in regulation before Connor scored his first career two-point goal by converting a feed from midfielder Jude Collins and scoring with 4:07 remaining in the fourth quarter to set up the Bayhawks' late heroics.

Mollot led the Bayhawks with three goals and an assist while Ward added three goals. The league's all-time leading scorer, Millon tallied two goals, including his Baltimore-record ninth career game-winning goal as a member of the Bayhawks to break a tie with attackman Tom Marechek for the career lead. Goalkeeper Greg Havalchak, who came in at the start of the second half, made 12 saves in place of fellow rookie Matt Russell, who made seven saves in the first half.

Banks led New Jersey with three goals, including a two-pointer, while Hubbard tallied three goals in a losing effort. Facing his former team, Scherr made 13 saves for the Pride, who were unable to win the season series from Baltimore.

The Bayhawks return to action on Thursday night when they travel to Philadelphia to face the Barrage at Villanova Stadium beginning at 7:30 p.m. Meanwhile, New Jersey will travel to Boston to face the Eastern Conference-leading Cannons at Nickerson Field on Saturday night.

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Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 22, 2006


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