Pride Run Past Cannons 20-14
July 29, 2006 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Boston Cannons News Release
Boston, MA - With a playoff spot on the line the Boston Cannons hosted the New Jersey Pride at Nickerson Field on Saturday night, but couldn't give the 4,987 Cannons faithful reason to celebrate. After a back and forth first quarter, the Pride unleashed a seven point second quarter run and kept the pressure on the rest of the way for a 20-14 victory, their second over the Cannons this season.
With the loss, Boston's record falls to 7-3 and puts a playoff berth on hold for another week, when the Cannons host the Bayhawks. New Jersey finds itself further from the playoff picture, as it stands at 4-6 with the win, but the Pride look to continue its streak next weak when it hosts Long Island for the first time this season. The Pride's Adam Doneger was named Bud Light MVP with a five point performance on two goals, two two-pointers and an assist, and goalie Rob Scherr was good enough to preserve the win with seven saves. Boston was led by rookie midfielder Brett Bucktooth, who had four goals, and Conor Gill (1G, 4A). Boston got 14 saves from goalie Chris Garrity.
The Cannons got the contest started on the right foot, as Matt Poskay (2G) scored the game's first goal with just 1:44 gone by in the quarter. New Jersey answered quickly with goals from attackman Liam Banks (3G, 2A) and Jesse Hubbard (1G, 2A) to give the Pride an early 2-1 edge. The Cannons wasted little time matching the Pride's quick strike ability, as they got goals from Bucktooth and fellow midfielder Billy Glading (1G) just 34 seconds apart and regained the lead, 3-2. From there, the teams continued to trade blows.
With 9:38 gone by in the quarter New Jersey's Kevin Boland (2G) connected on a feed from Kyle Harrison (1G, 4A) to tie the game for the third time in the quarter, 3-3, but Boston answered again. With 11:06 off the clock, Chazz Woodson (2G) scored his first goal of the game to give the Cannons the lead once again, and Bucktooth followed with his second tally to up the lead to 5-3. That was it for Boston, though, as the Pride got goals from Banks and Scott Urick (4G) to close the quarter with the score tied 5-5.
From there, the Cannons began to take control of the game. Just 1:11 into the quarter Boston attackman Conor Gill got his lone goal of the game to give the Cannons a 6-5 advantage, and John Christmas (1G, 1A) and Bucktooth quickly followed with a goal each to give Boston its biggest lead of the game, 8-5. That's when the lights went out.
Over the next four minutes of play to close out the quarter New Jersey scored five unanswered goals, including two two-pointers, one from Doneger and one from Conor Ford (2G, 1-2ptG, 2A), and took a surging 12-8 lead into the half, along with the game's momentum. That momentum did not last long, though.
With New Jersey pushing to get the first goal of the second half, the Cannons came out swinging. Looking to claw back into the contest Boston used the first 7:47 of the third quarter to chip within one goal. Woodson got things started with 6:02 gone by, scoring his second goal of the game to get the Cannons within three, 12-9. Poskay followed just over a minute later with his first goal of the game and Chris Mucciolo scored his only goal of the game 35 seconds later to shave the Pride lead to 12-11.
Boston had momentum in hand and was ready to close the door on New Jersey when things went south. The Pride answered Mucciolo's goal just under three minutes later on a Doneger two-pointer, building the lead to three, 14-11. A.J. Haugen (2G) scored his first goal 39 seconds later and Urick followed suit to give New Jersey a 16-11 advantage with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The Cannons cut the lead to 16-12 with 2:33 left in the quarter on a goal from David Evans (2G), cutting the Pride lead to 16-12, but New Jersey was not willing to give way. Over the final 17 minutes of regulation the Pride scored four times to the Cannons two and finished the season series between the two with the 20-14 win.
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Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 29, 2006
- Pride Run Past Cannons 20-14 - Boston Cannons
- Lizards Fall to Outlaws, 12-11 - New York Lizards
- New Jersey Stays in Playoff Chase - New Jersey Pride
- Guarantee Not Enough - Machine Comes up Short Against Riptide 14-8 - Chicago Machine
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