Thompson Totals Three Points as Chesapeake Falls to Boston, 12-11
September 7, 2019 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Chesapeake Bayhawks News Release
Lyle Thompson of the Chesapeake Bayhawks vs. the Boston Cannons
(Chesapeake Bayhawks)
QUINCY, MA - Star attackman Lyle Thompson continued to make his case for Most Valuable Player honors by scoring two goals and dishing off an assist, but the Chesapeake Bayhawks barely missed a chance to clinch a berth in the playoffs.
Thompson's sidearm crank shot was fought off by goalie Nick Marrocco at the final buzzer as the Boston Cannons escaped with a 12-11 victory over Chesapeake at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Thompson managed to find open space in the middle of the field and unleashed an absolute cannon blast, but Marrocco somehow got a piece of his stick on the shot to deflect it away.
"I thought we played hard the whole game. Unfortunately, we dug ourselves a big hole that we couldn't climb all the way out of," Chesapeake Head Coach Dave Cottle said. "I thought the bye week hurt us a bit. We weren't real sharp early on."
Midfielders Shane Simpson and John Wagner scored two goals apiece for Chesapeake (8-6), which holds third place in Major League Lacrosse. The Bayhawks are tied with the Cannons (8-6), but lost both meetings between the teams.
Attackman Steele Stanwick contributed a goal and assist for the Bayhawks, whose furious fourth quarter rally came up just short. Goalie Brian Phipps earned his third start of the season and recorded 13 saves, including some spectacular stops in the second half when the Bayhawks limited the Cannons to four goals.
"I thought Brian played well. He certainly wasn't the reason why we lost," Cottle said.
Defensemen Jesse Bernhardt and Greg Danseglio were both credited with two caused turnovers. Faceoffs were a big difference in the game as Boston's Kevin Reisman captured 19 of 27 to help the home team control possession most of the way.
The Bayhawks remain in strong position for one of four spots in the playoffs and will attempt to clinch next Saturday (5:00 PM ET) against the Denver Outlaws at Broncos Stadium at Mile High.
"We've got to play better and get a win next week," Cottle. "Right now, we're not scoring enough to win. We've got to fix that."
The Bayhawks got off to a slow start and fell behind 5-0 before Stanwick was able to finish from point-blank range off a beautiful feed from Matt Abbott with 2:45 remaining in the first quarter. Just 30 seconds later, Heacock cut the deficit to 5-2 by barreling through a defender, leaping off one foot and firing an overhand right past the hip of the netminder.
"We lost every faceoff in the first quarter. When you're struggling defensively that's the worst thing you can do," Cottle said. "It took us a while to get the matchups right; once we did, we played pretty good defense."
Boston increased the lead to 7-2 before Chesapeake closed the second period on a 3-1 run. Simpson beat a short stick with a speed dodge from the wing - shooting and scoring while diving into the crease. Bernhardt finished a fastbreak with a nifty backhand flip, then Thompson beat the goalie one-on-one off a power play to get the Bayhawks within 8-5 at halftime.
Midfielder Brendan Bomberry used a polo style shot to swat a rebound back into the cage as Chesapeake pulled within 8-6 at the 9:10 mark of the third quarter. That would be the lone goal of the period for the Bayhawks, who entered the final frame trailing 10-6.
Chesapeake really came to life in the fourth quarter, outscoring Boston 5-2 to make things interesting. Wagner scored both his goals during the rally, including a lefty ripper into the top corner that made it 12-11 with 2:50 remaining in the game.
Kew cut to the crease and finished a sequence of tremendous ball movement to start the comeback while Thompson used a rollback move to beat his defender and score unassisted. Simpson used his speed to dodge down the alley and fired five-hole, reducing the Boston lead to 11-9 at the 9:16 mark.
Wagner's back-to-back goals less than four minutes apart made it a one-goal game, but the Bayhawks just could not get the equalizer. Chesapeake had a high-percentage attempt to tie nullified by the officials with just under one-minute remaining.
A Boston defender suffered an ankle injury while battling attackman Andrew Kew for a ground ball. Play continued and the Bayhawks used the man advantage to get a wide-open look, but a referee blew the whistle just as Nick Mariano was about to shoot from five yards out with 58.1 seconds to go.
"It was a referee mistake and he admitted it. The Boston player was out of the play so there was no reason to stop the action. It was unfortunate," Cottle said. "They made plays early and we didn't make enough late."
Chesapeake returns home to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for their final game of the season on Friday, September 20th at 8:00 PM. The Bayhawks will take on the Denver Outlaws for School Pride Night. Fans are encouraged to wear attire from their favorite middle school, high school or university. The Lexus Tailgate begins at 5:30 PM.
Tickets for that game are available at thebayhawks.com/tickets. They can also be purchased through the Chesapeake Bayhawks Ticket Office at 866-99-HAWKS or by contacting sales@thebayhawks.com.
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 Lyle Thompson of the Chesapeake Bayhawks vs. the Boston Cannons |
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Major League Lacrosse Stories from September 7, 2019
- Denver Outlaws Clinch Postseason Berth with 15-12 Win over New York Lizards - Denver Outlaws
- Thompson Totals Three Points as Chesapeake Falls to Boston, 12-11 - Chesapeake Bayhawks
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