The first time these two met, was the first game in 2012 for both of them. That was when Chesapeake stated they were strong and when Long Island seemed to have some trouble, even though the Lizards only lost 13-11. Now, Chesapeake is still strong and Long Island has improved tremendously.
Long Island’s offense has really clicked together and plays as a team. Matt Gibson came out of nowhere and is playing like a veteran as a rookie. Brian Langtry is showing he can still run and gun with the best even though he is a seasoned player. He is also a ground ball machine. If the ball is loose in front of the net, Langtry will most likely come up with it. Something Kip Turner will have to look out for. The third attackman, whether it’s Ryan Young or Tommy Palasek, have to be prepared. These two have played great so far and need to continue that.
The Long Island attack needs to be prepared for a beating as they face former Long Island defenders Brian Spallina and Nicky Polanco. These two will be coming out of the gates in full force and won’t stop until they make you quit. Michael Evans has become part of the bash brother core, but doesn’t get as hot headed. Polanco will most likely cover Gibson, Spallina on Langtry and Evans on either Young or Palasek. Key note to this game will be Spallina staying out of the penalty box. We saw last week how that hurt the Bayhawks in their loss to the Cannons. Long Island will take complete advantage of the EMO if it comes to them.
Long Island’s close defense will have their hands full as they go up against Drew Westervelt and the stick guru John Grant Jr. Long Island goalie Drew Adams will have to watch out for Grant Jr.’s behind the backs. He tore Jordan Burke up with them last weekend. The third attackman will either be Danny Glading or Ben Rubeor, depending if Glading is back this weekend or not. If he is, the attack unit for Chesapeake just became that more dangerous, if he’s not, Rubeor will step in and still make them dangerous.
The midfield defense for Long Island will be going up against a very strong offensive group from Chesapeake. Lizard’s midfielders have to guard the two point arc. If Kyle Dixon gets open up top, he will fire it at the cage. Steven Brooks and Michael Kimmel will be the dodgers from up top and will also go to net. Leaving Brooks open is not a good idea, as he can shoot and score on demand. Watch for Matt Abbott or Matt Mackrides to score on transition. Abbott is shifty and will sneak by his defender. Mackrides will use his quickness and can easily run by his defender.
Chesapeake’s midfield defense will not have it easy either. With Dan Hostetler out, it will make it even more difficult. Max Seibald is in his fourth year and is having the best season of his career, point wise. He’s honed in on how quick he is and will use it to his advantage. Stephen Peyser has his agility and dodging that makes his defenders quiver. Seibald and him can shoot from the two point arc. Grant Catalino has been strong in his second year in the MLL and is on track to have more points than last year. Albert Maione has made his name known and can be the Lizards secret weapon.
The faceoff will be at center stage for this game, whoever wants it more will come out victorious. It will be a fight to the finish with Adam Rand and Greg Gurenlian. Goalie play is going to have an impact as well. Adams and Turner are two very good goalies going up against two very good offenses. Making the saves that no one can make will be big for their teams if they want the win.
In the past couple of games Long Island has been slow to start. If they start that way again this weekend, Chesapeake will jump out to a big early lead and it will be hard for the Lizards to catch up. Staying out of the penalty box will be crucial for both teams. Possession and transition are always key to victories, but in this case, it’s for the playoffs and there is no room for error.
Something that will play a factor is age. Chesapeake has seasoned veterans, which has worked to their advantage with them knowing the game very well. However, the veterans may be gunned down by a quicker, younger group from Long Island. Rookies have made Long Islands season a lot easier with knowing their roles and playing like veterans.
The Bayhawks are coming off a loss to Boston and want to get back on the winning track, whereas the Lizards are still on the winning side of things. Long Island needs to win to have a spot in the postseason. This is David versus Goliath, young Lizards versus seasoned Bayhawks. If you’re going to watch any MLL game this weekend, besides Denver versus Rochester, this is it.
Game time is set for 7 p.m. EST at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD. It will be aired live on CBS Sports Network.
