The Chesapeake Bayhawks finish the All Star break on the doorstep of a grueling stretch to make a return to the playoffs. Sitting at .500 currently with a record of 4 wins, 4 losses, the Bayhawks are tied with three teams. They are within one game of another two, so it will be a dogfight until the last weekend.
Some of the usual names have come and gone from the roster, but the team is still in playoff contention. Likely a residual effect from last season’s injuries and the NLL season, only four players have played in all eight games for Coach Cottle. Continuity will be key for the Bayhawks to make a run at the playoffs.
So what has worked well so far? Matt Abbott has finally moved into an offensive role after being kept mostly on the defensive side of the game plan. Abbott is just shy of a two points per game average and continues to have a Duncan Keith effect on his squad.
Tyler Fiorito has been the backstop to a defense that has had one player physically play every game, CJ Costabile. He does have two veterans in Michael Evans and Kyle Sweeney, but it is Sweeney’s first season in a Bayhawks uniform. Having a talented netminder has earned dividends for Chesapeake.
Welcome Aboard! Jack Rice has been a good surprise for Coach Cottle. He has been on the finishing end of many plays, racking up 14 goals so far in his first full season. Rice has had a positive impact on the team and picked up his level of play since dressing for just one game in 2014.
Matt Danowski was added to the roster and he is the catalyst from the attack. Currently he leads the team in points, 21, and in assists, 15. Yet he has not even played in each game this season, seeing time in six of eight games. The Duke coach can be the glue to the offense, with the revolving pieces around him.
What’s on the horizon? The second half of the season will say a lot about the future plans for the Bayhawks. Only the last game of the season is against a team not in current playoff contention, Charlotte. Each of the games will be a gritty battle for their playoff lives. If they hit a cold streak during any of these games, they could be playing for summer ‘16 quickly.
Coach Cottle has found pieces to get his team to four wins, but it is a long summer and it will take the right combination to find wins against Ohio, New York, Boston, and Rochester. Breaking even, like they have during the first half of the season, likely won’t get it done in Chesapeake.
