3:26 p.m.
Good afternoon everyone! This is Andrew Goldberg again live at PPL Park as we get set for the second semifinal between the Chesapeake Bayhawks and Hamilton Nationals. Hopefully this game is as entertaining as the first semifinal as fourth seeded Charlotte toppled the undefeated Denver Outlaws 17-14. The teams are warming up now as we are 34 minutes away from the opening faceoff. Stay tuned!
3:53 p.m.
Players not playing today for the Nationals and Bayhawks are as follows.
Hamilton Nationals: Reid Acton, Stephen Ianzito, Stephen Keogh, MJ Kickebelt, Cameron Lao-Gosney
Chesapeake Bayhawks: Kevin Cooper, TC DiBartolo III, Matthew Dolente, Nicky Polanco, Domonic Sebastiani
4:10 p.m.
We are about to get underway here for the second semifinal game. Mike Poppleton for the Nationals and Adam Rand for the Bayhawks and the Bayhawks get the opening possession.
4:11 p.m.
Sloppy play by both teams in the opening minutes with the ball getting thrown away
4:13 p.m.
Kevin Crowley with a turnaround wormburner but Kip Turner makes the first save of the game.
4:14 p.m.
Kip Turner with his second save on Joe Walters who tried to beat Turner stick side low, which leads to a soft two point goal let in by Brett Queener on the other end. 2-0 Bayhawk and Mike Kimmel on the goal and John Grant on the assist.
4:16 p.m.
Queener with the save and he runs to midfield before handing it off and going back to the defensive end. Martin Cahill takes a jump shot with the possession but Turner turns it away for his third save.
4:18 pm.
Joe Walters gets his first point of the afternoon as he feeds Josh Amidon for the goal. Bayhawks up 2-1 with 7:26 left as we hit the first timeout.
4:20 p.m.
Mike Poppleton and Adam Rand set to restart action here at PPL Park. Hamilton wins the faceoff with Brode Merrill gets the ground ball.
4:22 p.m.
Hamilton turns it over as Crowley tries going cross field and the ball bounces to his intended target
4:24 p.m.
Kimmel attempts a bounce shot from a foot inside two point arc but it is turned away by Queener. Hamilton turns it over on the ensuing possession though.
4:25 p.m.
Bayhawks earn a shot clock violation on the next possession as play is stopped for an official timeout
4:26 p.m.
Much slower pace to the second game than the first semifinal. Also a lot closer.
4:29 p.m.
Walters gets denied by Turner on a low to low shot but Kevin Crowley scores over his shoulder to knot things up at 2.
4:32 p.m.
Jamieson draws a penalty with 43 seconds left and attempts to score between the legs but it sails over the net. Bayhawks defenseman Brian Spallina with the holding penalty
4:33 p.m.
Martin Cahill scores a power play goal for the Nationals to put them up 3-2 with 19 seconds left and to give them their first lead of the day.
4:33 p.m.
Merrill scoops up the ground ball and passes it to Kevin Cunningham on the doorstep who has his shot deflected/blocked to end the quarter.
4:35 p.m.
Lehigh men’s lacrosse team being honored for their back-to-back Patriot League Championships here at PPL Park. Nice to see as both Roman and Cameron Lao-Gosney are on the Nationals. Cameron is not playing today.
4:37 p.m.
Hamilton won three of the five faceoffs in the first quarter. Strong goalie play as Queener has two saves on three shots and Kip Turner has been lights out saving five of the eight shots he has seen.
4:39 p.m.
Nationals turn the ball over on offense and Chesapeake has it now. Kimmel tries a shot but hits Queener and goes out of bounds.
4:39 p.m.
Shot clock reset and Ben Hunt goes right down the hear of the defense and scores to tie it up at three.
4:41 p.m.
Walters to Cunningham for the Nationals fourth goal of the game. 4-3 Nationals.
4:43 p.m.
Bayhawks try to go cross crease on a pass and predictably the pass gets intercepted. Nationals go down the other side and the Bayhawks go offsides.
4:44 p.m.
Cahill with his second goal on the afternoon, this time of the two point variety to put the Nationals up 6-3 with 9:25 left. Cody Jamieson with the assist. Nationals now 2-for-2 on the power play. Bayhawks have challenged the shot.
4:48 p.m.
The two point goal is overturned to a one point goal. The score is now 5-3 Nationals as Poppleton wins the faceoff and flicks it over his shoulder to Merrill to gain possession.
4:49 p.m.
Joe Walters attempts a diving shot but it is stopped by Turner. However, the Nationals have drawn a penalty on the play for interference on Jeff Reynolds as it is an official’s timeout now.
4:51 p.m.
Play is about to resume with Crowley setting up the offense for the Nationals who look to make it 3-for-3 on the power play.
4:53 p.m.
Nationals really miss two chances on the doorstep as Crowley drops a pass within the first moments of the powerplay then throw it away on far side crease.
4:54 p.m.
Ben Hunt comes back down and scores his second goal of the afternoon , unassisted, to cut the lead to 5-4. Queener very upset for missing the shot. Thought he had it or was missing the cage stick side high.
4:56 p.m.
Westervelt to Rubeor but Queener makes a doorstep save and the Nationals come back down the field, Turner picks off the pass.
4:57 p.m.
Queener makes a stick side high save and Queener draws a penalty on Kyle Dixon for illegal body check. Nationals come back down but Turner makes a stop of his own.
4:58 p.m.
Cunningham scores his second goal of the afternoon from Martin Cahill. Nationals now 3-for-4 on the power play.
4:59 p.m.
John Grant Jr. scores off a pass from Matt Abbott, score now 6-5 Nationals.
5:01 p.m.
Jamieson shoots overhand but Turner turns him away. Chesapeake now with the ball.
5:02 p.m.
Westervelt scores his first goal on the afternoon with a time and room shot after receiving the pass from John Grant Jr. Now knotted up at 6.
5:04 p.m.
Offside on Michael Simon, Nationals with another power play. Walters takes a last second shot that Kip Turner makes a nice save on to keep the score tied at 6 as we head to halftime.
5:10 p.m.
Hamilton with the slight edge at the faceoff ‘X’ as they are 7-13. Kevin Crowley, Joe Walters, Kevin Cunningham all have two points. Martin Cahill has three points.
Kimmel, Hunt and Grant Jr. all have two points for the Bayhawks.
Goalie Stats: Queener has five saves on 10 shots while Turner has eight saves on 14 shots.
Hamilton also 3-for-5 on the powerplay, Bayhawks yet to have an opportunity
5:14 p.m.
Hamilton was almost 47% on power play while Chesapeake was 71 % penalty kill. That ranks 1st and 2nd respectively. Bayhawks thankful they aren’t down one more goal after Crowley dropped a wide open pass on a power play.
5:18 p.m.
Play restarts as the Nationals get control of the faceoff and Thul attempts his first shot of the game from two point range but Turner keeps the Nationals at bay.
5:19 p.m.
Push from behind penalty by Bayhawks Jeff Reynolds for his second penalty of the game. Sixth power play of the game now for the Nationals
5:20 p.m.
Penalty killed by the Bayhawks and the Nationals turn it over and Jesse Burnhardt gets the ground ball.
5:21 p.m.
Cross checking penalty on the Nationals Martin Cahill for the Bayhawks first power play of the game. Queener stops the ensuing shot.
5:22 p.m.
Noble loses ball then regains possession and clears to Walters who shoots low to low on Turner who saves another shot, his 10th of the game.
5:24 p.m.
Cody Jamieson with a nice inside roll for an easy one-on-one for the goal. Textbook inside roll from him. Nationals up 7-6 with 9:30 left. First goal of the half believe it or not.
5:26 p.m.
And just like that the Bayhawks respond as Casey Powell scores off a pass from Matt Mackrides knotting things up at 7 as we hit a tv timeout
5:30 p.m.
Chespapeake scores off a goal from Ben Rubeor who gets the pass from Matt Abbott. Bayhawks take their first lead since they were up 2-0 in the first quarter.
5:34 p.m.
Casey Powell tries to go through the heart of the Bayhawks defense and gets called for a crease violation. Nationals with the ball. Jamieson then called for the ever rare warding call.
5:34 p.m.
Hunt comes roaring out of the substitution box and Queener makes the save. Nationals convert on the other end off a absolute snipe from Joe Walters in the top left corner. Nationals tie the game at 8 with 3:47 left in the third quarter.
5:38 p.m.
Play resumes as the Nationals gain control of another faceoff. Nationals set up on O.
5:39 p.m.
Joe Walters with an absolutely eye popping goal. Drive down goalineand puts it one handed through Turner’s five hole. His fourth point of the game to put the Nationals back up top 9-8.
5:42 p.m.
Amidon puts the Nationals up two with an on the run sidearm rip stick side high fading away from the goal. Then Merrill goes the distance and puts the Nationals up three off the faceoff. 1:37 left in the quarter as the game breaks for a TV timeout.
5:43
That makes it 2 goals in 13 seconds for the Nationals and 4 goals in 2 min and 10 seconds between the two teams. Chesapeake now with the ball.
5:45 p.m.
Quarter ends with a lot of forced passes to the crease over the last two possessions. Nationals still up 11-8.
5:48 p.m.
A crowd of 4,228 was just announced to have attended today’s semifinal games.
5:50 p.m.
Play resumes with Rand winning his 12th faceoff of the day but turns it over and then the Nationals do the same on the clear.
5:50 p.m.
John Grant Jr. takes the rookie Tucker Durkin to school and scores on an inside roll to cut the Bayhawk deficit to two.
5:52 p.m.
Turner makes the save and Crowley goes offside here as the Bayhawks settle on offense and get stuffed by Queener. Bayhawks about to get ready for only their second power play.
5:53 p.m.
Drew Westervelt scores off a pass from Ben Hunt to cut the deficit to one with 11:48 left. Nationals get possession but lose it and then Burnhardt comes down and takes a shot in transition only to have it saved by Queener.
5:56 p.m.
Westervelt makes a nice shot fake and gets to the crease but is stuff by Queener who runs to midfield where the Nationals take their first timeout of the half. 9:42 left Nationals still up 11-10.
5:58 p.m.
Nationals go up two to take a 12-10 lead. Kevin Crowley scores his second goal off an assist from Joe Walters.
6:00 p.m.
Queener makes a stop on one end. Leads to transition the other way, but Turner stops low to low shot from Jamieson.
6:01 p.m.
Michael Kimmel scores for the Bayhawks to cut the lead to one with 7:10 left as there is a tv timeout on the field. Ben Rubeor on the assist.
6:04 p.m.
Nationals with the ball here on O looking to extend lead to two again. Hall turns it over on offense as Bayhawks clear.
6:06 p.m.
Steve Brooks gets on the scoreboard with a goal to tie things up at 12 with 4:45 left.
6:07 p.m.
Jesse Burnhardt with a big ground ball with 3:45 left as the Bayhawks take control on O
6:08 p.m.
Queener with a big save on Kimmel on the doorstep on a low shot to keep the game tied with under three minutes remaining. Great ending coming!
6:10 p.m.
Offical timeout with 2:12 left in the game. Things still tied up here at PPL Park. May be looking at a similar ending to the first matchup between these two teams with the Nationals prevailing overtime.
6:13 p.m.
Bayhawks start with the ball as we approach a minute and a half left and the Bayhawks score! Powel to Kimmel to put the Bayhawks up one with 1:25 left.
6:15 p.m.
Nationals win a crucial faceoff and then call their last timeout of the half. Interesting to see what Coach Huntley draws up here. Gotta believe it has a quick hitter for Crowley on the crease and the ball in Walters hands throughout.
6:18 p.m.
After Walters almost loses the ball, Turner makes a big save and Bayhawks looking to clear. Then they burn some time off the clock with 18 seconds left and call a timeout.
6:20 p.m.
That’ll do it here at PPL Park as the Bayhawks beat the Nationals 13-12. The Bayhawks threw it down the field and killed clock fighting for the ball. A very exciting game to end the day.
6:24 p.m.
Michael Kimmel earns player of the game as he has three goals and an assist. Grant Jr. and Hunt with three points while Abbott, Rubeor and Westervelt all record two points each.
Nationals scoring were led by Walters who had five points on the afternoon, while Crowley, Cunningham and Cahill each record three points on the afternoon.
Turner records 14 saves while Queener 13 saves himself.
6:26 p.m.
It has been a great day of lacrosse here at PPL Park for the semifinals. Both games were exciting and will lead to a very entertaining championship game tomorrow between the Charlotte Hounds and Chesapeake Bayhawks.
