On August 10, the logjam at the top of the Major League Lacrosse standings was broken as the Chesapeake Bayhawks claimed the number one spot, ending a three-way tie for first place after the dust settled. Despite faceoff specialist Max Adler’s record setting 95.8% wins at the X in Denver’s visit to Chesapeake, the Bayhawks proved too much for the slumping Outlaws as they dropped their third game in a row. This game combined with Boston’s loss to Atlanta broke up the log jam leaving only Chesapeake in the number one spot. The loss proved especially bad for Denver. Even though they are only one game behind Chesapeake and have the same record as Boston, the Cannons hold the advantage of beating the Outlaws.
Atlanta silenced a very hot Boston squad that had just moved into the tie for first after spending much of the season holding onto second place. The Blaze burned the Cannons for six goals in the first quarter to take a 6-4 lead. Boston’s offense went silent in the second quarter as Atlanta stayed hot and increased their lead to 9-4. Boston fired back in the third quarter, but Atlanta went toe-to-toe with them and still led 13-8 at the end of the third. Boston fired off five goals in the fourth, but their comeback fell short as Atlanta won 14-13. Tommy Palasek led Atlanta with six points (2 goals and 4 assists) while Zed Williams ended the game with five points (2 goals, a 2-point goal and an assist) to lead Boston. The Cannons face Chesapeake next in a crucial one versus two meeting with serious post season implications as both teams vie to hold onto their spots. Atlanta looks to make a serious playoff run as they face last place New York and overtake Denver and gain a more favourable playoff berth.
In a game where both teams needed a win, New York and Dallas battled to determine who would be in last place. Both teams battled back in forth in a tight first quarter that resulted in a 5-5 tie. Dallas got their offense rolling in the second quarter and took a 9-7 lead at halftime. New York struggled to keep pace with Dallas scoring as the Rattlers led 13-9. The fourth quarter ended as the game began, with both teams matching goal for goal, but New York failed to cut into the Dallas lead. The Rattlers won 15-11. Bradley Voigt led Dallas with six points (4 goals and 2 assists) while both Rob Pannell (2 goals and 2 assists) and Brendan Kearns (2 goals and 2 assists) led New York. Dallas looks to keep rolling behind Sean Sconone in goal as they face a Denver team that has lost three in a row. New York tangles with an Atlanta team primed to make a playoff push and secure a better post season standing.
