MLL’s week seven action saw a lot of movement in the standings in four games. The first place Charlotte Hounds were swept by the Denver Outlaws to fall into a tie with the Dallas Rattlers for first, as the Chesapeake Bayhawks defeated the defending champion Ohio Machine to move into third place – and just half a game back of tying for first. New York and Atlanta tied for fourth place after the Lizards defeated the Blaze. Denver crept towards .500 after defeating Charlotte. Ohio and Florida both dropped after losing this weekend and Boston now finds themselves tied with Florida for last place. As mid-season creeps closer, playoff contenders become apparent while pretenders fall in the standings.
Florida 15 @ Boston 16
Boston made several roster moves during the week prior to the game. The Cannons activated number one overall pick Trevor Baptiste and traded faceoff specialist Joe Nardella to Atlanta. Additionally, Boston traded Davy Emala to Ohio for Mark Cockerton. Florida jumped out to an early 5-4 lead in the first half and looked primed to beat Boston and get back on the winning track. The Launch held onto the lead 7-6 at the half. Boston fired back in the third quarter with eight goals, including a two-point goal by Max Seibald to take the lead 14-8. Florida scored five times in the fourth quarter, but came up short in their comeback attempt.
Tyler Fiorito and Austin Kaut each made 18 saves in the high-scoring affair. The newly acquired Mark Cockerton led Boston with six goals. Kieran McArdle led Florida with five points (3G/2A). Ben Williams went 17-32 against Baptiste after the smoke cleared from the X. The loss leaves Florida and Boston tied for last place with the Cannons having swept the Launch. Both teams are looking at a tough battle to make it to the playoffs.
Up Next: Boston travels to Dallas looking to beat the Rattlers while Florida visits a New York squad coming off an impressive win over Atlanta.
New York 20 @ Atlanta 17
New York got back to .500 and showed off the high-powered offense that many expect from the star-laden Lizards roster. Atlanta entered the game on a hot steak and the first half proved that the Blaze are a playoff-calibre team. Neither team looked to back down, as the score was tied 4-4 at the end of the first quarter and then 10-10 at halftime. The close contest continued into the third as neither team could pull away and the score was 14-14 going into the fourth. Rob Pannell and Will Manny each scored a pair of goals in the final frame to help New York to the win.
Drew Adams made 17 saves while Adam Ghitelman made nine stops in the high scoring game. Manny led the Lizards with seven points (5G/2A). Kevin Rice led Atlanta with six points (3G/3A). The recently acquired Joe Nardella paid immediate dividends for the Blaze as he got the best of the Lizards by going 23-40 at the X. The win moves New York into a tie for fourth place with Atlanta.
Up Next: New York hosts a Florida team searching for a win to right the ship while Atlanta hosts a Charlotte team coming off a loss.
Ohio 8 @ Chesapeake 12
Chesapeake jumped out to an early 7-2 to lead against Ohio and continued to pile on goals as the Machine’s offense went scoreless for two quarters. By halftime, the Bayhawks led 10-2 and never looked back. Chesapeake only scored one goal in the third and twice in the fourth, but rode their early lead to a win. Ohio attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, scoring six times, but failed to narrow the lead to more than four points. Making matters worse for the Machine, Ohio released a statement announcing Tom Schreiber was on injured reserve.
Niko Amato made 18 saves as the Bayhawks went with only one keeper while Kyle Bernlohr made 20 saves for the Machine. Colin Heacock led Chesapeake with four points (3G/1A). Conner Cannizzaro (3A) and Kyle Harrison (1G/1-2ptG) led Ohio with three points each. Kenny Massa went 13-22 from the X as he attempted to give Ohio more possessions. The win puts Chesapeake in third place behind Dallas and Charlotte who remain tied for first.
Up Next: Chesapeake travels to an Ohio team looking for revenge while the Machine face Denver in Thursday action before having their rematch with the Bayhawks.
Denver 16 @ Charlotte 13
Denver proved they have Charlotte’s number this season as the Outlaws completed a regular season sweep of the Hounds. Denver led 5-3 at the end of the first quarter, continued increasing their lead, and led 9-6 at the half. Charlotte got within two points in the third quarter, trailing 12-10 going into the fourth. Charlotte proved unable to catch Denver as the Outlaws outscored the Hounds 4-3 in the fourth to seal the win. Charlotte surrenders sole possession of first place as they find themselves tied with Dallas.
Jack Kelly made 15 saves in the win while Charlie Cipriano and Pierce Bassett combined for eight saves in the loss. Eric Law (4G) and Chris Cloutier (2G/2A) led Denver with four points each. Zach Currier also made his season debut, scoring two goals and adding one assist. Matt Rambo led Charlotte with six points (3G/3A). Max Adler got the best of the faceoff battle for Denver going 19-33.
Up Next: Denver hosts an Ohio team that just placed MVP Tom Schreiber on injured reserve while Charlotte travels to Atlanta in a battle of turn around teams seeking post-season berths.
