While the first of two semi-finals to take place on Saturday in Chester, Pennsylvania between Denver and Charlotte seems to have a clear favorite, the second semi-final between the Hamilton Nationals and Chesapeake Bayhawks could not be any closer to call.
The two teams split the 2013 season series, with each team winning while away from their home field. The first of the two meetings was decided in overtime, with Hamilton coming away with the victory. The second, however, was dominated by Chesapeake, as they escaped Hamilton with a 17-10 victory.
Not only did they split the season series, Hamilton and Chesapeake finished the 2013 season with the exact same record at 9-5. For this semi-final, Chesapeake was given the second seed due to the differential in head-to-head goals.
These two teams could not be more evenly matched, so what does Hamilton have to do to move on to the championship game?
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Find Kevin Crowley
35 goals, 14 assists, 55 total points, Offensive Player of the Year, MLL Most Valuable Player. Crowley’s credentials are about as good as we’ve ever seen in a MLL season. If the Nationals want to be successful, they have to run their offense through Crowley. But I’m sure I’m not telling them they do not already know.
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Use Joe Walters
Quietly making a name for himself while Crowley was having his M.V.P. season, Joe Walters will play a vital role in whether or not Hamilton survives against Chesapeake. Walters finished fifth in the league in total points with 48 after netting 22 goals and dishing out 26 assists during the regular season. If Walters and Crowley can get on the same page, it could be a long day for the Chesapeake defense.
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Brett Queener
The Hamilton goalie enjoyed a fine 2013 regular season, posting a career high in wins (6) and setting a team record with 156 saves. If Hamilton wants to find a way to beat Chesapeake, Queener will need to be on top of his game. Queener’s .586 save percentage during the regular season bodes well for him as he will have to be a stonewall in goal in order to keep his team in the game.
Facts about Hamilton vs. Chesapeake
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Chesapeake has won two out of the last three MLL championships and has won four MLL championships in team history.
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Since 2009, the Nationals have made the MLL playoffs in each of the odd year seasons (2009, 2011, 2013), winning a MLL championship in 2009.
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Chesapeake finished the season winning five of their last six games, while Hamilton finished the season winning three of their last five games.
