BOCA RATON, Fla.– After fighting the Atlanta Blaze through three periods, the Florida Launch ultimately extinguished the visitors 19-16 by the hands of veteran Kieran McArdle (7G, 1A).
“We connected on all cylinders offensively. We just want to keep making those strides into the playoffs,” McArdle said.
Struggling to hold off the Blaze from an early lead, the Launch entered the locker room at halftime with a two-point deficit.
Entering the second half with a refocused energy, the Launch tied the game early in the half with goals from Liam Byrnes and McArdle. Holding the Blaze to a single goal late in the third, the Launch began what would be an unstoppable scoring spree that lasted through the fourth period.
“It’s just about staying focused, we got eight rookies dressing and we got a lot of veterans as well it’s just about staying the course, staying poised, and staying hungry. Stop the bleeding when they got in transitions and just try to focus on what we do successfully and just start chipping away,” said captain Steven Brooks.
Burning through the fourth quarter, the Launch scored four unanswered goals to ultimately beat the Blaze. An imposing defensive presence late in the game stifled the Blaze’s offensive efforts, limiting Atlanta to two goals in the fourth quarter. The league leader in saves, Launch goalie Austin Kaut (.529 SV%) continued his standout performance, saving 18 out of 34 shots on goal for his fifth win of the season.
Connor Buczek and Dylan Molloy also had big games. Buczek scored three goals including a two-pointer. Molloy had two goals and an assist.
Attendance for the game was 3,728.
The Launch return to FAU Stadium on July 15 to play the Chesapeake Bayhawks.
