It may have been low scoring, but the 2014 MLL All Star game lived up to the hype. Team USA was sloppy for most of the game but they still took home a 10-9 victory over Team MLL thanks to a goal from Rob Pannell with six seconds left in the game.
The first quarter ended at 2-2 with Kevin Leveille of the Rochester Rattlers scoring both goals for USA. The game was 5-4 Team USA at the half, and Team MLL was still in the game thanks to a terrific first half in net from the Boston Cannons’ Jordan Burke.
Brett Queener took to the net in the second half and the Florida Launch ‘keeper kept Team USA off the boards for the entire third quarter. The game was tied at five for 10 minutes before Drew Westervelt gave Team MLL a 6-5 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The game broke open in the final period as Ned Crotty opened the quarter with a goal to tie it at six. No team led by more than a goal in the quarter and Joe Walters scored a minute later to put Team USA up again. It was a back and forth quarter as USA scored two straight to lead again.
Tom Schreiber scored 10 minutes in to tie it for MLL and Drew Snider responded to take the lead again. Nearly 14 minutes in, Walters of the Chesapeake Bayhawks scored his third of the night to keep it tied. However, with just six seconds left in the game, Rob Pannell found the back of the net and gave Team USA a victory.
USA has to cut their roster down to 23 and this was the last chance for some players to show they are worthy of the roster. Pannell led the team with three points while Brendan Mundorf, Garrett Thul, and Kevin Leveille all had multi-point games.
For Team MLL, it was Walters and Matt Danowski with three points each. Jordan Burke also made nine saves to lead the contest.
