After nearly an entire year, after nine consecutive games — spanning two different seasons — the Boston Cannons finally showed in the win column thanks to a 15-9 victory over the Florida Launch.
The Cannons earned the victory through their highest scoring output of the season and best defensive effort.
Max Seibald, playing his final season in Major League Lacrosse, scored only one goal in the first three games. He came alive against the Launch, however, scoring four goals, including two two-pointers.
He scored twice in the opening quarter after Florida opened up an early lead to begin the game, and then scored a 2-pointer in the second quarter to tie the game at four. A 2-pointer from Justin Turri gave Boston a 6-4 lead, one it would never relinquish.
“My teammates had faith in me taking the deep shot,” Seibald said in an interview on Lax Sports Network. “I let it rip a couple times and [Launch goaltender Austin] Kaut got the best of a few, but I was fortunate enough to get a few.”
After a slow start, Boston’s defense shined, shutting out the Launch in the second quarter and holding Florida not only to a season-low nine goals but also to the team’s lowest goal total since July 1, 2017, when it lost to the Atlanta Blaze 17-4.
The Cannons held Launch co-leading scorer Dylan Molloy scoreless until the third quarter, and they kept Ryan Drenner — tied with Molloy for the team lead in points — to zero goals and only one assist. Goaltender Benny Pugh earned his first MLL victory with a five-save effort.
“Those guys they played so solid in front of Benny Pugh tonight,” Cannons coach Sean Quirk said on Lax Sports Network. “Benny had some big saves for us tonight.”
Denver dealing
In the offseason, Denver traded Mike Bocklet to the New York Lizards in exchange for two draft picks. According to Denver coach B.J. O’Hara, the team was still searching for a player to consistently fill the third attackman position alongside Eric Law and Matt Kavanagh.
That need brought the Outlaws to a deal with the Boston Cannons, trading long-stick midfielder Larken Kemp in exchange for Kylor Bellistri. Formerly undrafted out of Brown, Bellistri had 39 points in 2017, his second season in the league.
“We’re still looking for that third piece at attack,” O’Hara said on Lax Sports Network’s show “MLL Press Pass.” “We’ve tried a number of guys there so far this year. We think Kyle brings a big body, a big right hander that can really help fill that hole we got when we traded Mike Bocklet to New York. We’re hopeful he’s going to fit in well.”
Bellistri delivered in his Denver debut, scoring four goals against the Chesapeake Bayhawks, the second-most for any Outlaw in the game.
Atlanta streaking
With a victory over the Boston Cannons — sweeping the season series — the Atlanta Blaze have won three games in a row and are one of the hottest teams in the league.
After losing the season opener to Florida and only scoring 10 goals, Atlanta has averaged just over 17 goals per game during its winning streak, including 17-14 victory over Boston in Week 4.
The streak coincides with Chris Madalon’s insertion as the starting goaltender. In the victory over Boston, Madalon made 17 saves.
On the other end of the field, Kevin Rice had four goals (including one 2-pointer) and four assists for nine points. It was the second consecutive week a member of the Blaze tallied nine points.
“The best one-on-one defenders in this league, it’s impossible to beat them straight up one-on-one, so you can’t beat your head against the wall. You’ve got to be realistic,” Rice said in a postgame interview on Lax Sports Network. “I’m not that fast. I’m not that big, so you’ve got to get it done other ways. Fortunately, we have a lot of great players around me, and they move well off ball, and I’m just able to find the open man.”
Noteworthy
Atlanta midfielder Austin Sims scored one goal and picked up one ground ball in his MLL debut. … Also making his MLL debut, Ohio faceoff specialist Kenny Massa won 13 of 28 faceoffs. … Tom Schreiber had a team-high four points (one goal, three assists) for the Machine in the team’s 14-12 win over Dallas. Marcus Holman scored three goals. … Ryan McNamara scored two 2-point goals and added one assist for a Rattler game-high of five points. … Three players — Myles Jones, Josh Byrne, and Steele Stanwick — totaled six points apiece in Chesapeake’s 24-22 victory over Denver. Byrne was making his 2018 debut, while it was the second consecutive week Jones had six points. … Matt Kavanagh had a team-high seven points (five goals, two assists) for the Outlaws while Drew Snider led the team with six goals.
Player of the Week
Will Sands, A, Boston
The rookie made a big splash in his first pair of MLL games. Selected with the first pick in the third round, the attackman from Bucknell helped Boston snap its three-game losing streak with three goals against the Florida Launch. Feeling even more comfortable in his second game, Sands scored another three goals against the Atlanta Blaze while also adding two assists, giving him eight points in his first two MLL games.