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After winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013, the Bayhawks ran into a tough stretch. Chesapeake finished sixth in the regular season standings each season from 2014 to 2017; that includes the 2016 season when the team went 8-6 and finished in a seven-way tie for first, but fell out of the playoffs due to tiebreakers.

The team — never short of talent on paper, but not always having all that talent available for long stretches — bounced back in 2018, finishing the regular season 9-5. The team looks strong again in 2019, particularly after a 16-14 come-from-behind victory over the New York Lizards.

Offensively, the Bayhawks group is one of, if not the best, in the league. The attack trio of Lyle Thompson, Steele Stanwick, and Colin Heacock combined for 13 points while midfielder Nick Mariano tallied his second consecutive hat trick.

Neither team could gain much separation in the first half, but New York was able to take a one-goal lead into the fourth quarter. The Bayhawks came alive in the final frame, however, winning the ground ball battle 12-6 and outscoring the Lizards 5-2 on six shots on goal.

“I think we just started to play with some confidence,” Thompson said in a televised postgame interview. “It’s the beginning of the year and there’s still a lot of learning to do as an offense and a team.”

Tough-luck Lizards

For the third consecutive game, the Lizards lost by one possession. New York played two games in Week 1, falling to the Denver Outlaws by two goals and losing by one to the Boston Cannons.

Playing back-to-back nights in Week 1 was a tall task, but Lizards head coach B.J. O’Hara felt his team would be ready to go against the Bayhawks.

“Coming out of a bye week, I know that the team is focused and anxious to take on a very talented and well coached Bayhawks squad,” O'Hara said in a post on New York’s website. “They come in with a win on the road at Dallas and will present us with another great challenge. I know the guys will be up to the task.”

In order to turn things around in Week 4, New York will have to avenge one of its Week 1 losses as they go back to Quincy to take on the Cannons, who are undefeated at 2-0 and had a bye in Week 3.

Outlaws Suffer Big Loss Off the Field

Denver Outlaws owner Pat Bowlen — who also owns the NFL’s Denver Broncos — passed away Thursday night at the age of 75 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Bowlen founded the Outlaws in 2006, and, according to a press release on the team’s website, had a philosophy that was simply “I want to be No. 1 in everything.” The Outlaws have lived up to those expectations, never having a losing record, making the playoffs 12 of the 13 years of its existence, winning three Major League Lacrosse Championships, and holding the highest regular season winning percentage in league history (115-55, .676).

On Twitter, MLL Commissioner Alexander Brown provided his sympathies. He tweeted:

“Pat Bowlen was a visionary whose contributions to our sport cannot be overstated. MLL joins the Outlaws, the Broncos, the Denver community and the Bowlen family in mourning the loss of this truly great man.”

Noteworthy

Rob Pannell had a strong game for the Lizards, scoring three goals and adding two assists. … While the Bayhawks won the game, the Lizards controlled the face-offs. Greg Puskuldjian won 20 of 32 faceoffs and picked up 11 ground balls. Adding to his impressive stat line for the game, the former MLL champion with the Ohio Machine also scored two goals. … Outside of Pannell, six other Lizards had a multi-point game, including Mark Matthews, who scored a goal and added two assists. … Bayhawks goalie Niko Amato made 15 saves while Lizards goalie Austin Kaut made 14. … Kenny Massa didn’t have as strong of a face-off winning percentage as he did in Week 1, but he still picked up six ground balls and added a goal.

Player of the Week

Lyle Thompson, A, Chesapeake Bayhawks

In 2018, Thompson was only available to play three games, accumulating 10 points. He has enjoyed a stellar 2019 season thus far. He followed up his six-point performance in Week 1 against Dallas with a seven-point performance against the Lizards. He scored five goals and added two assists.

Play of the Week

A game featuring attack virtuosos like Lyle Thompson and Rob Pannell was bound to have plenty of highlights, but the crowning moment came from another high-scorer, Colin Heacock. Scooping one-handed in traffic isn’t the easiest feat and slinging the ball one-handed in the opposite direction your momentum is taking is even more difficult. The reactions Nick Mariano and Steele Stanwick have after the goal should tell you how impressive the play was.