For the second time in three weeks, the Florida Launch scored 20 goals and won their game, beating the Charlotte Hounds 21-17 on Saturday. The game also marked the second time in three weeks Kieran McArdle scored seven points, as he scored five goals and had two assists in the Launch victory.
Adding to the Florida offensive assault were Dylan Molloy (four goals and four assists), rookie Jules Heningburg (three goals and two assists), Connor Buczek (three goals and one assist) and Nick Mariano (two goals). Buczek passed Casey Powell for second place in franchise history for points scored, behind only McArdle.
“We played together as a unit tonight,” McArdle said in a post-game interview on Lax Sports Network, “and that showed real well.”
Much of the first quarter was a back-and-fourth affair, with Charlotte taking a 4-3 lead with 5:39 remaining in the quarter thanks to a Kevin Crowley goal. Momentum shifted quickly and permanently, however, when Launch defender Jarrod Neumann scored a 2-point goal eight seconds later. That put the Launch ahead and started a six-goal run for Florida, giving the Launch a lead they would not lose again.
While Florida did double up the Hounds by the end of the first half, with a 12-6 lead, Charlotte didn’t go away.
The Hounds outscored the Launch 5-2 in the third quarter, closing to within three goals, and the teams traded the first six goals of the fourth quarter. But Florida went on a three-goal run (two from Mariano) to put the game out of reach.
“In this game, people are going to score,” Launch coach Tom Mariano said in a post-game interview on Lax Sports Network. “You just gotta answer and keep coming back. You don’t want to make mistakes that end up kind of hurting you, and I thought we did a good job of that.”
Sweeps season
Two teams — the Dallas Rattlers and Denver Outlaws — earned victories in Week 10 that completed season sweeps over their opponents.
In another rematch of the previous two MLL championship games, the Denver Outlaws topped the Ohio Machine 17-12. It was the biggest margin of victory for a team in Week 10. The win was Denver’s fifth in a row, tied for the longest winning streak this season, while the loss was Ohio’s sixth in a row, the longest losing streak in 2018.
Outlaws rookie Chris Cloutier led the way with six goals, the second time he has scored six goals in a game this season. All six goals came after the first quarter, and five were scored in the second half.
“In the entire first quarter, I was playing middie. I haven’t played middie in, like, five years so I’m just trying to get adapted to that, starting at middie, hopefully getting some matchups. Attack is more my comfort zone, so that might have had something to do with it,” Cloutier said in a post-game interview on Lax Sports Network. “At UNC, I was getting locked off a lot and doubled a lot. If you do that in the MLL, then anyone else can score. Anyone can be the guy.”
Behind six points apiece from Jordan Wolf (three goals and three assists) and John Ranagan (five goals, including one 2-point goal), the Rattlers defeating the Atlanta Blaze 16-14.
“Atlanta is a team that can go on some big runs, which they did. They are so dangerous. Every single huddle we just kept reiterating, ‘Stop the 2-point threat. You’ve got to stop the 2-point threat,’” Dallas coach Bill Warder said in a post-game interview on Lax Sports Network. “The 2-pointer by Ranagan obviously sealed it. There was a huge ground ball by Jordan Wolf that got us an extra possession there which, people don’t always see those big ground balls, but that was a huge minute possession in the last couple minutes that helped us win it.”
Cannons get upper hand on Lizards
One of the most talked about occurrences in the 2017 MLL season was the Cannons trading Will Manny and Joe LoCascio to the Lizards. Not only was Manny an all-star, the players the Cannons were to receive in return decided to retire instead of report to Boston.
While Manny continues to play at an all-star level, his first game in Boston since the trade was not a welcome return. The Boston defense kept him scoreless for the first time since July 30, 2016 (coincidentally, that game was against the Lizards), and the Cannons won the game 15-13.
Once again, it was a couple of midseason additions that led Boston. Zed Williams scored five goals and added one assist, and Mark Cockerton had a game-high seven points (five goals and two assists). Despite the two playing only four and three games for the Cannons, respectively, Williams is tied for second on the team in scoring and Cockerton is tied for fourth.
Boston is 2-0 when playing at Endicott College.
“We just battled all game,” Cockerton said in a press release on the Cannons website. “We came in with nothing to lose, and we knew they were a good team. We don’t have as many big names as them, but we grounded it out, and it was a big team win.”
Noteworthy
Austin Kaut made 17 saves in Florida’s victory. … Ryan Brown led Charlotte with five points on four goals, one of which was a 2-pointer. … First-round draft pick Connor Fields scored the first goals of his MLL career, finishing with three goals and one assist. … Dallas defender Matt Dunn helped keep Atlanta’s Kevin Rice to only one goal and one assist. … Ben Reeves (one goal and three assists) and Ned Crotty (two goals and two assists) each totaled four points for the Rattlers. … Second overall pick Connor Kelly scored four goals for Atlanta, including his first 2-pointer of his career. … Scott Ratliff scored one goal and added two assists for the Blaze. … Romar Dennis (one 2-point goal and one assist), Mikie Schlosser (three goals) and Zach Currier (one goal and two assists) each had three points for Denver. … Marcus Holman (three goals, two assists) and Peter Baum (four goals) each scored a 2-point goal for the Machine. … Rob Pannell led the Lizards with six goals, giving him one more point than his brother, James Pannell, who scored two goals and added three assists for the Cannons.
Player of the Week
John Galloway, G, Dallas Rattlers
The veteran made 18 saves on 31 shots on goal to help lead the Rattlers to victory. With Atlanta attempting a comeback, Galloway made five saves in the fourth quarter, including one nearly four minutes into the fourth quarter that then transitioned into a Ranagan two-pointer.
“Johnny is a tremendous leader. He’s a coach on the field,” Rattlers coach Bill Warder said in a post-game interview on Lax Sports Network. “I think he’s still the all-time winningest goalie in Division I lacrosse. He just has so much command. The terminology, we can make little wrinkles that make it tough for other teams. It’s just that attitude — we call it ‘Rattitude’ — that Johnny has brought for seven-, eight-plus seasons. You can’t replace him. He’s the best.”