It took more than four hours and three lightning delays, but the Denver Outlaws and Chesapeake Bayhawks delivered fireworks in the Fourth of July thriller fans were hoping for.
The game’s 9 PM ET start was pushed back to 10:15 PM ET due to hail and lightning. Once the game did begin, the effects of the delay seemed to show as both teams got off to a fairly sloppy start. The Outlaws would take a 2-1 lead with just under four minutes remaining in the first quarter thanks to Colorado native and Outlaw rookie Max Tennant’s first MLL career point. The Bayhawks threatened to tie it at the end of the first, but Denver goalie Dillon Ward came up big on the doorstep with a 1-on-1 save against Lyle Thompson.
In between ⚡️ delays, Dillon Ward made this save🔽 #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/K86Upktr5L
— Major League Lacrosse (@MLL_Lacrosse) July 5, 2019
The second quarter was back and forth, but with under six minutes remaining, the game was paused for another weather delay, with the game tied 3-3. The break served as the game’s halftime and when play resumed, the teams played out the remainder of the second and went directly into the third quarter, with the Bayhawks leading 5-4.
Denver Outlaws FOGO Max Adler quickly tied it at 5-5, but the Bayhawks went on a 3-goal run that included a nifty behind-the-back goal from Lyle Thompson. The Outlaws battled back before yet another weather delay with 2:23 in the third and the Bayhawks up 10-8.
The usual BTB from @lyle4thompson.
— Pro Lacrosse Talk (@ProLacrosseTalk) July 5, 2019
pic.twitter.com/TfpTEYAKXy
Once play resumed, the Bayhawks went on a 3-1 run including Lyle Thompson’s fifth goal of the night right before time expired in the third. Chesapeake’s Ryan Keenan scored his first career goal early in the fourth to give the Bayhawks a 13-9 lead and put the game all but out of reach. Yet, the Outlaws scored four unanswered goals, including 2 goals from Denver attackman Zach Currier and a behind-the-back goal from the ageless wonder John Grant Jr. to tie it with 4:25 left in the game.
Then on an extra-man opportunity for the Outlaws, Will Snider (2G) buried the go-ahead goal with 3:50 to play. Yet, the Bayhawks weren’t going to let the game slip away that easy and Thompson scored what looked like his sixth goal of the game for Chesapeake on a nifty crease dive with 2 minutes left. However, the goal was disallowed by the officials and though replays suggested the ball did leave Lyle’s stick before he landed in the crease and that the goal should stand, the Bayhawks had no more coach’s challenges remaining and suffered a bitter loss to fall to 2-2.
Lyle Thompson (5G, 1A) and Steele Stanwick (2 G, 2A) were the standouts for a Bayhawks team that got production from all over the field. Yet, it was the play of the Outlaws attack in Chris Aslanian (2G, 3A), Zach Currier (4G, 1A), and John Grant Jr. (2G, 1A) that helped lead Denver to their fourth straight victory and a 5-1 record.
The Bayhawks return to Annapolis on short rest for a game against the Blaze on July 6 at 7 PM, while the Outlaws will face the Blaze next week on July 11 at 2 PM.
Chesapeake Bayhawks 13, Denver Outlaws 14
