MLL Recap: Trends begin to take shape on day 2 of tournament play

Photo courtesy of Major League Lacrosse

Chesapeake Bayhawks 18, New York Lizards 13

For the second day in a row, New York was unable to hold on for their first victory of tournament week despite an early lead, as Chesapeake defeated the Lizards 18-13 on Sunday.

Dylan Molloy got the scoring started for New York, recording the first three goals in the contest. Following a goal by Sean O’Brien, the Lizards held a four goal lead for the majority of the first quarter. That lead dwindled quickly as Colin Heacock and Andrew Kew both scored for the Bayhawks with under a minute to play in the quarter. This late run for Chesapeake led to a sway in momentum that continued into the 2^nd quarter.

Following the slow start, the Chesapeake offense found their sea legs and by days end, would have 9 players find the back of the net. Lyle Thompson and Nick Mariano led the Bayhawks in scoring, recording hat tricks on the day. LSM CJ Costabile also got into the action, ripping multiple 2-point goals from beyond the arc.

Goalie Brian Phipps played well for the second day in a roll recording 16 saves on 29 shots. The Maryland alum and the Bayhawks’ defense held New York scoreless for almost 8 minutes between the 2^nd and 3^rd to propel Chesapeake to 2-0 in as many days.

“Phipps has played really well for us. Any time he’s on his game, makes it easier on us,” Chesapeake Bayhawks head coach Tom Mariano said. “His impact comes not only in making saves, but clearing the ball quickly and pushing it in transition.”

Chesapeake will look to stay undefeated when they take on Boston tomorrow at 7 p.m. New York will have a day to regroup before their Tuesday game against Denver, also at 7 p.m.

When asked how they Bayhawks are preparing for their matchup against the Cannons, Mariano said the team remains focused on their own game.

“It’s still all about us. We’re just going to continue to worry about ourselves,” Mariano said. “We hear that the Cannons are loaded and they certainly have a talented team, but if we continue to focus on our own game and making the next play, we believe the games will continue to go our way.”

Two-bombs from Costabile

The Bayhawks’ CJ Costabile is not one to shy away from shooting from beyond the arc. He did it to win the 2010 National Championship for Duke and he continued to do so when he got to the pro ranks. With his pair of 2-point goals on Sunday, Costabile surpassed the 30 goal mark in his career. It is only fitting that the Yonkers firefighter enjoys the occasional 2-point heater. Which brings me to the question; is there a name for a hat trick that consists solely of two-point goals? If not, we need to make that a thing.

Lyle Thompson is good at lacrosse

It’s safe to say that if you’re reading this article, you already know that Lyle Thompson is good at lacrosse. In my opinion, he’s the best in the world. But, it’s always nice to hammer the point home. Thompson had a very Lyle-like game Sunday, scoring three goals (yawn) and dishing out two assists (ho-hum). Included in that hat-trick was a highlight reel finish by the 2019 MVP. One could say he was #LyledIn.

Denver Outlaws 15, Philadelphia Barrage 10

Barrage fans will have to wait at least one more day to find the winners column for the first time since leaving the city of brotherly love in 2008.

The Denver offense continued to impress on Sunday, as 11 Outlaws recorded at least a point against Philadelphia. Veteran Ryan Lee and rookie Daniel Bucaro both recorded their second hat trick in as many days to lead the team in scoring.

“It’s been great being out on there,” Outlaws rookie Dan Bucaro said. “I haven’t played in a competitive environment in over a year so to get back to playing has been great.”

Denver has also seen a lot of success on defense, only giving up an average of eight goals per game in the first two days of implementing a two-goalie system, with veteran Christian Knight and rookie Nick Washuta both splitting time between the pipes over the last two days.

“We’ve been impressed with both our goaltenders. With Christian being a righty and Nick a lefty, we think that gives us a big advantage against teams,” Denver Outlaws GM Jon Cohen said. “Nick has an advantage of entering the second half and seeing a lot of shots go stick side high. It’s definitely an adjustment for teams.”

Denver has an off day tomorrow before they take on the winless Lizards at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Philadelphia will take on Connecticut tomorrow in the first match-up between the MLL’s newest teams. Game time set for 4:00 p.m.

Bucaro worth the wait

Daniel Bucaro missed the entirety of the 2019 season due to injury after being taken by the Outlaws in the first round of the 2019 MLL Draft. Bucaro is clearly trying to make up for lost time, as the Georgetown alum has already found the back of the net 7 times in Denver’s first two games of the season. Bucaro is one of the many cogs helping fuel an Outlaws’ offense that has been dominate since arriving in Annapolis.

Shayne Jackson, Philly tough

Shayne Jackson bounced back from a vicious first half hit to finish Sunday’s contest with a hat trick. What’s most notable about this performance? All three of his goals were scored after he returned from the hit. While Jackson showed grit to return to play, he also managed to show some finesse with this shifty goal.

Check back tomorrow for more coverage of this week’s action in Major League Lacrosse.