Photo by Justin Ivey
Justin Ivey, Beat Writer Boston Cannons
Lacrosse is Awesome
On Saturday, May 5 the Dallas Rattlers (3-1) visited Harvard Stadium to take on the Boston Cannons (0-3). 4,102 fans came out hoping to see Boston win in their first home game of the 2018 season. The Cannons opened the season with two straight road losses and haven’t found their stride yet. Dallas has started off extremely well, especially for a team that relocated from Rochester in the offseason. They jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in this one, handing Boston their third straight loss despite a monster night from James Pannell. Final Score: Dallas-13, Boston-12.
Dallas started off the game with two goals in the first three minutes, quickly silencing the home crowd. Jordan Wolf (3G, 3A) scored first on a fast break opportunity 1:44 in, and just over a minute later Jack Near (1G) found the back of the net after a beautiful dodge from behind the crease. Ryan McNamara (1G) put the Rattlers up 3-0 just under five minutes into the game. Sergio Perkovic (1G) scored on the next possession for the Cannons diving into the crease and shoving in a backhand shot. Ty Thompson (3G) had the answer for Dallas, quick sticking the ball past goalie Tyler Fiorito from the doorstep. James Pannell (6G) scored Boston’s second goal, but Dallas again had an answer and scored two straight to end the quarter. Thompson scored from the middle again with 2:22 left, and Cody Radziewicz (2G, 1A) scored after a dodge from the wing with 1:28 remaining. At the end of the first quarter, Dallas led Boston 6-2.
Photo by Justin Ivey
Dallas continued to have the hot hand at the start of the second quarter, scoring three in a row again. Chris Bocklet (1G) caught a quick pass in front and scored his fifth goal of the season 3:23 in. Radziewicz scored his second of the night just under three minutes later dodging from behind the goal, and Wolf made it three in a row from in close. Going back to the end of the first, Dallas had now scored five unanswered and led 9-2. Pannell wasn’t going to let Boston just roll over. On the next Cannons’ possession, he fired a shot with no angle that somehow squeezed by Blaze Riorden in net. With 2:29 remaining in the half, Pannell caught a pass behind Perkovic and used the screen to fire a quick laser into the net. At the half, Dallas led Boston 9-4.
It took only a minute of the second half for Boston to make it a three-goal run and get some life back. Ryan Walsh (1G, 1A) scored the goal for the Cannons and get them within four. But, just under two minutes later Wolf scored his hat trick goal after dodging from the baseline. This was Wolf’s sixth straight game with at least three goals. Boston quickly answered with a rebound goal from David Emala (1G), but again Dallas responded. This time it was Jack Curran (1G) scoring unassisted faking his way to the top of the crease before finishing. Pannell again got Boston within four, scoring his fourth of the evening on a fast break opportunity. In the first five and a half minutes of the second half, five goals had been scored. The rest of the quarter would only have one as the defenses buttoned down. Boston got within three of Dallas when Kylor Bellistri (1G) scored with 3:23 remaining. At the end of the third quarter, Dallas led Boston 11-8.
Photo by Justin Ivey
Brian Kormody (1G) opened the scoring in the fourth quarter, firing on the run while streaking down the right side. Dallas again was up four. Two minutes later, none other than Pannell was left open in transition again, and he scored from the same spot on the field as he did in the third. Thompson made sure the Cannons didn’t get on a roll after that, scoring his hat trick goal from the middle after a great feed from Wolf. Under a minute later, Pannell scored his second of the quarter, and sixth on the night, backhanded after dodging from behind. Boston was only down three with 7:15 remaining in the game. Dallas was content to let the shot clock run down on every possession, and the defense came up big down the stretch. It helped that Emala was called for a cross check with only 1:33 left in the game. Even man down though, Boston made it interesting as Max Seibald (1-2ptG) scored a two pointer with seven seconds on the clock. The Rattlers’ Drew Simoneau won the ensuing faceoff and the game was over. Final Score: Dallas-13, Boston-12.
Up Next:
The Boston Cannons (0-3) travel to play the Florida Launch (2-1) on Thursday, May 10 at 7:00 PM EST. They have a double header weekend, returning home to play the Atlanta Blaze (2-1) on Saturday, May 12 at 6:00 PM.
The Dallas Rattlers (3-1) travel to play the Ohio Machine (1-1) on Saturday, May 12 at 6:00 PM EST.