Justin Ivey, MLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
Saturday’s Major League Lacrosse game in Quincy, MA could not have been scripted any better. It was decided at the end of last season that the Boston Cannons (1-0) would move on from Harvard Stadium and play the 2019 season at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy. After nearly 1.5 million dollars in renovations, including a flashy new video board and bright red seats, 5,200 fans entered for the inaugural game. Even Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker was in attendance and offered his words of encouragement for the league and the team before the game. The first mistake, the mic not working for the national anthem, was quickly fixed by the crowd pitching in, signing loud and proud. Then the game started. The New York Lizards (0-2) lost the previous night, but for opening weekend, that means they got to shake the rust off already. Boston started strong and jumped to an early lead, but New York fought back multiple times. Riding the back of Cannon’s attackman Mark Cockerton, Boston was able to hold on and win a close game 13-12.
The first professional goal in Quincy history was not scripted. Mark Cockerton (6G) found the middle of the field after a broken play, caught a pass in stride and scored to give the Cannons the early lead. He went on to score four goals before halftime. Boston scored three other goals in the first half, two coming from Zed Williams (2G, 2A) and the other scored by Connor O’Hara (2G). Goalie Nick Marrocco made 12 save on 17 shots to keep the Lizards behind. After going down 5-1 with only 7:09 remaining in the half, New York was able to get within two by the whistle. The final goal was a beauty from Kevin Crowley (2G) as he caught a feed from behind before unloading a rocket to the top shelf.
The second half started with another Cockerton goal, a man up tally with only 1:11 off the clock. New York outscored Boston in the third 3-2 to get within one heading into the final quarter. Cockerton scored his sixth to bring the score to 10-8, but New York quickly answered. Boston came back with a three-goal run including rookie Zack Goodrich’s (1G) first MLL goal. But the Lizards made it interesting. They answered with a three-goal run of their own, highlighted by Crowley’s goal to start it. Crowley came from the bench and ran straight to the middle, caught a pass while splitting two defenders and launched a rocket that hit just inside the net and the bottom of the crossbar. After getting the score to 13-12 with under a minute remaining, the Lizards won the faceoff and called timeout. They did not leave themselves enough time, and Boston left their new home victorious at the end of the night. Final Score: New York-12, Boston-13.
Up Next:
The Boston Cannons (1-0) visit the Dallas Rattlers (0-1) on Sunday, June 9 at 4:00 PM.
The New York Lizards (0-2) enjoy a bye week and then host the Chesapeake Bayhawks (1-0) on Saturday, June 15 at 7:00 PM.