Di Miller, PLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Photo Credits: PLL
After the bye-week, the teams were ready to get down to business. The stage was set, Eagan, Minnesota where all eight teams would play this weekend honoring Indigenous Heritage Weekend and donning beautiful jerseys created specially for the PLL by Ojibwe artist, Patrick Hunter. Although there was a rain delay, both the Boston Cannons (3-1) and the Utah Archers (2-2) were fired up and ready to go. This game saw a total of 45 turnovers between the two teams; close to equal time of possession; and five 2-pt goals by the Cannons. Final Score: Cannons 14—Archers 9.
The Cannons Zac Tucci (8-20 FO; 3GB) won the opening draw and things fired off quickly. Matt Campbell (3g, 2 Two-Pt, 1a) turned, fired and beat Brett Dobson 26 seconds in and it was 1-0 Boston. The teams would go scoreless for the next eight minutes with few shots on goal and multiple TO’s. But Grant Ament (1g, 3a) somehow after falling down, was able to get back up and tickled the twine with a low-to-low shot to get the Archers on the board with 3:27 remaining in the first and it was tied up 1-1. So far, Utah had eight TO’s in the first 10 minutes of the game without the Cannons taking advantage of any of them. But Captain America, Tom Schreiber (1g, 1a) with three seconds on the shot clock was able to find his footing, used only his waist for power, flicked his wrists, fired one far side and found the back of the net with 29 seconds left in the first. Between the two teams, there were 17 TO’s in the first quarter but only three tallies. Score at the end of one: Archers 2—Cannons 1.
The second started off with a beautiful tally by the Archers just 1:34 into the frame. Ament was behind the cage, fed to Connor Fields (3g) and he flipped a no look BTB shot that flew past Colin Kirst and he’d sting the outside top corner to get them up by two 3-1. The Cannons would go man down and Utah made them pay. With 10 seconds left on the man up, Boston left Ryan Ambler (2g) all alone out in front of the cage, gave him way too much time, and he sent a side arm shot down low 2:27 in and it was 4-1. Tempers would flare at the 3:07 mark and after the dust settled, Boston would go on a 5 on 4 but couldn’t make it count. It would take 60 seconds and three shots for Campbell to fire the first blast. From out in front, he stepped down, fired a high-to-low shot that bounced and hit twine for the first two-point bomb in the game and just like that it was 4-3 still in favor of Utah. But with the fast-paced action of the PLL, don’t blink because you’ll miss the next point. Mac O’Keefe (1g) got the pass from Ament, kept his feet moving, stepped back and blasted a laser from out front and the lead was two 5-3. Utah would go man down at the 5:25 mark of the second and it would give Boston an opportunity to tie it up and they did just that. Campbell fired another missile from the arc and put it far side just 12 seconds into the power play and we were tied at 5’s. At this point, it was the Matt Campbell show as he had put up all five points for the Cannons. But with 1:56 in the half, Ament and Fields would tag team again with Ament sending it to Fields and his quick catch and release caught Kirst off guard and it went five hole to make it 6-5. The Cannons would call a time out with 1:48 left in the frame to set up another tally and it worked. It took 17 seconds for Campbell to feed Marcus Holman (1g, 2a) from the left side and he buried it with a side arm bounce shot to tie it back up 6-6. Neither team could find the back of the net for the next 1:31.
Halftime Stats:
Boston Cannons—Shots 4-21; Two Point Shots 2-8; Assists 3; Saves 3; TO 13; FO 7-12
Utah Archers—Shots 6-15; Two Point Shots 0-1; Assists 3; Saves 4; TO 11; FO 5-12
Boston would go man down 37 seconds into the third and Utah made them pay. Colin Kirst made a great save, but Tre Leclaire (1g) was right there to pick up the garbage and put it over Kirst 55 seconds in for a man up tally 7-6 Utah. After a couple of change of possessions, Chris Aslanian (1g, 1 Two-Pt, 1a) would tally his first of the year. With his off hand, he used a nice spin dodge, rolled off his defender and fired a bounce shot that went five-hole 2:29 in and we were tied again 7-7. Not to be left out, Asher Nolting (1g, 2a) with Graeme Hossack draped all over his back, used a nifty spin move at GLE and as he was falling down, put it far side giving the Cannons the lead 8-7. Once again, the teams would turn the ball over, head up and down the field with nothing to show for it. But with 2:18 in the third, through traffic, Ambler tucked his stick as he came to his defender, fired an overhand shot, and we were tied again 8-8. As the clock was winding down in the third, Ryan Drenner (2 Two-Pt G) outside the arc fired a bullet, Dobson made the initial save, but the ball was spinning and trickled over the line with 4 seconds on the ticker, giving the Cannons the lead which they did not relinquish for the remainder of the contest. Score at the end of three: Cannons 10—Archers 8.
Fans would see another fast start in the fourth. Thirty-one seconds in and one second on the shot clock, Fields ran across in front of the crease, and fired a twister shot that ended up near side and it was 10-9. That would be it for the Archers tallies as the Cannons would put up two more two-point goals to end the contest. Drenner from way out got the feed from Holman, he stepped down and fired his second two-point blast 1:52 in giving them a three-goal lead 12-9. Three and change would tick off the timer and Aslanian would notch another. He made sure his foot was outside the two-point arc line, stepped down and bounced it in far side 4:18 in and the lead was five. For the next 7:42 neither team could score, but they were definitely in penalty mode as the two would combine for four in the last 5:44. After the defense was stopping shots and the offense ran the field for the remaining minutes, fans would watch the clock tick down and no change in the score. Final Score: Cannons 14—Archers 9.
Stars of the Game:
Matt Campbell- Boston Cannons: 1g, 2 two-pt g, 1a
Chris Aslanian- Boston Cannons: 1g, 1 two-pt g, 1a
Connor Fields- Utah Archers: 3g
STATS:
Boston Cannons: Five 2-pt G, Four 1 pt G; 28 GB; 37 Shots (24.3%); 18 SOG; 22 TO; 9-22 FO; Saves 11; Sv% 55%
Utah Archers: Nine 1-pt G; 35 GB; 30 Shots (30%); 21 SOG; 23 TO; 13-22 FO; 8 Saves; Sv% 47.1%
NEXT UP:
The teams will head to Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, MA next weekend with the Carolina Chaos having a bye week and the Boston Cannons hosting.
The Boston Cannons (3-1) will play host to the California Redwoods (0-3) on Friday July 5, 2024, game time 6:00 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
The New York Atlas (4-1) will play host to the Denver Outlaws (2-1) also on Friday July 5, 2024, game time 8:30 p.m. EST. You can also catch this game on ESPN+.
The Maryland Whipsnakes (2-2) will play host to the Utah Archers (2-2) on Saturday July 6, 2024, game time 4:30 p.m. EST. This game will be televised on ESPN+.
The final game of the weekend will see the Boston Cannons (3-1) hosting the Philadelphia Waterdogs (0-3)*** also on Saturday July 6, 2024, game time 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans can see this game on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Di Miller, PLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
***Record at the time of writing