Featured Image Photo Credit: Pretty Instant
Justin Ivey, MLL Correspondent & Editor
Lacrosse is Awesome
The Charlotte Hounds (5-7) visited the Florida Launch (7-6) on Saturday, July 22. Both teams are in the thick of the playoff race and were part of the few collections of ties. One of the two would move in the right direction towards a playoff berth. The game featured the last two Tewaaraton Award winners, Dylan Molloy (6G, 1A) playing for Florida and Matt Rambo (2G) playing for Charlotte. The Launch would jump out to a first half lead and not allow Charlotte back in the game, holding on for the important win. Final Score: Charlotte – 12, Florida – 18.
Charlotte got themselves in trouble early. Casey Ikeda was called for an illegal cross check just 1:20 into the game. Nick Mariano would capitalize 11 seconds later, e advantage and put Florida on the board first. They doubled the early lead with a goal from Steven Brooks (1G) just under a minute later. The Hounds scored next. Charlie Cipriano net minder for Charlotte (1G) found the back of the net 3:17 in. After five minutes of scoreless lacrosse, Connor Buczek (2G) fired in a shot from long distance, doubling up Florida’s score with a two pointer. John Haus (2G) answered quickly for Charlotte under a minute later. Florida would use the last five minutes of the quarter wisely, scoring three unanswered. The first two came from Kieran McArdle (3G, 2A) and the last from Ryan Drenner (2G, 2A). At the end of the first quarter, Florida led Charlotte 7-2.
The Florida barrage continued in the second quarter. Molloy, the rookie standout from Brown, took the game over. Four goals in a row, spanning the first 7:19 of the quarter, gave Florida a commanding lead. Joey Sankey (1G) put one in for Charlotte to temporarily stop the onslaught, but it wasn’t enough. Mariano (2G, 1A) would get the last of the quarter, giving Florida a nine-goal lead heading into the half. At halftime Florida led Charlotte 12-3.
The third quarter started with Charlotte taking control first. Mike Chanenchuk (3G) would single handedly make a dent in the lead. He ripped a two pointer just 40 seconds in, and followed that with an unassisted goal 21 seconds later, cutting the deficit to just six goals. Molloy, still feeling hot from the second quarter, got his fifth to break the run, and Drenner scored two minutes later to give momentum back to Florida. Charlotte would get the last two of the quarter to end on a positive note. One came from Haus, and the other from Chanenchuk, completing his hat trick in the third quarter. Despite that, Charlotte won the quarter 5-2, to reduce the deficit. At the end of the third, Florida led Charlotte 14-8.
Molloy started the fourth still on fire, scoring his sixth goal of the contest just 51 seconds in. Two minutes later McArdle put Florida even farther ahead with his hat trick goal. Tim Edwards (1G, 1A) extended the run to three goals with his first of the game. Just four minutes into the fourth quarter, and Charlotte suddenly found themselves down nine again. Matt Rambo (2G) who had been kept in check for the entire start of the game finally found the back of the net 6:46 into the fourth. His goal was quickly followed by a two pointer from Michael Ehrhardt (1G, 1A). The comeback hopes would be squashed as Florida’s Buczek scored next getting the lead back to seven goals. Rambo would get his second at 9:02 in, and the rest of the game would be defense coming out on top for a scoreless final six minutes. Final Score: Charlotte – 12, Florida – 18.
UP NEXT:
The Florida Launch travel to face the Boston Cannons, on Saturday, July 29 at 6:00 PM.
The Charlotte Hounds host the Boston Cannons on Thursday, July 27 at 7:30 PM.
Justin Ivey, MLL Correspondent & Editor
Lacrosse is Awesome