Featured Image Photo Credit: Pretty Instant, Jo Mai
Justin Ivey, MLL Correspondent & Editor
Lacrosse is Awesome
Last year’s Championship Game for the Steinfeld Trophy was heartbreaking for the Ohio Launch. They lost on a last-minute goal scored by Eric Law of the Denver Outlaws. All season, the goal has been to get back to the big game, and give themselves another chance. In their way on Saturday was a Florida Launch team making their first appearance in the MLL playoffs. The game at Fortress Field in Ohio started about a half hour late due to a weather delay in the first semi-final game. In the early game, the Denver Outlaws emerged victorious, surely fueling the fire for Ohio to win and move on to meet them again. Ohio dug deep and used a big third quarter to punch their ticket, setting up a must-see rematch with the Denver Outlaws. Final Score: Florida – 13, Ohio – 18
Ohio started the game with confidence, scoring the first three goals of the game spanning the first 5:44. Tom Schreiber (3G, 3A) scored the first, just 43 seconds in. He caught a beautiful pass from rookie Connor Cannizzaro (3G, 1A) as he cut to the middle and easily beat goalie Austin Kaut. The second goal came from an unlikely player. Long pole Brian Karalunas (1G) scored his first of the season, after Marcus Holman (2G, 3A) picked up the loose ball just inside the half field line and fired him a pass. Mark Cockerton (2G, 1A) got the third goal with an underhand lefty rip from high top center. The Ohio offense was moving the ball well, trying to get it all the way around the formation before making moves. It would take a good bounce for Florida to get on the board. Kieran McArdle (4G) would get triple teamed near the crease, and throw the ball towards the center. His target was well guarded and the ball bounced pass. Tim Barber (1G, 1A) was in the right spot, at the right time, and picked up the loose ball, fired a sidearm shot and finally hit twine behind goalie Kyle Bernlohr. McArdle would score his first of the game next, with only 1:40 remaining in the quarter, with a textbook low to high shot in transition. At the end of the first quarter, Ohio led Florida 3-2.
Ohio would mirror their confidence in the first, and take control to start the second quarter as well. Greg Puskuldjian (1G) won the opening face-off and ran in to score, extending the lead to two goals. Under a minute later, Holman cut by his defender on the side and leapt into the crease for his first of the game. Just 1:06 into the second and Ohio had control with a three-goal lead. Florida was not discouraged. Nick Mariano (1G) got the ball rolling with his only goal of the game 4:50 in after a very long possession with a few resets and shots. The next goal wouldn’t come for almost five minutes, but it was Florida. McArdle switched hands and immediately shot, running downhill towards the post from up top. He ended up on his back after the shot, but the ball found net.
Just about a minute and a half later, Connor Buczek (2G, 4A) dodged one-on-one from up high, beat his man and tied the game at five. With 2:03 remaining in the half, Dylan Molloy (4G, 1A) gave Florida the lead and made it a four-goal run. The next minute would be quiet, but in the final minute of play both teams were on fire. Cannizzaro tied the game with 41 seconds remaining falling to his knees from an impossible angle right next to the post on the crease. Ohio took the lead 20 seconds later as Cockerton blew by his defender from the side to get in front. But McArdle tied the game back up with five seconds remaining, catching a pass in the middle with a defender on his back. At the half, Ohio and Florida were tied 7-7.
Keeping in form, the Machine started strong for the third straight quarter. They strung together three straight goals to take a three-goal lead, 10-7. Peter Baum (3G) scored the first on the powerplay 3:01 in, and the second just 42 seconds later dodging from up top and planting just inside the two-point line. Cannizzaro scored 26 seconds later, dodging from behind and rolling inside towards the crease. But again, Florida was not discouraged and answered with a three-goal run of their own. The common thread was Buczek. He assisted on the first two, and scored the third to tie the game at 10. Ryan Drenner (1G, 1A) scored the first goal, only 15 seconds after the Cannizzaro goal, catching the Buczek pass on the crease. Buczek then found McArdle up top 35 seconds later for the open shot. Two and a half minutes later, Molloy fed Buczek up top for his chance at an open shot. With 7:34 remaining in the third, the game was once again tied. This time though, Florida would not be able to extend the run and grab the lead. Ohio answered with two goals, the first from Pfister Tyler (1G) just 11 seconds later, and the second from Schreiber on the next Ohio possession. Molloy got one back for Florida, scoring on the powerplay, but Ohio wasn’t going to relinquish the lead. Holman found the back of the net with 53 seconds remaining to get the lead back to two. Baum, coming off the bench on a substitution, caught the pass from Holman, planted and fired a laser from outside the two-point line into the net. The goal came with only 12 seconds remaining. At the end of the third, Ohio led Florida 15-11.
The final quarter, once again started with Ohio coming out strong. Schreiber scored first, 2:14 in and just over three minutes later Cannizzaro made it a four-goal run looking back at the end of the third quarter. Ohio now held a six-goal lead. Florida’s rookie phenom Molloy would not give up. He found the net with 7:22 remaining and then again with3:32 remaining to cut into the Ohio lead, but with 2:01 remaining, Jake Bernhardt (1G, 2A) scored for Ohio and extended the lead back to five goals. Florida couldn’t find anything in desperation and Ohio was happy to run the time out when they had possession. Final Score: Ohio 18—Florida 13.
Championship Game Info:
Who: Ohio Machine and Denver Outlaws
When: August 12, 2017 – 7:00 PM
Where: Ford Center at the Star, Frisco, TX
Justin Ivey, MLL Correspondent & Editor
Lacrosse is Awesome