Major League Lacrosse :      August 24, 2003 [ The Game Story]
Baltimore Bayhawks 14 Long Island Lizards 15 Scoring: Scoring: Gary Gait Tom Marechek Josh Sims Mark Millon Mark Frye Jamie Hanford Jude Collins Andrew Combs Jeff Sonke Kip Fulks (6, 1) (1, 3) (3, 0) (1, 1) (0, 2) (0, 1) (1, 0) (0, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) Kevin Lowe Aj Haugen Jay Jalbert Conor Denihan Chris Massey Tim Goettelmann Matt O'kelly (4, 1) (3, 1) (3, 1) (1, 2) (3, 0) (1, 1) (0, 1) Saves: Saves: Gary Cattrano 17  (0.531) Brian Dougherty 28  (0.667) Current Record :     (8-5) Current Record :     (10-3) Team Page For 2003 Team Page For 2003       The Game Story:

Kevin Lowe caught a pass from League MVP Jay Jalbert 22 seconds into sudden- death overtime, and rocketed it past Baltimore goaltender Greg Cattrano, giving the Long Island Lizards (10-3) their second Major League Lacrosse Championship.

Lowe, the MLL Newcomer of the Year, was named Bud Light MVP, scoring 4 goals and 1 assist including the overtime game-winner, while Jay Jalbert and A.J. Haugen added 3 goals and 1 assist. Chris Massey also had a hat- trick. Brian Dougherty recorded a postseason record 28 saves, which also tied the Lizards three-year team record for saves.

Long Island and Baltimore have met in all three MLL Championship Games. Long Island won the 2001 game, 15-11, while Baltimore routed the Lizards in the 2002 final, 21-13.

Baltimore took an early 2-0 lead on goals from Jude Collins and Jeff Sonke, but Long Island tied it up when Tim Goettelmann and A.J. Haugen scored. Baltimore scored three straight goals from Gary Gait, Kip Fulks and Tom Marachek, however, Long Island scored four straight to take a 6-5 lead. Josh Sims evened the game at six with 18 seconds left in the half. Baltimore had six different goal scorers, and ten different players with one point each at halftime.

Both goaltenders turned it up a notch in the third quarter, as Baltimore outshot the Lizards, 56-50 in the game. Jalbert scored the first goal of the second half, but Gary Gait scored two straight to put Baltimore up 8-7. Long Island then scored three straight, including a Chris Massey goal from Tim Goettelmann with less then one second remaining in the quarter. Long Island went into the fourth with a 10-8 lead.

Jalbert again scored the first goal of the quarter, putting Long Island up 11-8. However, Baltimore mounted their biggest run of the game, as Paul Cantabene won five straight faceoffs, Gary Gait and Josh Sims each scored a pair of goals to give Baltimore the 12-11 lead. Kevin Lowe battled back with two straight goals of his own, swinging the lead in the Lizards favor, but Mark Millon and Gary Gait each scored for Baltimore, who held a 14-13 lead as the clock ticked down. With 2:07 remaining, A.J. Haugen blasted an unassisted goal past Greg Cattrano, notching the game at 14. Baltimore had numerous chances inside two minutes, but Dougherty made numerous huge saves down the stretch as the Lizards forced overtime.

Chris Cercy defeated Paul Cantabene for the games final faceoff after a struggle for the ball that took nearly ten seconds. Jalbert scooped the loose ball and jogged upfield, before feeding Kevin Lowe for the game- winner, and the celebration began.

Baltimore was led by Gary Gait, who scored a career high 6 goals and 1 assist, one goal shy of the postseason record, held by Paul Gait. Paul scored seven goals for Long Island in the 2001 Championship Game. Josh Sims had three goals for Baltimore, while Tom Marachek had a goal and three assists. Greg Cattrano recorded 17 saves between the pipes.

Cercy won 17 of 31 faceoffs for Long Island. Long Island was 0 for 6 on the power play, and even allowed a Gary Gait shorthanded goal, while Baltimore was 2 for 3 with the extra man on the field.