Statistical review
Shots on goal: Baltimore (39), Boston (38). Saves: Baltimore (24), Boston (14). Faceoffs: Baltimore (26/41), Boston (15/41). GBC: Baltimore (36), Boston (23), EMO: Baltimore (2/4), Boston (3/11).

Goals/2-PTRS: Baltimore – Tom Marechek 5/0, Gary Gait 5/0, Mark Millon 4/0; Brian Langry 4/0, Dan Marohl 2/0, Sean Radebaugh 2/0; Jeff Sonke 1/1; Paul Cantabene 1/0.

Boston – Michael Watson 4/0; David Evans 4/0; Chris Rotelli 2/0, Mike Battista 1/0; Chris Fiore 1/0; Mike Regan 1/1.

Assists: Baltimore – Kevin Boland 4; Dan Marohl 3; Tom Marechek 2; Jude Coolins 1; Mark Millon 1. Boston – Conor Gill 4; Mike Battista 1; Chris Fiore 1; Michael Watson 1.

Starting line-ups
Baltimore: Attack – Mark Millon (Umass ’93), Tom Marechek (Syracuse ’93), Dan Marohl (UMBC ’00), Midfield – Jeff Sonke (UNC ‘01), Gary Gait (Syracuse ’91), Brian Langtry (Hofstra ’98), Defense – Shawn Nadelen (JHU ’01), Brian Reese (UMD ’98), Jamie Hanford (Loyola ’98), Goal – Rob Scherr (JHU ‘03).

Boston: Attack – David Evans (Brown ’96), Connor Gill (UVA ’02), Michael Watson (UVA ’97), Midfield – Mike Regan (Butler ’00), Mike Battista (Loyola ’00), Steve Dusseau (Georgetown ’02), Defense – Ryan Curtis (UVA ’00), Chris Passavia (MD ’04), Tom Fallon (Umass ‘03), Goal – Kevin O’Brien (Georgetown ’99)

Game detail
Should-a, could-a, would-a. Even at Boston’s best this summer, the Cannons would have had a tough time with the Bayhawks Thursday night. Baltimore categorically dominated the stat sheet. The Bayhawks controlled the faceoff winning 25-41. Domination at the 50 was acutely pronounced with the absence of Cannons go-to face-off specialist Peter Inge sidelined with an injury.

Baltimore pulled out the guns fast and early and never seemed to look back. The Bayhawks put on a clinic of ball movement, box cross chemistry, and Marechek flashed with some fourth quarter behind the back razzle dazzle.

By comparison, the Cannons were caught marking the ball more often than their players. Despite the Bayhawks net output, you could hardly fault the Boston defense for the full damage. The Bayhawks outshot the Cannons by one goal (39-38).

Boston squandered countless opportunities off possession –the face-off, the grounders, EMOs. The Cannons attack lacked their usual discipline generating only 14 goals. There were several goal-scoring plays where the Cannons worked the ball around, skipped the pass, beat the slide and got the clean shot, but they surrendered the team offense for 1v1 easy read attacking which ultimately padded Scherr’s stats (24 saves). As for Boston, rotating Tierney into the fourth quarter line up would have been a timely adjustment.

Baltimore outscored and outshot the Cannons in the first period, 8-4 and 12-10 respectively. The Bayhawks took the first face-off and scored in the first minute of the game. Baltimore worked the ball around quickly and with purpose. Gait rolled the crease and found the lower left corner of the net at 14:08 (1-0).

Boston responded with three goals of their own two from David Evans and one from Michael Watson. Both goals from Watson and Evans were off the rebound at 13:25 and 12:05 respectively. Evans who usually likes to unleash the ball from top right muscled the ball in and got the one-handed over hand bouncer that tacked the top corner at 10:06 (3-1).

Baltimore barked back with three goals from Millon, Marechek, and Marohl.Marechek returned the rebound favor. O’Brien had just come up with a hug lower right corner save and Marechek converted on the rebound at 7:34 (2-3). Marohl evened out the score working the screen from top right hitting the lower right corner at 6:16 (3-3). Watson closed out the scoring for the Cannons while Millon notched two more goals and Sonke converted for one.

The Bayhawks entered the second period with an 8-4 lead. Baltimore narrowly outshot and outscored Boston 9-8 and 4-3 respectively. Langtry was first to score for both teams at 9:18 (9-4). Rotelli responded for Boston with an upper shelf shot at 6:43 (5-9). Baltimore rattled off three unanswered goals from Marechek, Cantabene, and Langtry. Marechek went unescorted for an easy lower left corner shot at 5:59 (10-5). Face-off man Cantabene capped of a 50-yd sprint with a diving bouncer at 5:39 (11-5). Regan wrapped up the second period scoring for Boston off motion at :40 with a 2-pointer (7-12).

Both teams combined for five goals in the third period with Boston outshooting and outscoring Baltimore 11-5 and 3-2 respectively. Gait wandered inside unchallenged for the first goal of the third period (13-7). Botson answered with three goals, two from Evans and a top right shot from Battista off a power play at 3:26 (10-13). Brain Langtry scored the last goal of the period at 2:53 of an assist from Bolland (14-10).

The Bayhawks surged in the fourth quarter outscoring the Cannons 11-4. The Cannons opened the scoring with a goal each from Rotelli and Fiore. Baltimore responded with five unanswered goals. Marechek took O’Brien behind the back of a pass from Marohl at 11:18 (15-12). Gait followed less than a minute later with a top right shot (16-12).

Baltimore continued to pick up the pace of ball movement with Millon, Radebaugh, and Marechek converting for a seven-goal lead (19-12). Watson was the only Cannon to score for the remainder of the quarter. His first goal gave the crowd some relief and cause to cheer with a signature dive and dunk at 7:52 (13-19) and a bouncer that clipped the top right corner at 2:51 (14-21). By that time, the damage was done. Baltimore went on to score four more goals with less than two minutes on the clock. Marohl and Gait’s goals didn’t face much opposition and extended the margin by nine. Radebaugh and Marohl nailed the deal shut with two quick goals with under one minute less in regulation.

Prior to the matchup against the Barrage, Boston looked poised and ready for potentially its first championship. The Cannons will need to regroup and reorganize in order to be considered for serious contention. Teams like the Barrage and Bayhawks are peaking at the right time.

The Cannons (8-3) will face Philadelphia next while the Bayhawks (6-5) will square up against the Barrage.