Major League Lacrosse :      June 30, 2001 [ The Game Story]
Boston Cannons 13 Baltimore Bayhawks 14 Scoring: Scoring: Tucker Radebaugh Doug Knight David Evans Greg Traynor Bill Edell Tim Whiteley Mike Busza (3, 1) (3, 0) (2, 1) (1, 2) (1, 1) (1, 1) (1, 0) Mark Millon Dan Denihan Josh Sims Gavin Prout Tom Marechek Kip Fulks Jarred Testa Paul Cantabene (4, 1) (3, 1) (1, 1) (1, 1) (1, 1) (1, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) Saves: Saves: Bill Daye 16  (0.533) Greg Cattrano 21  (0.618) Current Record :     (1-3) Current Record :     (3-2) Team Page For 2001 Team Page For 2001       The Game Story:

The real question of the day was, “Is this gonna be a high scoring game?.” The Cannons' long poles are led by goaltender Bill Daye, who has been picking up slack where the defense has been letting up. But would Boston and leading scorer Greg Traynor be able to get in Greg Cattrano’s head from the start? After being last summer's showcase, Greg has been touted as the future premier goalie of the league. To have any chance of a win, the Cannons would have to get in the game early, one of the major problems they have had so far this season.

“We’ve been playing catch-up every game, we have to do something different to get in the game early.,” said coach Whiteley about his Boston Cannons. The Cannons would have to maintain the majority of ball possession and ground balls to keep the Bayhawks from flying away with the game.

Unfortunately for Boston, the first quarter belonged to the Bayhawks who drained the first 4-goals. The first goal came four minutes in to the game with an ISO from Josh Sims who beat his D-man up top and ripped a lefty side arm shot top shelf past Daye. Mark Millon scored the next goal two minutes later from X, breaking Dan Radebaugh’s ankles with a head fake to the right and a strong sprint to the left pipe where he tagged the stickside upper 90. The next 2 goals scored by Baltimore came 40 seconds apart, who seemed to be in control of their game at that point. The Cannons were caught off guard by the Bayhawk offense, working triangular rotations on short unsettled possessions before the movement of the ball to X. Millon and Denihan owned X and proved to be the biggest threats on settled offense. Millon found Marechek all alone on the crease where he dipped and dunked with a twist of behind the back to the lower left corner.

The 4-goal spurt by the Cannons ended at 3:59 when Dave Evans scored on ex-Brown teammate Cattrano off an assist from Tucker Radebaugh who used the textbook draw and dump from an adjacent slide. Evans was able to have a cup coffee before dropping one in the lower left corner. At the end of the 1st quarter, Baltimore seemed to be in complete control of the game dominating offensive possession of the ball. Boston seemed tentative to take the ball to the cage, taking the majority of their shots from the perimeter, which found their way to Cattrano's stick.

At the beginning of the 2nd quarter, a silence came over the crowd after Mark Millon scored the first 2 goals of the quarter. However, everyone in the stadium was quick off their feet in anticipation of free t-shirts from the boom squad. The Cannons kept the excitement alive by sinking the next three goals highlighted by a goal from Bill Edell. Edell took his D man on the right goal line extended and got a step on him. Instantly Edell looked cross crease and moved Cattrano off the pipe where Bill sniped one between Cattrano and the pipe.

Baltimore quickly answered Boston’s 3-goal spurt with 2 goals by Dan Denihan and Dudley Dixon. Boston was able to keep up with the Bayhawk goals from the quick face-offs of Andy Towers who ended the game with 18 in favor of Boston. Despite Towers ability to win face-offs, the Cannons inability to connect on offense allowed the Bayhawks to work their quick transition where they scored the last goal of the Quarter from Sims. Josh came in from the left wing with a strong move to goal drawing a double, hitting Denihan cutting around the crease from behind the goal leaving the score 9–5 at halftime .

The start of the 2nd half looked promising for the Cannons who nailed the first goal of the half behind some crafty attack work between Radebaugh and Whiteley. On an invert with Radebaugh and Knight, both Tucker and Whiteley simultaneously cut from X on opposite sides of the goal, where the double on Tim found Tucker wide open for a quickstick past Cattrano stickside. Bayhawks quickly came back a minute later with a righty heater from Canatabene on the run stickside past Daye.

The next 2 goals came from Boston when they were able to connect off two clears initiated by saves from Bill Daye. Knight was wide open on the crease for a dip and dunk over Cattrano’s off shoulder and Mike Law beat two Bayhawk defenders before taking Cattrano low.

A minute later Millon capitalized off a Boston turnover and drained one by the Cannon’s keeper. Boston quickly tossed in 2 at the end of the 3rd quarter, one from Tucker and the other on a nice read by Busza who came to goal with his shoulder down, so as Cattrano anticipated the low runner on the wet grass, Busza took Greg stickside high leaving the Cannons down by one in to the 4th quarter.

Kip Fulks from the Bayhawks went straight to goal off a Cattrano save and clear to bring the Baltimore lead back to 2. Five minutes later Boston had possession and Tim Whiteley had the ball with 4 seconds left on the shot clock, Tim made a move and hit a shot one handed right over Cattrano’s head beating the shotclock bringing Boston back to a 1 goal deficit with 5:38 remaining in the game. Baltimore was able to maintain their composure and sink two more goals form Denihan and Testa bringing the Bayhawk lead back to 3 goals with 3 minutes remaining.

Boston came in with a strong least minute surge sinking 2 more goals. One; on an amazing backhanded lefty dive from behind the goal by Doug Knight, which was reminiscent of the old days before it was banned in NCAA play. Boston’s final attempt at victory came 19 seconds left in the game off an ISO from Dave Evans leaving the Cannons down by 1. On the ensuing faceoff, Baltimore came up with the ball and Ran the clock down. Baltimore brought their record up to 3-2 and left the Cannons with a loss to think about on their way to Rochester in the morning.

In the press conference after the game Boston knew what their problems were, “Better team defense.,” said Tucker. Both teams took the same amount of shots and Boston led in ground balls, what happened? Was it the communication on D? Maybe not enough practice together? One possible option was the lack of motion on Boston's offense. Baltimore went 1 for 1 on their man up opportunities and Boston went 2 for 4. Those 2 EMO’s missed by the Cannon’s cost them the game. Even with the extraordinary goal play by Daye, saran wrap couldn't keep all those goals out of the net.

The situation at hand for Boston was well described by midfielder Mike Battista, “There is always a point in the game where it can go either direction.” Boston wasn’t able to capitalize on its offensive opportunity and bring their record to .500. But this is only one game with one later Sunday against Rochester and one next Friday against Powell and the Lizards.