Major League Lacrosse :      August 4, 2001 [ The Game Story]
Boston Cannons 8 Rochester Rattlers 9 Scoring: Scoring: Michael Watson David Evans Tucker Radebaugh Bill Edell Greg Traynor Andy Towers (2, 2) (3, 0) (1, 1) (1, 0) (0, 1) (1, 0) Ryan Powell John Grant Mike Regan Tracey Kelusky Cory Kahoun John Fay Jake Bergey (3, 4) (2, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) (0, 1) Saves: Saves: Bill Daye 19  (0.679) Brian Dougherty 9  (0.529) Current Record :     (2-9) Current Record :     (6-4) Team Page For 2001 Team Page For 2001       The Game Story:

The first quarter belonged to the Cannons scoring the first three goals. The first goal was from Towers to Watson. This was a classic ‘Cuse play made especially popular during the Casey era. The play started with Traynor up top. It works on teams that crash the 1-slide early and come with a slow 2nd slide. Traynor found Watson open on the rightside of the crease, Watson quickly found Towers in front of the cage for a lefty quickstick. The Cannon’s second goal came at 10:11 from David Evans who beat his defender with an inside roll and placed one low stickside past the “Doc” from up state. Bill Edell scored at 4:42 off a feed from Tucker Radebaugh.

Boston was shutdown in the second quarter, tallying an egg on the score sheet. The 2nd quarter was controlled by Rochester. Behind Chris Cercy in the face-off circle, the Rattlers were able to gain possession after every draw. With Powell, Junior and Sweet on attack, Rattler possession of the ball meant tee time on Daye who was up to the challenge fresh out of his All-Star game in Bridgeport. Finishing the game with 19 saves, Daye wasn’t going to give Rochester any easy ones.

The Rattlers found the net at 8:47 when Powell connected with John Fay about ten yards above the goal on the right pipe wide open. The next goal came from Canadian phenom John Grant Jr. His skills match any of the legends in Canadian box lacrosse. Powell’s second assist of the game off a flat-footed rocket from Junior that ripped the upper 90. Tracey Kelusky capped off the Rochester run unassisted to tie the game at three. Tracey shot the ball low on the right side of the goal while roll dodging. His shot took a B-line to the upper left corner to tie the game at three.

At the beginning of the third quarter, the Cannons lead the way playing solid defense and getting great goal tending from Daye. Boston went right at Rochester keep Dougherty, scoring four straight goals. Michael Watson scored off a feed from Traynor when the Cannons ran a middie invert. (A play that should be used a lot more in the MLL with nasty long poles swinging their titanium like they were bushwhacking.) Bill Tierney used this play to win this summer’s national championship against ‘Cuse. Almost all of the ISOs came from the middies behind the goal. Tucker Radebaugh scored the next Cannons goal on an EMO from a John Grant slashing penalty. David Evans took the reins and scored the Cannons’ next two goals. The first goal came off a groundball scrum. Watson came up with it and Evans was waiting on the crease. Dougherty has been known for staying out of the cage off on defensive possessions and Evans burned him for it. Evans’ second goal came off a picture perfect transition, that Evans caught Doc taking a step to early so he shot top shelf.

Ryan found the net with under a minute remaining in the third quarter bringing the score to 7-4 in to the 4th quarter. Bergey found Powell as he muscled his way to the crease, out of the corner of his eye, Jake found Powell cutting hard to the crease and hit him for a quickstick.

A minute into the fourth quarter, Watson found the net as his D-man tried to throw in every overhead check in the book (I even saw the canoe). Watson took a drop step and ripped an underhand grounder past Dougherty in the lower left corner. The Cannons now had a commanding lead 8-4 with almost 14 minutes remaining in the 4th. In this league, a team can score ten goals in 12 so Rochester was far from out of it. The only chance the Cannons had was to nullify Cercy in the face-off circle and control the ball. The Cannons even placed two middies on Cercy’s rake side, but Chris was still able to get the groundball.

Rochester stormed back scoring three straight goals within five minutes. Boston was not able to produce anything on offense, getting multiple shot clock violations because of the stiff Rattler defense. Powell was first to find the net in the four-goal run. Mike Regan stuck one between Daye’s five hole off a stutter step. At 6:18, Ryan scored his third goal of the game on a dive from behind the goal. As the two-minute mark came up, it looked like the Cannons were going to get their third win of the season from Rochester. Finally, with 44 seconds Cory Kahoun scored on an assist from Powell that tied the game and eventually sent it into over time. Cory’s shot had some serious velocity and placement sticking it right on the stickside pipe.

In the MLL, over times are sudden-death and run for 10 minutes. Rochester closed the deal at 5:05 when Powell found Grant with a cross crease pass that Junior stuck in the corner giving the Rattlers a 9-8 win in Lowell. This was the same exact play that the Rattlers had run on their previous possession but was broken up by Ryan Curtis.

As many of the Cannons dropped to their knees on the field in disbelief, each of the Rochester attackman came up to Daye and pat him on the shoulder. “He was sick tonight,” said Powell as he exited the conference room. But it still wasn’t enough to give the Cannons a win. The Cannons will face-off against Bridgeport for their last home game of the season on August 25th.