Cannon Ball: Boston in First After Blowout Win
from press releases
DENVER — The Boston Cannons (8-3)
defeated the Denver Outlaws (7-4) by a score of 16-5 on Saturday
Night at Invesco Field in Denver, CO. The dominating win
completed the season sweep for the Cannons over the Outlaws as
Boston won all three matches against Denver. The Cannons also
clinched the #1 seed at the 2010 MLL Championship Weekend on August
21-22 in Annapolis, MD. Cannons’ goalie Kip Turner was
named Bud Light MVP for holding the Outlaws to just 5 goals and
making 17 saves on the night.
The battle for first place saw a back and forth first
quarter. The Cannons notched the first two goals of the game
as Justin Smith and Pat Heim opened the scoring. The Outlaws
responded with two of their own just over a minute apart to tie up
the score at 2 apiece. Kip Turner made two point blank saves
in the final 2 minutes of the opening quarter and Ryan Boyle turned
the first into a Cannons goal at the other end as Boston led 3-2 at
the end of the first quarter.
The offenses for both teams struggled to start the second
quarter. Brad Ross finally opened the scoring with a blast
7:24 into the quarter. Max Quinzani scored a highlight reel
goal with 4:37 left in the half and Pat Heim followed with his
second on the night less than a minute later to extend the Cannons
lead to 6-2. The Outlaws finally got on the board when
defender Matt Bocklet scored with just over three minutes left in
the half. Back and forth play ended the half but good saves
from both goalies kept the score at 6-3 Cannons at the
break.
The Outlaws scored first in the third on a power play goal, but
Kip Turner and the defense would hold them scoreless the rest of
the quarter. The Cannons responded to the Outlaws goal with back to
back goals 27 seconds apart. Ryan McClay collected a ground
ball off a face off and went down the field uncontested and scored
the Cannons second goal in less than 30 seconds. Quinzani scored a
power play goal, his third of the night, two minutes later to give
Boston a 9-4 lead. Matt Poskay scored his first goal of the
night with just 2 seconds to go in the quarter to give the Cannons
a 6 goal lead with one quarter to play.
Paul Rabil got on the scoreboard four minutes into the fourth
quarter and then Poskay added back to back goals 69 seconds apart
as the Cannons put the game out of reach early in the quarter with
a 13-4 lead. Dan Hardy ended a 22 minute scoreless streak for
the Outlaws, but Pat Heim became the third Cannon with a hat trick
to make it 14-5 with just over 4 minutes to play. Rabil
bookended the fourth quarter scoring as he blasted a 2 pointer to
give the Cannons a resounding 16-5 victory.
News & Notes
Chris Eck won 19 of the 24 faceoffs in the game... Matt
Poskay’s first goal of the game broke the Cannons single
season goal record of 39 (Poskay now has 42)... The Cannons held
the Outlaws top two goal scorers (Mundorf and Westervelt) off the
scoreboard... The Cannons defense held the Outlaws to only one goal
in each of the second, third and fourth quarters... The Cannons now
have two three-game winning streaks this season.
*****
DENVER — The Outlaws dawned camouflage jerseys as part of Heroes Night, but the Boston Cannons threw everything they had at Denver to beat them 16-5 in front of 7,523 lacrosse fans. With only five goals, it’s the first time the Outlaws scored under 10 goals since July 12, 2008 when they lost to the Los Angeles Riptide 16-6.
Cannons Goalie Kip Turner won the Bud Light MVP for his 17 saves in 53:26 minutes. Midfielder Matt Poskay and Attackman Max Quinzani both netted hat tricks for Boston. Attackman Dan Hardy had two goals for Denver in a losing effort.
"They actually played like they wanted to win a lacrosse game," head coach Brian Reese said. "We went out there and kind of jogged around and were just content being there."
The Cannons drew the game’s first blood, scoring two unassisted goals in the first six minutes courtesy of Midfielders Justin Smith and Pat Heim. After multiple shots on goal from the Outlaws, rookie Midfielder Sean DeLaney put Denver on the board with an unassisted goal to bring the score to 2-1 midway through the first quarter.
Attackman Drew Westervelt found cutting Midfielder Kevin Unterstein for the tying goal of the quarter, before a scoop-shot from Denver Midfielder Brian Langtry turned into a transition goal for Cannons Attackman Ryan Boyle. Despite having two more shots on goal than Boston, the Outlaws ended the first quarter down 3-2.
After eight minutes of physical play, which featured penalty time for both teams, the Cannons hit their fourth goal off an unassisted shot from Midfielder Brad Ross. Boston extended their advantage to three, as Quinzani fooled Outlaws Goalie Jesse Schwartzman with an around-the-back trick shot. Heim scored again about a minute later, bringing the score to 6-2 with four minutes left in the second quarter.
The offensive-minded Defender Matt Bocklet would not be denied, as he took the ball the full length of the field to score Denver’s first goal of the second quarter. Schwartzman kept the Cannons out of the net for the remainder of the quarter, saving a two-point shot as time expired to send the game into halftime with a 6-3 Denver deficit.
"Right now, they are the best team in the league and the number one seed," Reese said about the Cannons. "I don't think we're that far off."
The Outlaws started the second-half scoring, as Westervelt was able to find Hardy for a power-play goal a minute and a half into the third quarter. Quinzani netted his second goal, before Boston Defender Ryan McClay took advantage of a crease in the Denver defense and scoring his first goal of the year as a precursor. Quinzani hit his hat-trick goal five minutes into the third, bringing the score to 9-4 halfway through the third.
Although the Outlaws defense tightened up, Poskay was able to capitalize on a Quinzani pass to put the Cannons into double figures with two second left in the quarter. Headed into the fourth quarter, Denver found themselves in a 10-4 hole after consecutive one-goal second and third quarters.
Boston Midfielder Paul Rabil opened up the scoring in the final quarter, as he willed his way to a goal four minutes in the fourth. Poskay hit consecutive goals in just over a minute, giving Denver a nine-goal deficit to work with.
Hardy netted a second goal nine minutes into the quarter, salvaging a second scoreless Outlaws fourth quarter versus the Cannons. Heim crushed any Denver hopes of a comeback, scoring his hat-trick trick goal and giving Boston three players with hat tricks. Rabil nailed the Outlaws' coffin shut, netting a two-point goal and bringing the final score to 16-5.
