Bayhawks-Lizards Final? That's Divine
by Corey McLaughlin | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
MLL SEMIFINALS - ANNAPOLIS, Md.
Video: MLL Semifinals, Post-Game Interviews
Chesapeake 13, Boston 9 - Game Story | Boxscore
Long Island 16, Denver 12 - Game Story | Boxscore
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Long Island Lizards midfielder Keith Cromwell celebrates after scoring Saturday during a 16-12 win over the Denver Outlaws in the MLL semifinals. Cromwell also dished five assists to help the Lizards return to the championship game for the first time since 2005. © John Strohsacker/LaxPhotos.com |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- According to Long Island
Lizards attackman Tim Goettelmann, it was God’s plan for his
team to face the Chesapeake Bayhawks in Sunday’s Major League
Lacrosse championship.
The 10-year MLL veteran was with the Lizards in the first season
of the outdoor professional league in 2001, when Long Island played
and beat the then-Baltimore Bayhawks for the inaugural championship
behind seven goals from Paul Gait.
Though the opponent that day changed its surname a few times --
first to Washington and now to Chesapeake -- they’re still
the Bayhawks. And when they beat top-seeded Boston, 13-9, in
Saturday’s first semifinal, Goettelmann started thinking
about a potential finals rematch with the team in the
league’s 10th anniversary season.
“I was thinking about how God was going to place us in the
final with them,” Goettelmann said after Long Island defeated
the Denver Outlaws, 16-12, on Saturday to advance to Sunday’s
championship at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (1 p.m. ESPN2).
“I just know everything was happening for a reason. We were
the hottest team coming in with a five-game winning streak, and
then Chesapeake upends Boston.”
It will be the first championship game appearance for the two
teams since 2005, when Baltimore beat the Lizards, 15-9, behind six
goals from Gary Gait. The teams also met in the final the first
three years of the league. The series is 2-2 all-time. Goettelmann
was there for them all.
“We talked about how it would be fitting for the 10-year
anniversary of the league to be a Long Island-Baltimore
final,” Lizards coach Jim Mule said. “They did their
part, we did our part, and we’ll have a good game
tomorrow.”
The Lizards and Bayhawks split their two-game regular season
series this summer, but neither team is reading much into the past
results. Chesapeake won 16-8 in the season-opener, but John Orsen,
Ricky Pages and Keith Cromwell have all returned from injuries for
the Lizards since then and rookie Parker McKee was added in the
draft. That’s all contributed to their current six-game
winning streak, Mule said.
Long Island won the second meeting, 14-11, on July 22, but the
Bayhawks were without some key players that game -- including
faceoff specialist Alex Smith, two-point leader Kyle Dixon and
defenseman Shawn Nadelen, who were at the FIL World Championships
with Team USA. “We really can’t go off that
game,” Mule said. “It wouldn’t be
fair.”
Goettelmann said the X-factor in Sunday’s matchup will be
Chesapeake goalie Chris Garrity, who made 18 saves in the semifinal
win over Boston. “If we get to him early, we’ll have a
good chance,” said Goettelmann, the 6-4, 215-pounder
affectionately known as "The Monster."
Chesapeake’s defense also played well against the Cannons,
shutting out Paul Rabil and limiting league MVP and MLL leading
scorer Matt Poskay to two goals.
They’ll look to give a similar effort against Long Island
about 24 hours later, a rare quick turnaround in the MLL, where
regular season games are played once per week and players can be
well rested.
“It will be exhausting,” said Garrity, who will match
up with fellow Penn State alum, Long Island goaltender Drew Adams.
“We just have to come ready to play. We’re going to get
rest, get our feet up and hit the ice baths. But we have a lot of
numbers on our team that are going to help us. We have a great
squad. One more game. That’s what we got.”
After the final matchup was set, Goettelmann said the same thing:
“One more game.”
This one will have special meaning for him. Earlier this season,
the only original Long Island Lizard left on the team said this
might be his last MLL season. But then he recently said he was
unsure. Could another championship sway his decision?
“Ten years later,” he said in amazement. “That
first final was an epic game with the Gaits and I think it was at a
Connecticut high school. And now, look where we are at the Naval
Academy.”
It was as if God planned it. Right, Tim?
