Faceoffs, goaltending key factors for ’Hawks
Coach Dave Cottle thinks faceoffs and goaltending will be critical factors when his Chesapeake Bayhawks host the Denver Outlaws in Saturday’s Major League Lacrosse semifinals.
On paper, the Bayhawks would seem to have an advantage in the latter category and a disadvantage in the former.
Chesapeake’s Niko Amato is one of three finalists for the Brine Goalie of the Year Award presented by Major League Lacrosse. The former University of Maryland All-American is enjoying his finest season at the professional level and ranks among the league leaders with a 12.37 goals-against average and .537 save percentage.
“Niko has been extremely consistent with stopping the ball and has made some really clutch saves when games were hanging in the balance,” said Cottle, adding that he thinks Amato is deserving of the Goalie of the Year honor.
Due largely to the work of Amato, Chesapeake finished first in Major League Lacrosse with 174 goals allowed through 14 games. Team USA member Jesse Bernhardt and second-year pro Garrett Epple have been the stalwarts of the close defense for the Bayhawks while C.J. Costabile has done yeoman’s work at long-pole midfield.
Chesapeake may have the best shortstick defensive midfielder in MLL in Isaiah Davis-Allen, a second-year man out of Maryland. Naval Academy graduates Chris Fennell and Matt Rees will likely round out the defensive unit on Saturday night.
Denver began the season with Jack Kelly between the pipes and he stopped 54 percent of shots through 11 games. However, Kelly sustained a season-ending injury while playing for the United States in the Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships.
Dillon Ward, who was the starting goalie for Team Canada, has replaced Kelly in net for the Outlaws. Ward, a Bellarmine graduate, comes from an indoor background and plays for the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League.
Ward, who was named Most Outstanding Goaltender of the world games, has posted a .516 save percentage in four starts for Denver.
“We’re going to need a big game out of Dillon, that’s for sure,” Denver coach B.J. O’Hara said. “Fortunately, we’ve been playing pretty strong defense all season. I’m counting on the guys in front of Dillon giving him the type of shots he can stop.”
Denver’s starting close unit of Matt Bocklet, Finn Sullivan and Eli Gobrecht have spearheaded a defense that ranks third in MLL with 183 goals allowed. Michael Simon is one of the top long stick midfielders in the league.
Chesapeake was dealt a tough blow when faceoff specialist Stephen Kelly suffered a knee injury during last Saturday’s regular season finale against the New York Lizards. Kelly, a rookie out of North Carolina, has handled the draws for the Bayhawks all season and ranked second in MLL .542 winning percentage.
Cottle was hopeful of picking up a replacement for Kelly, but Major League Lacrosse froze all rosters on August 3 and would not grant the Bayhawks a waiver. That means Costabile will have to face off using his long pole. The seventh-year veteran relieved Kelly at times during the season and went 9-for-25 on draws.
Denver had two solid faceoff specialists for most of this season in Max Adler (131-for-227) and Thomas Kelly (108-197). General manager Tony Seaman traded Kelly to New York on June 8, leaving Chesapeake goalie Niko Amato has a 12.37 goals-against average and .537 save percentage this season. Adler to take all the draws.
Cottle is counting on Rees and DavisAllen to do a good job working the wings to help Costabile counter Adler.
“Faceoffs are going to be a big factor in this game and we cannot use losing Stephen Kelly as an excuse,” Cottle said. “Every member of our faceoff unit needs to step up and make sure we get the job done in that department.”
Second- seeded Chesapeake (9-4) swept No. 3 Denver (8-6) during the regular season in two completely different games. Attackmen Josh Byrne and Steele Stanwick posted six points apiece as the Bayhawks beat the Outlaws 24-22 in a wild shootout at Sports Authority Field on May 13. Amato recorded 11 saves to anchor a strong defensive effort for the Bayhawks in a 13-11 defeat of the Outlaws on July 28 in Annapolis.
“At this point in the season, the Outlaws are who they are and the Bayhawks are who they are. I don’t think either team has changed a lot so there will be no secrets or surprises,” Cottle said.
Denver features a potent attack led by Eric Law, who has amassed 58 points on 40 goals and 18 assists. Matt Kavanaugh isn’t far behind with 53 points (34, 19) while Chris Cloutier, the likely MLL Rookie of the Year, has piled up 40 points (26, 14) in just six games.
Cloutier, Denver’s No. 1 draft pick out of North Carolina, has supplanted another talented attackman in the starting lineup and now Kylor Bellistri comes out of the box in hopes of drawing a short stick defender.
“The Outlaws are very, very talented offensively. They have an incredibly dangerous attack and five middies that can all finish,” Cottle said. “If Denver is clicking offensively, we will have to score for all four quarters to win this game.”
Chesapeake has been led offensively by midfielder Myles Jones and attackman Colin Heacock, who have totaled 38 points apiece. Jones has scored 23 goals and dished off 14 assists while Heacock has almost identical numbers with 22 goals and 15 assists.
The Bayhawks added another weapon into the mix when attackman Lyle Thompson joined the team late in the season. The former Tewaaraton Award winner has notched 10 points in three games.
Chesapeake is the most successful franchise in Major League Lacrosse with five championships to its credit. The Bayhawks have won three of those titles since being moved to Annapolis by owner Brendan Kelly.