Hammerheads clinch playoff spot

Years before Ben Martin would play a starring role in the Connecticut Hammerheads’ playoff-clinching win against the defending Major League Lacrosse champion Chesapeake Bayhawks, he would create a different kind of memory at NavyMarine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Growing up in Arlington, Va. as the son of Navy football season ticket holders, Martin would spend many of his Saturdays in the same stadium where he put up a goal-scoring exhibition on Friday.

With 11 of the 23 field players making their Major League Lacrosse debuts, the Hammerheads stumbled at the beginning of the tournament. Connecticut was blown out by Denver and then lost to Philadelphia. The Hammerheads headed into a game against New York realizing that a loss could likely eliminate them from playoff contention just as players were getting comfortable playing together. Connecticut topped New York and then scored nine times in the second half in a win over Boston to improve to 2-2. That gave the Hammerheads a chance to clinch one of the four semifinal spots with a win on Friday.

No two players have rebounded from the slow start more than New Canaan’s Michael Kraus and Martin, who were picked second and 20th in the MLL Draft, respectively. Neither player had a point in the first two games but have combined for nine goals and three assists in the last three games.

Martin had eight goals to help Dartmouth win three of its first four games before the season ended prematurely due to COVID-19. Dealing with the emotions of having his senior season ending so quickly, working to become an Ivy League graduate, and quickly transitioning to a wild ride at the shortened MLL season has been quite the challenge for Martin.

Bradley Voigt had four goals giving him 16 in Connecticut’s five round-robin games. Adam Osika had three goals, Will Sands finished with three assists and Kraus had a goal and an assist as the Hammerheads improved to 3-2. Justin Schwenk, filling in for an injured Noah Rak, went 16 for 25 on faceoffs while Sean Sconone had nine saves.

Chesapeake led 4-3 after one quarter. Goals by Colin Heacock and Mike Panepinto pushed the Chesapeake lead to 6-3. Connecticut scored four of the last five goals of the first half with Cody Radziewicz’s goal tying the game at 7 with 1:24 remaining in the second quarter.

Ridgefield’s Chase Levesque and New Fairfield’s CJ Costabile each had a goal for the Bayhawks, who will meet the Hammerheads in the semifinals on Saturday.