Carolina Chaos 12, Denver Outlaws 11
Hayden Lewis: Blaze Riorden and the Chaos defense slam the steel door against Denver
The Chaos entered halftime down 9-5, and Blaze Riorden only had three saves. Things were looking bad for Carolina, and then, coming out of the break, it was announced that Jack Rowlett wouldn’t return to the game due to injury.
It was another week where everything looked negative at halftime, and the Chaos’ odds of winning appeared slim.
But for the 19 players and three coaches, it was a chance to jump on the “hard road” and take control of the moment, and the destiny that would shape the remainder of the season.
“People overlook us, but no one really wants to play us,” Shane Knobloch said postgame. “You look at teams that can come back from an 8-2 deficit, I think we’ve done it three times this year, so we don’t see those bad starts as a game over right there.”
Since the Chaos’ 20-6 loss to the Maryland Whipsnakes on June 22, the team has been different. The group had difficult conversations and has completely reshaped the trajectory of their season.
“That loss made us better. I think it allowed all of us to commit to a better effort and more communication and believing in each other,” head coach Roy Colsey said. “I think since that [Maryland] game, we’ve been significantly better and more connected.“
Riorden made six saves in the second half, but he was most impactful on the defensive end by causing three turnovers by intercepting passes that were meant to work through X to create offense for the Outlaws. Scott Smith and Levi Verch rose to the occasion and accepted bigger roles with Rowlett sidelined with an injury, and the Chaos offense emerged in the second half like it has all season.
The win punched Carolina’s ticket into the playoffs. Next week against the Utah Archers, the Chaos can solidify their spot as a top-two seed in the Western Conference with another win.
Up next for Carolina: Friday, Aug. 8 vs. Utah Archers (9 p.m. ET)
Topher Adams: Chaos prove to be Denver’s kryptonite
The Outlaws have roared through this season, ripping off six straight wins and locking up a spot in the playoffs. Through two-and-a-half quarters Friday ngith, it looked like more of the same for Denver. A 7-0 run in the first half put the Outlaws up 9-5 at the break.
Two Chaos two-pointers midway through the third later, and the Outlaws had their first loss since Carolina took them down in Week 2.
At this point, it’s undeniable that Denver has a Chaos problem. Carolina’s physical defense disrupts its rhythm on attack, and its relentless offense finds ways to put points on the board. The Outlaws were a step behind defensively, and not even Logan McNaney’s late heroics were enough to stop the upset.
Throughout the win streak, Denver had the goods in the second half. Look no further than the win over Boston, in which the Outlaws responded to every Cannons counterpunch and gutted out the 18-17 victory.
Those second-half heroics were not on the menu in Denver’s first of two Homecoming games. The Outlaws went without a goal for more than 16 minutes in the second half, only scoring with less than 20 seconds left. The Tewaaraton Four had eight points in the first half but just two in the second.
Despite a spectacular home environment and a strong first half, Denver just didn’t bring its best stuff against the Chaos. The Outlaws will still have another chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West on their own terms Saturday night, but Friday’s loss is a shock to the system.
Up next for Denver: Saturday, Aug. 2 vs. New York Atlas (1 p.m. ET)
Boston Cannon 13, Philadelphia Waterdogs 11
Sarah Griffin: Cannons get their swagger back in win over Waterdogs
On a Saturday night in Denver, the Cannons played with urgency and finally got the result they were looking for to match it.
Snapping a three-game skid and climbing from last to second in the Eastern Conference standings, Boston controlled the tempo for most of the night en route to a 13-10 victory over their rivals.
There was no shortage of narratives buzzing around coming into this marquee matchup, but in the end, the top story of the game was clear: Colin Kirst.
Boston’s netminder racked up 20 saves in one of the best performances in his pro career. Of course, humble as always, Kirst didn’t seem to revel in that stat too much.
“Oh wow!” was his response on the field when Quint Kessenich told him he had made 20 saves. When asked in the postgame press conference if it was a matter of “feeling it” or just a result of really good teammates, his answer was no surprise.
“100% the guys in front of me,” he instantly responded. “They know the type of shots I like to see and made sure to give me those tonight.”
Facing a Waterdogs offense that lit them up earlier this season, Kirst and the Cannons came out more physical, more disciplined and more connected on both ends of the field.
“We didn’t really change anything [during the bye week],” said head coach Brian Holman, whose team lost an instant classic game against the Outlaws in overtime two weeks earlier. “We came out of that Outlaws game knowing we could’ve won. We elevated what we did well from that game, and cleaned up the mistakes.”
The Cannons held a commanding 13-6 lead headed into the final frame Friday night and appeared to be cruising before the Waterdogs closed with a late four-goal push in the fourth quarter. While it was too little, too late for Philadelphia, the slip did cost Boston a chance to gain even more valuable ground in the score differential column, a tiebreaker that could factor into playoff seeding when push comes to shove.
Still, with two regular-season games remaining – both at home at Harvard Stadium next weekend, against the California Redwoods and Maryland Whipsnakes – Boston is in a strong position. However, as the Cannons knows all too well, nothing can be taken for granted in this league and every game is a battle.
Regardless, this was a step in the right direction for Boston.
“That was much more like Cannon lacrosse than how we’ve been playing lately,” Holman said.
Boston played to all their strengths: Kirst led from between the pipes, Asher Nolting found his spark again to ignite the offense and the team leaned into the identity they’ve become known for: gritty, fast, and relentless. Now, the road to the postseason runs through Boston.
Up next for Boston: Friday, Aug. 8 vs. California Redwoods (6:30 p.m. ET)
Mike Bolger: Waterdogs suffer brutal loss in playoff clinching scenario
Defensive struggles in the first half put the Waterdogs in an early hole. They allowed eight goals, including two two-pointers, as the Cannons built a 10-4 halftime lead.
“Another really good effort late in the game, but we can’t get off to these slow starts,” head coach Bill Tierney said. “Credit to Boston for coming out and taking it to us early.”
Turnovers in transition, sloppy plays and breakdowns in communication left goaltender Matt DeLuca in difficult positions, often facing high-quality shots.
The Waterdogs entered the game without starting defenseman Kenny Brower and lost short-stick defensive midfielder Christian Scarpello during play, forcing adjustments pre- and mid-game.
Despite signs of life in the third quarter, the Cannons consistently answered Waterdogs’ scoring runs and maintained control into the fourth.
“I’m disappointed in the result. I’m disappointed we didn’t play the whole game like we played the fourth quarter,” Tierney said. “We’re going to move on to next week and try and get one and see if we can hang in there and play for another week.”
Rookie CJ Kirst had a standout performance in his third game back from injury, recording five goals and an assist against brothers Colin and Connor. He started the game running out of the box before moving to attack, where he found most of his success after Jake Taylor absorbed a huge hit early on.
Michael Sowers was right there with Kirst, recording three goals and an assist and contributing to a late push that fell short. Kirst assisted on one of Sowers’ goals and vice versa.
The Waterdogs now look ahead to their final regular-season matchup with playoff implications still in play. Beat the New York Atlas next week, and they’re into the playoffs for the first time under Tierney.
Up next for Philadelphia: Saturday, Aug. 9 vs. New York Atlas (1 p.m. ET)
