Boston Cannons 9, Utah Archers 8
Sarah Griffin: Holman’s buzzer beater lifts the Cannons to 2-0
After holding a long-standing lead throughout the majority of the game, the Cannons watched as it slowly began to slip out of their grip in the fourth quarter. They needed a spark. It didn’t matter from whom; it was anyone’s for the taking. And with just seconds left in regulation and the game tied 8-8, Marcus Holman delivered in a Superman-esque effort.
Holman’s diving goal with two seconds left capped off a gritty victory for Boston over the defending champion Archers.
“That shot never works, honestly,” Holman laughed after the game. “It’s about 1-for-17.”
Despite the SportsCenter-worthy finish, it was more of a defensive battle than an offensive showcase between two of the top teams in the league. Neither led by more than two, and each punch was quickly met with a counter. It was the Cannons’ defensive anchor, Colin Kirst, who once again set the tone in net.
Now a captain in only his fourth pro season, Kirst held off a potent Archers offense with 15 saves (65.2%). He was supported by a close defense of Garrett Epple, Bryce Young and Jack Kielty — who have made their case early in the season for the best close defensive unit in the league — and a defensive midfield that Archers’ Tom Schreiber had nothing to do but “tip [his] cap to.”
Fourth overall pick Coulter Mackesy made his professional debut at lefty attack, notching his first career point on an assist to Matt Campbell. While rookie Archers defender Brendan Lavelle did a good job in covering Mackesy one-on-one, Mackesy left a lot to be excited about.
Now 2-0, as Boston’s stock continues to rise, so do expectations. With a wealth of talent on their roster, it looks early on like the Cannons’ greatest opponent this season will be themselves.
Up next for Boston: Friday, June 13 vs. Philadelphia Waterdogs (6 p.m. ET)
Zach Carey: Archers’ offense leaves room for improvement despite defensive dominance
The Archers struggled to score the rock on Saturday afternoon in Charlotte. Two of the club’s eight goals were on power plays. Another couple were garbage goals that came after the ball hit the dirt. Only three or four of Utah’s scores came in settled six-on-six offense.
The Cannons’ defense deserves credit as one of the most matchup-proof units in the league. Kielty gave Connor Fields (1G, 1-for-2 shooting) a hard time all game and limited him to only two shots after his four-goal performance in Albany. Long-stick midfielders Owen Grant and Ethan Rall were studs against Utah’s midfield, and Kirst continued to be a standout between the pipes.
Yet the Archers still should have put more points on the board on Saturday. Their 23 turnovers were too many. They struggled to connect on the cross-field, lightning-fast feeds that the offense tends to rely on, and there was too much sloppiness, especially in early offense to beat such a quality defense. The late-game execution – on possessions in the final few minutes when Utah could’ve taken control of the game – was also lacking.
“The ball’s in my stick twice at the end of the game. [It] ends up with them two times,” Schreiber noted postgame. “It’s something I gotta do a better job of. … But I’m hopeful and pretty confident that there’ll be more [opportunities] going forward.”
The crucial caveat is that Utah is missing two All-Pro midfielders in Grant Ament and Tre Leclaire. Those two alongside Schreiber, Fields, Matt Moore and Mac O’Keefe make the Archers difficult to match up with. Without them, though, the offense didn’t have the matchup advantages it’s used to relying on and was stagnant as a result.
A week after holding the Maryland Whipsnakes to seven goals, Utah’s defense limited Boston to nine. Brett Dobson played through injury to make 14 saves and stop 63.6% of the Cannons’ shots on goal. Graeme Hossack locked Asher Nolting (1A, 0-for-5 shooting, two turnovers) down. The defense got lost off-ball a few times and gave up a few scores when Boston got a few of Utah’s offensive midfielders stuck on the wrong end.
This loss is hardly an indictment of the Archers’ odds of winning a third consecutive title this summer. They’ll get healthier on offense with Ament expected back soon and Leclaire likely to make his return around the All-Star break. And the defense looks like one of the best in the league.
“When you lose in this league, it’s lower than low,” Schreiber said. “Sometimes, when you win, you feel like you’re on top of the world. Usually, it’s somewhere in the middle. At the end of the day, we’re 1-1, done a lot of good things defensively, and got to clean it up offensively.”
Up next for Utah: Friday, June 13 vs California Redwoods (8:30 p.m. ET)
