Charm: Third quarter resurgence fuels Charm past Palms, but not enough to clinch a playoff spot

The Charm’s offense struggled throughout the first quarter and much of the second as well. Maryland was held scoreless through the opening eight minutes. Grace Griffin finally broke the deadlock with six minutes remaining in the second. 

California controlled the tempo and disrupted all of Maryland’s offensive plays. The Charm couldn’t get their spacing right. Numerous times the shot clock expired before players fired a shot off.

That all changed when Lizzie Colson scored just before the start of halftime to cut the deficit to two. They honed in on the defensive side and limited the Palms to one goal.

Maryland came out of halftime and stole the show. Sydni Black had four goals for the third game in a row. In times where the Charm needed to get on the board to close the deficit, Black led the charge through her speed.

“I'm really excited for her that she's been in sort of this more exposed bubble, if you will, like less players, but real high exposure,” head coach Taylor Cummings Danseglio said. 

Another reason Maryland found itself in the win column was goalkeeper Caylee Waters. Waters produced 11 saves, but her presence throughout the series was remarkable. While the goalkeeper didn’t register any assists today, she started attacks that led to goals.

Waters stood on her head against the likes of Ally Mastroianni and Isabella Peterson. Even though Maryland was eliminated from the playoffs, Waters felt incredibly proud to be part of this team.

“I would rather have the opportunity to lose, then not play at all,” Waters said.

Up next for Maryland: Eliminated from playoff contention

Palms: A game of two halves for the Palms

The California Palms came out of the gate firing and connecting on both ends of the field. California’s offense posted goals left and right in the first quarter. Its defense gave Maryland no room to operate with.

Mastroianni was key on the defensive end, even for a forward herself. The captain matched up against Black numerous times, but let her get nowhere near Taylor Moreno. Mastroianni displayed a performance similar to Izzy Scane’s last night, with caused turnovers and stick checks to eliminate threats.

The Palms defensive pressure fizzled out in the latter half of the game. The Charm started to find gaps and settled into a rhythm. It was a back and forth affair as neither team slowed the tempo down.

“I think lacrosse is just like being able to swing then being able to kind of whether those swings,” Moreno said. “It’s obviously a lot faster and having experience in kind of managing and balancing those swings is important.”

One player who thrived in the faster tempo was Isabella Peterson. She had four goals — her highest total in a  game this tournament.

Emily Nalls and Maggie Hall had their game click into gear as well. Nalls got a goal and an assist while Hall bagged two goals. Mastroianni is still the focal point of the offense, but this game showed California has stars who can step up.

Despite this loss, the Palms qualified for the elimination round with a 1-2 record. Even with a two game losing streak, the Palms’ offense is in a good position to post another high scoring game.

“I mean, I wouldn't mind getting a little redemption against New York, but I always love the Charlotte North matchup,” Moreno said. “I wouldn't mind either one though.”

Up next for California: vs. New York Charging (Sunday, 10:30 a.m. ET)

Charging: A five-star performance rounding out round robins means playoffs are next

Coming off their best performance of the tournament, the New York Charging put in another performance that generated attention. This time, the offense was the headline as its 18 goals were their most scored this series.

Forward Meg Carney recorded five goals and led her team on the offensive side. Carney, like other forwards, had her tournament high five goals. She was automatic from the field.

Izzy Scane had herself another game that showcased why she is one of the top players in lacrosse. She scored four more goals and carried that defensive pressure from last night into her game today.

“As someone who played offense all through college and only really was on the offensive side of the field, a game like this really allows you to try to make plays in other parts of the game,” Scane said. “If you're not scoring goals, you're not an assister, you feel like you're not performing in a certain way, there are so many other places to make up for it."

Belle Smith was one of those players who made up for it. Even though she’s used to scoring goals, her role for New York means she focuses more on assists or defense than getting on the score sheet.

Smith added two more assists and guarded key attackers like Ahern and North. Her 20 passes were the second most on the team, but she was everywhere on the field for New York. The forward is the heartbeat of the team and maintains the balance between offense and defense.

“Yeah, she's awesome,” Scane said. “Erin and I played against her in college a lot, and she's just one of those middies that kind of does it all. It's very impressive to see.”

The Charging now play the Palms in a rematch of Friday’s contest. New York bested California and it’s going to take another defensive masterclass to ensure they make it to the championship.

Up next for New York: vs California Palms (Sunday, 10:30 a.m. ET)

Guard: Well-balanced team effort guides Guard to Championship Monday

The Boston Guard sent out a statement to other teams in the league with their win over the New York Charging. Five players scored hat tricks in a complete team effort.

Dempsey Arsenault (4G, 2GB) had her best game of the series. Her splits in between the defense extended Boston’s lead many times.

Just like Arsenault, Madison Ahern also had her best game of the series. The forward scored her personal best of the tournament with five goals. These past two games, Ahern has helped alleviate the pressure North receives from opponents by showing she’s capable of finding the back of the net.

“We got a lot of people involved on the offensive side of the ball,” head coach Laurie DeLuca said. “Our defense was also amazing today.”

The defense was led by goalkeeper Rachel Hall, who recorded her first start in place of the absent Kady Glynn. Hall made 11 saves and was eager to come out of her crease. The goalie acted as another field player to stop Madison Doucette’s lobs over the defense.

The Guard did give up their tournament worst 18 goals, making this game the highest scoring game in the Maybelline WLL. Boston allowed New York to go on runs, even being down by as many as two with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Boston weathered the storm and charged past New York in convincing fashion. This win means the team receives a day of rest before playing in the championship on Monday. Forward Andie Aldave shared what the squad is going to hone in on to win the trophy.

“We put ourselves in scenarios where we've been up by three, up by four, maybe even five, at most, this whole week and we've kind of let off the gas a little bit and let teams come back into the game,” Andie Aldave said. “So I think for us, it's just gonna be critical to really, like be disciplined in those moments.”

Up next for Boston: Championship vs. the winner of Charging-Palms (Monday, 11 a.m. ET)