Carolina Comes Back, Stars Align for Denver

EVANSTON, Ill. — After recording his second career hat trick in week two, Carolina Chaos attackman Ross Scott endured a month-long goal scoring drought. He snapped a two-game pointless streak in his last game with three assists against Boston, but Scott didn’t attempt a shot in the win.

“I’m just trying to do my job every time I’m out there,” Scott said. “Sometimes, my job is dodging and moving it forward. Sometimes, the guys are getting me in good spots and I [have] to shoot and score. … When I’m put in that spot, I want to make sure I can them for the boys.”

While the California Redwoods bottled up Scott in the first half of Saturday night’s matchup at Martin Stadium, Scott put an emphatic end to his scoreless stretch with three second-half goals to help fuel a 12-10 Carolina comeback victory.

The result marked a second consecutive win for the Chaos (3-3), while the Redwoods (2-4) dropped their fourth straight loss.

“That win meant a lot about the leadership of our team,” Scott said. “We’re a super tight-knit group. When things aren’t going our way, we stick together. We knew we weren’t out of the fight.”

As he evaluated the Redwoods’ early defensive scheme, Chaos coach Roy Colsey saw windows for Scott to thrive through solid ball movement. Carolina long-stick midfielder Troy Reh said much of Scott’s impact transcends any stat sheet, but the second-year attackman can take over a game at will.

“He does so much for our offense,” Reh said. “He’s a matchup nightmare, whether it’s a pole or a short stick. Maybe that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, but it shows up for other guys because he’s the guy that triggers for us.”

Scott made his first mark on the scoreboard with a nifty behind-the-back finish in the third quarter.

He proceeded to bury the game’s final two goals, vaulting Carolina into the lead before isolating from behind the cage and converting a crucial insurance tally.

“He was the guy,” Colsey said. “He could not have been any better. We don’t win this game without his heroics. A couple of the best goals I’ve seen in a long time. His best lacrosse is in front of him, and I’m excited to see his confidence grow as he has games like this.”

The Chaos, who fell into an early 7-3 deficit on the back of two Redwoods two-pointers, received another banner performance between the pipes from five-time PLL goalie of the year Blaze Riorden. The veteran netminder recorded 18 saves, turning away 69.2% of shots faced.

“We had a plan and for the most part we executed it, but we also did some dumb stuff and played into their game plan on that side of the field,” California coach Anthony Kelly said. “When you have an even-matched game and you have a guy that's stealing an extra half dozen on the day. You have to value every possession.”

The Chaos will look to extend their winning streak to three next Friday against the Utah Archers in Fairfield, while the Redwoods will attempt to right the ship against a high-flying New York Atlas squad.

“This hasn’t been easy, but it’s been fun,” Colsey said. “We’ve got a group of veterans that know what it takes to win and are willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. We got a bunch of young guys in the locker room that are figuring it out alongside them.”

STAR-STUDDED OUTLAWS ROLL

All but six seconds of the first quarter elapsed before the Denver Outlaws’ Tewaaraton-laden attack broke a deadlock with the Maryland Whipsnakes on Saturday night. Neither defense afforded the opposition an inch as Denver attackman Pat Kavanagh scored the opening frame’s lone goal.

“We were getting good looks the entire quarter, [but] shots just weren’t falling for us,” Kavanagh said. “We were still happy with the looks we were getting. It was just a matter of time before they started falling.”

Then, the star-studded Outlaws offense kicked into high-gear, transforming an apparent pitchers’ duel into a dominant win.

Behind 13 combined points from Kavanagh, attackman Brennan O’Neill and midfielder Jared Bernhardt and goalkeeper Logan McNaney’s 15 saves, the Outlaws (4-2) knocked off the Whipsnakes (2-4) 13-6 to secure their fourth consecutive victory. O’Neill led all scorers with six points.

“We weathered the storm. Logan made some really nice saves or else we would’ve been down 3-0 early,” Denver coach Tim Soudan said. “Every time they scored, we answered back. We just did a great job defensively, stepping out on their shooters, Logan stood on his head and the rest is history.”

McNaney, who posted a career-best 71.4% save percentage, extended his record as a starter to 4-0. The rookie has recorded at least 14 saves in every start this season.

“The saves, I’ve been getting used to that — that’s been pretty cool,” Soudan quipped. “But what impresses me is him picking off passes, running out to the corner and getting loose balls. We find ourselves as a staff looking at each other when he makes a save. He just makes it look easy.”

For Maryland, the matchup marked the team’s first game action in three weeks. Whipsnakes coach Jim Stagnitta felt his group's rust was readily apparent, with Maryland committing 25 turnovers in the loss.

“We didn’t play well, but we played hard,” Stagnitta said. “We looked like we hadn’t played in three weeks. A lot of turnovers, [poor] decision-making and spacing.”

Denver will look to add another opponent to its demolition tour against the Boston Cannons next Saturday at Fairfield, while the 4-2 Philadelphia Waterdogs await a Whipsnakes squad in dire need of a win.

“Now, our backs are truly against the wall,” Stagnitta said.