CHESAPEAKE EDGES HAMILTON IN DRAMATIC FASHION

Hamilton used a fourth-quarter three-goal rally to take an 11-10 lead and had the ball with two minutes left. After using the full 60-secpond shot clock, the Bayhawks got the ball with just 1:01 to play. Chesapeake looked for the tying goal and got it from Brian Carroll with just 26.7 seconds to play to tie the game at 11. Carroll and Brooks finished the game with two goals each, while Danny Galding collected a team-high four points (2+2). Chesapeake improved to 5-3 with the road win as Brian Phipps made 14 stops.

 

Hamilton used hat tricks from rookie Kevin Crowley and Geoff Snider, and a three-point night from Jeremy Boltus. Scott Rodgers made 19 saves, including one in overtime. Hamilton also received eight goals from rookies. The Nationals used their arsenal of first-year pros to take a 5-4 lead after the first quarter.

 

Stephen Keogh (2+0) scored his first pro goal on his first shot of the game, beating Phipps with a turnaround shot that just dribbled over the goal line at 1:38. Carroll and Glading scored for the Bayhawks to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. Hamilton used another Syracuse rookie to get its second goal as Jeremy Thompson connected from Brodie Merrill at 6:21 to tie the game at two. A third rookie gave Hamilton the lead, but it was former Army attackman Jeremy Boltus at 7:59. Keogh then hit for his second of the first quarter at 9:37 for a 4-2 advantage.

 

Make it five for five, rookie Kevin Crowley from the left wing, 5-2 at 12:38. Before the end of the first, Chesapeake struck for two on a shot by Kyle Dixon at 13:38 to trim the Hamilton lead to 5-4.

 

The Nationals’ Snider made 6-4 with a faceoff win, ground ball and then goal just 19 seconds into the second. Crowley increased the lead to 7-4 as he bulled past one defender, split the defense and scored with a bounce shot at 11:26. Rodgers held Chesapeake scoreless for 13:53 until Steven Brooks scored at 12:31 to make it 7-5. Ben Rubeor cut the deficit to one with a goal at 13:49.

 

Chesapeake continued its comeback in the third with the tying goal by Justin Smith at 2:41. The Bayhawks took their second lead of the game at 3:31 on a goal by Rubeor. Chesapeake took its largest lead of the contest when Ben Hunt scored from the left wing to take a 9-7 advantage. Snider ended the 5-0 run with a goal off the faceoff at 4:09. His second of the night cut the Chesapeake lead to 9-8. Glading helped the ‘Hawks regain their two-goal lead at 12:20 on a turnaround shot.    

Crowley completed the hat trick on a behind the back shot at 5:14 to cut the deficit to 10-9. Hamilton put together a run as David Earl picked off an errant passed, raced and fired a shot past Phipps to tie the game at 10. Snider gave Hamilton the lead at 7:41 with a great individual effort. That set stage for Carroll’s low shot to the far post to send the game into OT.   

 

In overtime, Rodgers made the first stop to give the Nationals the ball. Hamilton’s Earl was held on the way to the goal, which led to a man-up for the Nats. Phipps stopped a close-range shot to give Chesapeake the possession. Chesapeake won it on the next possession on a shot by Brooks at 2:10.

 

The Nationals travel to play the Boston Cannons on Saturday, July 23rd at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com.