Eduardo Curros – Western Correspondent, All Lacrosse All The Time
It is Week 9 of the Premier Lacrosse League and the playoff picture is getting very tight. The Utah Archers took on the California Redwoods in the first game of the weekend and their second matchup this season. Utah had a narrow lead at halftime, but California rallied for a 9-8 win to split the season series. Both teams are now 3-5 on the year; however, based on the goal differential tiebreaker, the Redwoods currently sit in third place in the West and the Archers in last place. Utah plays again Saturday night, taking on the West-leading Denver Outlaws.
Utah clings to one-goal lead at the half
Mac O’Keefe kicked off the scoring for Archers at 2:10, with help from Grant Ament. Dylan Molloy would score for the Redwoods unassisted at 3:56 to tie the game. Beau Pederson fired in a 2-point goal with help from Mason Woodward at 6:07 to give Utah a 3-1 lead. Connor Fields then scored a power play goal with help from O’Keefe at 9:03 for a 4-1 lead. Aidan Danenza scored off a pass from Chris Kavanagh at 11:12, but Archers led 4-2 after the first quarter. Tre LeClaire scored at 4:56 of the second quarter to widen Utah’s lead. Kavanaugh responded for California with Molloy assisting at 5:51. Romar Dennis followed with a 2-point goal assisted by Charlie Bertrand at 8:05 to tie the game at 5-5. Piper Bond would score at 9:49 to give Archers a 6-5 lead going into halftime.
Second half scoring woes continue for Utah
Dyson Williams opened the second half scoring for Utah with help from Tom Schreiber at 0:24. Redwoods came back with goals from Molloy with help from Ryder Garnsey at 8:14, and Bertrand at 11:30 to tie the game 7-7 after three quarters. Garnsey scored at 3:54 of the fourth quarter to give Redwoods their first lead of the game. O’Keefe tied the game with help from Leclaire on a power play at 5:50. However, Kavanaugh scored his second goal at 8:20 and it stood as the game-winner for the Redwoods, 9-8.
Curros’s Corner
California: Molloy (2g, 1a); Kavanagh (2g, 1a); Garnsey (1g, 1a); Bertrand (1g, 1a); Dennis (2-pt g); Danenza (1g)
Utah: O’Keefe (2g, 1a); Leclaire (1g, 1a); Pederson (2-pt g); Fields (1g); Bond (1g); Williams (1g); Sam King (1a); Grant Ament (1a); Tom Schreiber (1a)
Chayse Ierlan (California): 14 saves; Brett Dobson (Utah): 17 saves
TD Ierlan (California): 13-19 Faceoffs; 6 Ground Balls
Schreiber left the game in the second half with an apparent leg injury; he is not expected to be available for the second game of Utah’s Homecoming Weekend on Saturday against the Denver Outlaws.
