Eduardo Curros – Western Correspondent, All Lacrosse All The Time
It is Week 8 of the Premier Lacrosse League and the Utah Archers took on the Carolina Chaos in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Archers were 2-4 and on a three-game losing streak, at times looking nothing like the two-time defending PLL Champions. Chaos came in with a 3-3 record, having rebounded with two wins after a 20-6 drubbing at the hands of Maryland in Week 4. The Archers built an 8-0 lead, then nearly squandered it, holding on to win 12-11. Both teams are now 3-4, with Archers holding the tiebreaker for goal differential. These teams will meet again in the final week of the regular season.
Archers control first half with eight-point run
Archers took a commanding lead with four goals in the first quarter. Grant Ament would score unassisted 36 seconds in, followed-up by Sam King with an unassisted goal at 1:20. Mason Woodward then scored a 2-pt goal at 3:03 and Connor Fields scored with help from Mac O’Keefe at 7:35 for a 5-0 Archers lead.
King scored his second goal at 2:21 of the second quarter, with help from O’Keefe. Woodward added another 2-point goal with help from Connor Maher at 2:37 to extend the lead to 8-0. The Chaos would finally wake up and go on the offensive push, starting with a goal from Owen Hiltz at 3:03. Jackson Eicher scored thanks to an assist from Josh Zawada at 7:32. Beau Pederson scored at 7:44 for a 9-2 lead. Chaos would then go full blast with three consecutive goals from Sergio Perkovic at 8:13 with Hiltz assisting, then Hiltz getting his second at 11:24, and Ross Scott closing it out at 11:58. However, Archers carried a 9-5 lead into the half.
Much needed win for Archers, sizeable blow to Chaos
Dyson Williams opened the second half scoring with help from King at 0:31 to push the lead to 10-2. Hiltz scored his third for Chaos at 6:07 to reduce the lead to 10-6 after three quarters. It would be do or die for the Chaos but in the words of LL Cool J, don’t call it a comeback. Scott Smith started the rally for Chaos 0:07 into the fourth quarter. Fields would score his second with assistance from Ament on a power play at 1:36, making it 11-7. Hiltz would connect with a pass from Ray Dearth at 2:20. Zawada would score with a pass from Hiltz at 5:38, then Hiltz would score another at 8:04 to close the gap to 11-10. Tre LeClaire pushed the Archers lead back to two with an unassisted goal at 9:44. Scott scored one more goal at 10:26, but Chaos could not get the tying goal, and Archers took the win 12-11.
Curros’s Corner
Archers: Woodward (2 2-pt g); King (2g, 1a); Fields (2g); Ament (1g, 1a); Williams/Leclaire/Pederson (1g); O’Keefe (2a)
Chaos: Hiltz (5g, 2a); Scott (2g); Zawada (1g, 1a); Eicher/Smith/Perkovic (1g); Dearth (1a)
Justin Inacio (Chaos): 14-23 FO, 9 Ground Balls (led all players)
Brett Dobson (Archers): 17 saves; Blaze Riorden (Chaos): 15 saves
