Eduardo Curros – Western Correspondent, All Lacrosse All The Time
It is Week 10 of the Premier Lacrosse League, the playoff picture is shaping up and Denver Outlaws are talking on the Carolina Chaos in the first of their Homecoming Weekend games. The Outlaws can clinch the West Conference with a win, along with a first round bye in the playoffs. For the Chaos, it’s win and in for a playoff spot – and they did just that. After falling behind 8-2 just three minutes into the second quarter, they outscored the Outlaws 10-3 the rest of the way to win 12-11.
Chaos fall behind early
The Outlaws Justin Anderson kicked off the scoring at 1:14 with an assist from Logan Wisnauskas. Adam Charalambides tied the score for Chaos at 3:06 off a pass from Jackson Eicher. Owen Hiltz then scored at 3:59 off a pass from Ross Scott to give Chaos a 2-1 lead. Brennan O’Neill scored two consecutive goals at 4:23 and 8:32 to put Denver up 3-2. Jared Bernhardt scored at 8:58 with a pass from Wisnauskas, and Dalton Young scored unassisted at 9:34 to make it 5-2 Outlaws after the first quarter.
Mike Manley continued the run with a 2-point goal at 0:47 of the second quarter, with help from Wisnauskas. Young followed up, assisted by Pat Kavanagh, on a power play goal at 2:59, giving Denver an 8-2 lead. Carolina would reply with three consecutive goals from Charalambides, Scott, and Sergio Perkovic via Hiltz, at 4:05, 8:10, and 8:34. Kavanagh would close the scoring for the Outlaws at 10:54 to extend their halftime lead to 9-5.
Chaos hold Outlaws to just two goals in second half to win
Shane Knobloch and Eicher opened the second half scoring with two consecutive 2-point goals at 4:33 and 6:10 of the third quarter, tying the game 9-9. The only goal of the third quarter for Outlaws came from Kavanagh, with help from Ryan Terefenko, at 7:05. Hiltz scored his second, assisted by Josh Zawada at 9:04 to tie the game 10-10 going into the fourth quarter. Knobloch and Hiltz each scored again in the fourth quarter, at 4:03 and 11:17 to open a 12-10 lead for Chaos. Bernhardt cut the lead to one 11:49, but Denver could not get another goal to force overtime, and Chaos would win 12-11.
Curros’s Corner
Chaos: Hiltz (3g, 1a); Eicher (1 2-pt g, 2a); Knobloch (1g, 1 2-pt g); Charalambides (2g); Scott (1g, 1a); Perkovic (1g)
Outlaws: Kavanagh (2g, 1a); O’Neill (2g); Bernhardt (2g); Young (2g); Manley (1 2-pt g); Anderson (1g); Wisnauskas (4a)
Logan McNaney (Outlaws): 13 saves; Blaze Riorden (Chaos): 9 saves
Justin Inacio (Chaos): 13-21 Faceoffs; 8 Ground Balls (led all players)
