The Maryland Charm and New York Charging met for the second time this season on Saturday in Chicago. For the Charging, playing their last game of the regular season, the stakes were the same as in their previous game: a win would clinch them a spot in the inaugural WLL Final. However, the Charm had their own high stakes: avenge a loss in their first game against the Charging, and Maryland would move ahead of New York in the standings. Additionally, the Charm would be in control of their own destiny when they face Boston in their last regular season game.
The game exploded in the first quarter, as the teams combined for 16 goals before defenses started to settle in. The Charm led 12-10 at halftime, but watched that lead slowly disappear in the second half, eventually finding themselves trailing for the first time, 15-14 early in the fourth quarter when Sam Smith broke the seventh tie for the first lead change of the game. However, Sam Apuzzo and Brigid Duffy, who combined for 10 points, scored crucial goals in the fourth, with Duffy’s goal resulting from an overturned “no goal” call after review.
The result was a 16-15 win for the Charm that improves their record to 2-1, while dropping the Charging to 2-2. The Charm now jump into second place in the standings behind idle California (also 2-1, but owning the goal differential tiebreaker over Maryland). Maryland can punch their own ticket to the WLL Final with a win next Friday over Boston.
Charm control their own destiny, while Charging must wait and hope
The Charm were led by Apuzzo (3g, 2a), Duffy (2g, 3a), Ally Kennedy (3g, 1a), and Sydni Black (2g, 1a). Grace Griffin and Erica Evans each added two goals, while Livy Rosenzweig and Cassidy Spilis also scored. Rosenzweig also went 11 for 21 on draw controls and picked up 10 ground balls. Ashley Humphrey added three assists to bring her total for the season to a league-leading 10; she also sits third in the league in points with one game to play. Once again, time was split in net between Caylee Waters (2 saves; 10 goals allowed in the first half) and Jenika Cuocco (9 saves, 5 goals allowed in the second half).
Top scorers for New York were Ally Reilly (4g, 1a in her WLL debut), Sam Smith (3g), Izzy Scane (2g, 3a), and Erin Coykendall (2g). Smith won 9 of 18 draw controls and picked up 11 ground balls. Scane currently leads the league with 18 points (11g, 7a). On the back end, Madison Doucette had another busy day in net, making 14 saves while allowing 16 goals. Doucette finishes the regular season with 57 saves in four games, currently the most in the WLL.
With their regular season complete, the Charging must now wait for the outcome of the final two games, both involving the last-place Boston Guard (0-2). First, the Guard play the Charm next Friday – if Boston wins that game by two or more goals, the Charging would move up into second place and eliminate the Charm from securing a spot in the WLL Final. If Boston loses, the Charging still have one last chance to make the final when the Guard plays California on August 8. In this scenario, the Guard would need to defeat the Palms by 10 in order for the Charging to win a goal differential tiebreaker with California and make the final.
