Jeff Teat was a man on a mission for the New York Atlas last Saturday, putting up 8 points with 5 goals and 3 assists in a 17-9 win over the Philadelphia Waterdogs. The Waterdogs had to keep their eyes on Teat, as he was a game changer all day, taking what Philly was throwing at him on defense. The Waterdogs were trying to put Teat in two-on-one situations, but he would then find an open teammate so they could finish the play. The New York Atlas kept Philly off balance on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they had no problem scoring in transition, shooting from 2-point range, or tic-tac-toeing Philly’s defense with great ball movement.
Teat, Atlas Keep The Waterdogs In Their Cages
Now to New York’s defensive side of the ball. The Atlas played good perimeter defense, taking Philly out of their comfort zone by trying to force the Waterdogs to shoot from 2-point land. New York played physical defense down low, which held Philly from driving the ball inside. Atlas goaltender Liam Entenmann was a beast between the pipes, only conceding 9 Philly goals on 22 shots in the game for a save percentage of 71%.
Philly Needs To Come Up With New Dog Tricks
The Waterdogs kept it close for three quarters, but were thoroughly outplayed by the New York Atlas in the fourth quarter. Philly ranks fourth in the PLL in goals scored, but are also the only team that has not yet scored a 2-point goal this season. Additionally, only the Whipsnakes and Chaos have surrendered more goals through four weeks of play. Philly is going to need to get back and work on some new dog tricks and try to mix in some transition and 2-point goals. The Waterdogs like to create havoc down low; however, Philly needs to take a page out of New York’s playbook to keep the opposing defense off balance, the same way Jeff Teat kept them off balance in this game.
