Just a week after winning the NCAA Men’s Championship Game with Princeton, Carolina Chaos rookie Chad Palumbo made his presence felt by the Waterdogs in a 10-8 win in Week 3. Palumbo dominated his defenders, putting his big body to work down low. When the Waterdogs tried to double or triple team him, it opened up his teammates to do a lot of damage. The Chaos had 4 different players record a pair of goals in this game. On the other end of the field, Blaze Riorden was an absolute brick wall between the pipes for Carolina. Thanks to Riorden, the Waterdogs failed to put up double digit goals for the second straight game. Carolina has two tough matchups in Charlotte next week, facing Utah and Denver. We shall see how the Chaos does defending there home field.
Waterdogs need to find ways back into the win column
This is the second straight loss for the Waterdogs. If Philly wants to be PLL champs they need to find ways to keep their foot on the gas pedal without hitting the brakes. CJ Kirst recorded a hat trick in his PLL season debut after winning an NLL Championship with the Toronto Rock. Michael Sowers and Kieran McArdle both had 3 points in this game. However Philly didn’t score from beyond the 2-point arc, which in my opinion is crucial. Additionally, their midfielders managed just three combined points on one goal and two assists. The lack of production from the midfield continues to be a concern. Next week, the Waterdogs have a chance at revenge against Boston, who beat them 19-5 in their first meeting in Week 2. We shall see what head coach Bill Tierney can dial up for this Philly team, before they get too far down in the Eastern Conference standings.
