The Chesapeake Bayhawks successfully played the part of defending Major League Lacrosse champions in their season opener against visiting Rochester Saturday, finding breathing room in the closing minutes of the third quarter and dominating from there for a 14-10 win over the Rattlers.
An announced crowd of 7,916 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis saw the Bayhawks get goals from nine different players with Ben Rubeor and Brian Carroll leading the way with three goals each. Michael Kimmel added two goals and an assist, and Kyle Dixon scored one and added two assists.
The Bayhawks, who got 13 saves from goalie Chris Garrity, will take their 1-0 record to Hamilton on Thursday to take on the Nationals — the first of four straight road games before returning home to host the Boston Cannons on June 25.
"We were able to grind one out," said Chesapeake coach Brendan Kelly. "The first one is always hard, the energy is high, returning champs, so we needed to settle down. I think the first half, we were a little jumpy … I think we did a good job in the second half, settling down, getting the ball moving around the horn and finding each other, looking for each other. And, of course, Brian Carroll once again steps in at the end and puts the game away."
The Bayhawks never trailed in the game, but weren't able to shake the visiting Rattlers until late in the third quarter with their overall team depth taking over as planned.
Leading 8-7, Carroll scored on the extra man with 1:50 to play and then Steven Brooks fired a shot from the top to take a 10-7 lead into the fourth quarter. After the Rattlers cut the lead to 10-8 with 12:34 to play on a goal from Josh Coveleski, the Bayhawks got three unanswered goals — Rubeor scoring first with Carroll scoring the next two for a 13-8 advantage that wouldn't be threatened.
"I think we've been practicing well and had a good training, so we know what we are capable of and it feels good to come out and execute well," said Carroll. "I think we were getting some decent opportunities the whole game and it was just a matter of putting our shots away and some shots started to fall at the end of the game."
A balanced attack carried the Bayhawks to a 7-5 advantage at halftime with goals coming from six different players before Kimmel scored his second of the game to give the home team a 7-4 lead with 5:02 to play in the half. The Rattlers got a goal from Ari Sussman just before the break to cut the deficit to 7-5 at intermission.
Standout Michael Evans left the game in the first quarter with a back injury, but Kelly was hopeful he would be ready to play Thursday in Hamilton.
Major Lacrosse League
Chesapeake Bayhawks 14, Rochester Rattlers 10
Goals: R – Crotty 3, Bice, Cahill, Sussman, DeBlois, Coveleski, Striebel 2;
C – Kimmel 2, Reynolds, Dixon, Rubeor 3, Hunt, A. Smith, Carroll 3, Brooks, Glading.
Assists: R – Crotty, Sussman;
C – Kimmel, Dixon 2, Hardy 2, Glading, Miller.
Saves: R – Gabel 13; C – Garrity 13.
Half: C, 7-5
A -- 7,916