Cannons whip into action against Nationals
All of this celebration probably seems a little overdone.
Mitch Belisle didn’t even score one of last night’s 19 goals against the Toronto Nationals, but he still got a pie in the face. The Cannons figured they’d hit some member of their defense that staved off a late Nationals rally. But, still, that reasoning was stretching it.
“It’s getting dangerous here with the whipped cream,’’ Belisle said.
But all of this whipped cream - four faces covered after the Cannons held off the Nationals, 19-15, at Harvard Stadium - is probably deserved.
It was the first time since the second game that the Cannons played a team over .500. It was the first time playing a winning team, too, since the return of last year’s team MVP Matt Poskay - and they haven’t lost with him in the lineup. It was the first time this year’s first-round draft pick Brandon Corp was allowed to play his natural position, attackman.
It was the first time everything went right. And, with just five games before the playoffs, it’s a better time than ever.
“If this is a run, we’ll take the run,’’ said Cannons coach Bill Daye. “I was just happy we could finish the game as strong as we started it.’’
The game started with an exhibition of offensive control from Corp in his first game at attack since he was a senior at Colgate in the spring. He received a pass from Sean Morris and flicked it behind the back for a goal.
It was as pretty as it was symbolic for the night: The Cannons continually worked the 60-second shot clock for a manageable shot and simply outskilled the Nationals.
“It took me awhile to get used to the plays on this team, and this league is much faster, but now I’m starting to get comfortable,’’ said Corp, who scored a team-high four goals along with Morris. “The offense was clicking.’’
The first quarter ended with a momentum-shifter - a three-save stand for Cannons goalie Mike Levin - and an outlet to Corp who scored with eight seconds left.
“[Corp] is quietly confident,’’ said Daye. “When we scouted him as the QB out of Colgate, we knew he could do this kind of thing for us.’’
After a possession-dominated second quarter - in which Morris scored diving across the crease and again, burning a shot off the tip of Toronto goalie Doc Schneider’s stick - the Cannons went into the second half with a 10-4 lead.
Every time Toronto tried to fight back, one of the Cannons’ six MLL All-Stars would shoot the Nationals down.
Jordan Hall and Delby Powless both slashed for goals, but it was squelched by Poskay on an end-of-the-shot-clock set play.
Jeff Zywicki fed Merrick Thomson in front of the net in the fourth to cut the lead to 17-13, but Paul Rabil scored on a broomstick-like sweep from a Greg Downing pass just seconds later.
The Cannons and Nationals are both 4-3, tied for third place. The win gives the Cannons the tiebreaker.
