Midfielder Kyle Dixon Scored Four Goals and Piled

Chesapeake Bayhawks Fall to Outlaws

Posted by Dick.Myers_Editor On 08/12/2012

Midfielder Kyle Dixon scored four goals and piled up seven points, but it was not enough as the Chesapeake Bayhawks fell to the Denver Outlaws, 15-13, before a crowd of 10,420 last night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Dixon fired in a pair of 2-point goals, increasing his Major League Lacrosse single-season record in that category to 14. Attackman Brendan Mundorf totaled five points on three goals and two assists while goalie Jesse Schwartzman made 15 saves as Denver rallied from an early five-goal deficit to capture the third regular season championship in franchise history. Rookie attackman Mark Matthews had three goals and an assist for the Outlaws (11-3), who set a franchise record for victories and earned top seed for MLL Championship weekend. “That’s a very talented offensive team and you have to cover them for 60 minutes,” Chesapeake head coach Dave Cottle said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t keep playing at the level we did during the first quarter for the rest of the game.” Denver will face fourth-seeded Long Island (8-6) in the opening semifinal (1 p.m.) on Aug. 25th at Harvard Stadium in Boston. Chesapeake (10-4) receives the second seed and will take on No. 3 Boston (9-5) in the second semifinal (4 p.m.). “It definitely feels good to get that number one seed and play in the early game,” said Mundorf, who was named Bud Light Player of the Game. Attackmen Ben Rubeor and Drew Westervelt scored two goals apiece for Chesapeake, which missed a chance to set a franchise record for victories. Attackman John Grant Jr., joined midfielders Ben Hunt and Steven Brooks in totaling a goal and an assist for the Bayhawks, who were seeking their first regular season championship since 2005. “It’s a little annoying and very frustrating,” Chesapeake goalie Kip Turner (11 saves) said of the missed opportunities. “On the other hand, it’s good for everyone to know on our team to know that we have to work even harder over the next two weeks in order to accomplish our ultimate goal.” Dixon and Westervelt both scored two goals while Grant had a goal and an assist as Chesapeake raced to a 7-2 lead after one quarter. Dixon fired in a 2-pointer and also scored on a left-handed rocket while dodging down the alley. Attackman Ben Rubeor scored the team’s first goal, extending his streak of notching at least one point to 29 consecutive games. Grant wowed the crowd with a nifty behind-the-back goal. However, the Outlaws came storming back in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7 on the strength of five unanswered goals. Attackman Chris Bocklet scored two goals while Matthews had a goal and an assist during the rally. Chesapeake was short-handed on defense as starters Michael Evans, Brian Spallina and Dan Hostetler all sat out for various reasons. Barney Ehrmann and Tim Kaiser replaced Evans and Spallina on close defense while John Orsen and Mike Simon filled in for Hostetler and Ehrmann as long stick midfielders. Dixon opened the third quarter scoring with his second 2-pointer of the night, connecting from beyond the arc at the 10:28 mark on a power play. That snapped a scoreless drought of more than 21 minutes for the Bayhawks.

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