Carolina Chaos Secure Dramatic Overtime Victory
In a hard-fought contest in Denver, the Carolina Chaos (4-5) snapped a three-game losing skid by defeating the Boston Cannons (4-5) with a 13-12 overtime result. Despite facing significant adversity, including a lopsided face-off battle and a lower-body injury to specialist Justin Inacio early in the game, the Chaos displayed remarkable resilience.
Teddy Malone starred for Carolina, contributing a career-high six points, including the decisive goal in overtime. Goalie Blaze Riorden was instrumental in the win, tallying a season-high 20 saves and reaching a historic career milestone of 1,300 total saves.
Regarding the team's performance, head coach Steven Brooks remarked:
«When you get a goalie like Blaze that’s able to control the huddles, and make huge saves, and steal saves on top of it, it builds a lot of momentum.»
While Boston dominated the shot count (55-39), their head coach Brian Holman noted that the rapid pace forced by the short shot clock disrupted their usual offensive rhythm, though he expressed optimism about the experience serving the team in the long run.
Utah Archers Solidify Top Spot
The Utah Archers continued their impressive form with a 13-8 victory over the Maryland Whipsnakes. Following a win against Denver just one day prior, the Archers proved their depth and defensive prowess. Brett Dobson was a standout for Utah, recording 18 saves and frustrating the Maryland offense throughout the afternoon.
The game turned in the third quarter when Utah capitalized on defensive lapses by the Whipsnakes. The situation was further complicated for Maryland after face-off specialist Petey LaSalla exited the game due to injury, allowing Utah’s Mike Sisselberger to dominate the final face-offs.
Utah head coach Chris Bates expressed satisfaction with the team’s direction:
«We just come at you from a bunch of different directions and put balls in the back of the net.»
Philadelphia Waterdogs Dominate Denver
The Philadelphia Waterdogs asserted their dominance on Saturday evening, delivering an 18-8 defeat to the Denver Outlaws. Missing Brennan O'Neill due to injury, the Outlaws struggled to find their footing against a relentless Philadelphia attack.
Michael Sowers led the charge for the Waterdogs with six points, while Sean Byrne delivered an exceptional performance in his first professional start, recording 15 saves. Philadelphia’s victory keeps them firmly at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, while Denver is left looking for answers as they continue their season at 4-5.