By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/25/13
Former Delaware great John Grant Jr. scored four straight goals and was named game MVP in leading the Chesapeake Bayhawks to a 10-9 victory today over the Charlotte Hounds in the Major League Lacrosse championship game at PPL Park.
The MLL title was the second straight for Chesapeake and its third in four years.
Grant’s outburst turned a 2-2 game into a 6-2 lead. He scored one with one second left in the first quarter and another with one second left in the first half. The Hounds never got closer than two goals until Matt Danowski tossed in a 2-pointer at the buzzer.
Grant, who was a USILA Player of the Year for the Blue Hens in 1999, earned his fourth MLL crown in the past six years. He was on last year’s Chesapeake team and also won titles with Rochester (2008) and Toronto (2009).
“Every championship means something for different reasons,” said Grant, 38, who has the rare distinction of winning MLL, National Lacrosse League and Mann Cup (Canadian) championships as well as a World championship (for Canada). “I don’t put them in order but the older you get the more special they are
“People ask, ‘How do you keep playing?’ I got lucky to be called to this team two years ago – it’s a tremendous organization, from top to bottom I love being a Bayhawk and it was great to put it together this week.”
Also for Chesapeake, Drew Westervelt scored three goals and Malvern Prep grad Matt Mackrides (Penn State) added a goal and an assist.
“Two years in league – two championships,” said Mackrides, who did not play in last year’s championship weekend after being drafted by Chesapeake out of Penn State. “Obviously, it’s great to be a part of this organization.
“It’s amazing and special doing it in my home town. Last year I didn’t’ get to play and the veteran guys helped in my transition to the pro game. This year I knew what to expect coming into the season.
“To have these guys push as hard as hard as they did to come back and repeat; it’s hard to repeat in any sport, at any level, in any league.”
Added Resch: “I think one of the toughest things you see across all sports is that it is so tough to repeat. The first year it’s exciting and new and then to have to turn around when everyone is aiming for you, when you have high expectations high, it’s a real testament to these guys.
“It’s a great group of guys. They have the right attitude and have fun with it. It’s a real treat to be around these guys.”
For Charlotte, defenseman Brett Schmidt (Upper Dublin) had five groundballs and defender Mason Poli (Downingtown East) had a groundball and a shot on goal.
Westervelt’s third tally came after Charlotte – the tourney’s fourth seed- had pulled within 9-7. Ryan Young led the Hounds with four goals and three assists.
Chesapeake also features assistant coach Tony Resch, the Associate Head Coach at La Salle and a former Wings great and coach for the Wings and Philadelphia Barrage.
The attendance was 3,792.
Game Notes:
Chesapeake’s Kip Turner went 14 for 22 in saves, earning a .636 save percentage in the game.
Three players completed hat tricks in the game, Drew Westervelt and John Grant Jr for the Bayhawks, and Ryan Young for the Hounds.
Championship MVP, John Grant Jr. scored four consecutive goals in the game, one in the first quarter, two in the second, and one last goal in the third. He would finish the game with four total points.
Adam Ghitelman, in goal for the Hounds made 9 saves, on 19 shots on goal.
Charlotte’s Ryan Young led their offense, tallying 7 points in the game, including four goals and three assists.
Just four players scored goals for the Hounds, while only five players tallied goals for the Bayhawks in the Championship game.
Both Drew Westervelt and John Grant Jr. would score four points in the game, leading the Bayhawks’ offense.
The 10-9 score ties the record for lowest score in a Championship Game. In 2009 Toronto defeated Denver and 2011 Boston beat Hamilton by the same score.
