Team USA – MLL Lacrosse All-Star Game

BOSTON--The U.S. National Team imposed its own brand of lacrosse Thursday, using a punishing defense and an opportunistic offense to defeat the Major League Lacrosse All-Stars, 18-10, at the MLL All-Star Game before 9,234 fans at Nickerson Field.

The game, Team USA’s final tune-up before heading to Canada next week for the International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) World Championships, will be broadcast on tape delay Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.

Kevin Cassese scored two goals, including a two-pointer, and added an assist to earn MVP honors for Team USA, while starting goalie Chris Garrity checked in with 10 saves before being relieved by Trevor Tierney in the second half.

“I’m very happy,” said U.S. head coach John Desko. “I thought there was a lot of unselfish play out there. We played more as a team than we did in our previous two [exhibition] games.”

“We think the MLL All-Stars are probably the second-best team in the world, so it builds some confidence,” said U.S. attackman Casey Powell.

Midfielder Blake Miller (two goals) scored on an inverted, one-handed wrap-around to put the U.S. ahead 3-2 with 1:27 remaining in the first quarter. Team USA never trailed from there, tacking on two more on Cassese’s long-range goal 32 seconds later and another when Roy Colsey handled a tough Matt Striebel feed over his shoulder and shoveled it in with 14 seconds remaining in the quarter for a 6-2 lead.

The U.S. extended the lead to 9-4 at halftime, with the defensive unit of John Galiardi, Ryan Curtis and Nicky Polanco fronting Garrity.

But the MLL All-Stars made a run in the second half, closing to within 11-8 on Chris Rotelli’s point-blank finish of a Mike Law feed with 17 seconds left in the third quarter.

Ryan Powell put Team USA back up 12-8 at the 12:25 mark of the fourth quarter – with flair. After Cassese intercepted an outlet with one hand at midfield, he laced a pass to streaking Casey Powell, who was playing midfield at the time. Casey Powell took two steps, zipped it behind his head to his brother Ryan on the doorstep, who put it behind his back and beyond MLL goalie Mike Levin.

MLL midfielder Josh Sims brought the All-Stars back within two when he waved his stick low and then high and fired a two-pointer just beyond Tierney’s reach to make it 12-10 with 9:57 remaining.

Mike Powell (3g, 1a), however, responded with a top shelf goal of his own 54 seconds later. He then added two more goals in the Team USA’s closing 6-0 run that also featured tallies by U.S. team alternate Paul Cantabene and attackman Ryan Boyle, who appeared to shrug off a nagging shoulder injury with two goals and an assist.

“Pick your poison,” said MLL defenseman Brodie Merrill, who’ll play for Canada in the ILF games. “You try to pick up their middies, and an attackman’s going to get it.”

Sims, Rotelli and Kevin Leveille paced the MLL All-Stars with two goals apiece.

Notes: Late scratches for Team USA included Doug Shanahan, who was in Chicago expecting the birth of his child, and injured Christian Cook (hamstring, ankle). Both are expected to rejoin the team in Canada next week

The U.S. took two of three events in the halftime skills competition, highlighted by Mike Powell’s performance in freestyle. Powell did a jump-rope maneuver over his stick, kept it behind his back as he performed a forward flip, and left it there as he scooted a one-on-one goal
beyond MLL goalie Mike Levin – much to the delight of the near-capacity crowd

United States 18, MLL All-Stars 10

Goals: US – M. Powell 3, Cassese 2, Colsey 2, Miller 2, Boyle 2, C. Powell, R. Powell, Cantabene, Striebel, Jalbert, Urick; MLL – Sims 2, Leveille 2, Rotelli 2, Christmas, Fiore, Doneger.

Assists: US – Striebel 2, Haugen 2, Colsey, M. Powell, Gagliardi, Boyle, C. Powell, Urick, Cassese; MLL – Millon 2, Law, Christmas, Gill, Doneger.

Shots – US 34, MLL 25. Saves – US 15 (Garrity 10, Tierney 5), MLL 16 (Cattrano 9, Levin 7). Face-offs – US 12, MLL 18. Ground Balls – US 27, MLL 37.

Attendance: 9, 234.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter
12:15 – Rotelli (Millon), MLL, 0-1
8:42 – Colsey (Cassese), USA, 1-1
4:36 – Sims, MLL, 1-2
2:23 – C. Powell, USA, 2-2
1:27 – Miller, USA, 3-2
:55 – Cassese (Haugen), USA, 5-2 (two-pointer)
:14 – Colsey (Striebel), USA, 6-2

Second Quarter
12:14 – Doneger (Christmas), MLL, 6-3
9:59 – Miller (Colsey), USA, 7-3
5:20 – Fiore, MLL, 7-4
2:41 – Urick (Gagliardi), USA, 8-4
1:31 – Cassese (Urick), USA, 9-4

Third Quarter
14:16 – Leveille, MLL, 9-5
12:18 – Striebel, USA, 10-5
11:25 – Leveille, MLL, 10-6
10:28 – Boyle (M. Powell), USA, 11-6
9:55 – Christmas (Gill), MLL, 11-7
:17 – Rotelli (Law), MLL, 11-8

Fourth Quarter
12:25 – R. Powell (C. Powell), USA, 12-8
9:57 – Sims (Millon), MLL, 12-10 (two-pointer)
9:03 – M. Powell (Boyle), USA, 13-10
6:21 – Jalbert (Haugen), USA, 14-10
4:22 – M. Powell, USA, 15-10
3:49 – Cantabene, USA, 16-10
3:19 – M. Powell (Striebel), USA, 17-10
:32 – Boyle, USA, 18-10