Annapolis, MD – Veteran attackmanBen Rubeor scored a career-high seven goals while goaltender Kip Turner anchored a suffocating defensive effort with 17 saves as the Chesapeake Bayhawks defeated the New York Lizards, 9-3, before a big crowd of 11,125 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Rubeor further enhanced his reputation as a dangerous inside finisher, showing tremendous accuracy in scoring his seven goals on nine shots. The former University of Virginia All-American was simply spectacular in scoring every way imaginable. The left-hander fired laser beams into the top corners, scooped a ground ball to net an unsettled goal and beat a defender one-on-one with a great dodging
Rubeor’s last two goals were his most impressive as he somehow got off a shot in traffic on the crease with multiple defenders draped all over him and then scored on a diving sidearm shot. The sixth-year veteran was also pleased to score a goal right-handed, which he doesn’t do too often.
“Thank God Ben Rubeor showed up offensively. Ben is a smart player and he’s become quite an elite player,” Chesapeake head coachDave Cottle said. “Ben scored in transition, he scored off dodges. He showed amazing handle on that one goal. It was a tremendous performance.”
Turner, who was making his season debut, looked sharp in stopping 10 shots in the first half and limiting the Lizards to two goals. Turner, an assistant coach at Brown University, got strong support from his close defense of Mike Evans, Nicky Polanco and Brian Spallina in holding New York to the lowest goal total in Major League Lacrosse history.
“That was a street fight. There were two teams battling out there, a bunch of guys brawling. That wasn’t a lacrosse game, it was a street fight,” Cottle said. “We had a lot of fouls so it was great man-down defense and great goaltending.”
Short stick defensive midfielder Matt Abbott gobbled up five ground balls and dished off two assists for Chesapeake, which improved its record to 2-0. Adam Rand held his own against the league’s best face-off specialist, winning seven of 16 to neutralize Greg Gurenlian.
“It’s good to get out of here with a win at home. You’ve got to get these games early in the year when you don’t have your complete roster,” Cottle said.
MidfielderJustin Smith had a goal and an assist to lead New York (1-1), which was 0-for-9 on the power play. The Lizards tied the MLL record for fewest goals, set last season when Rochester managed just three against Boston.
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