CHARLOTTE, NC (May 23, 2015) — The Charlotte Hounds on Saturday night lost their fourth-straight game, falling 19-13 to the Boston Cannons at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Cannons goalkeeper Jordan Burke lead the effort with 29 saves. In addition, Will Manny scored five goals and Kevin Buchanan four, earning him Coca-Cola Player of the Game honors. The Hounds, meanwhile, were lead by rookie Joey Sankey, who tallied eight points (5g, 3a) in his MLL debut, leaving him one shy of tying the team’s single-game record.
Mike Sawyer got the Hounds on the board first with a great individual effort, but Rob Emery found an equalizer from long range just 30 seconds later. After four scoreless minutes, Ryan Flanagan intercepted a pass and streaked for the cage. He tried to bounce a shot in but the ball went wide and the Cannons recovered. Scott Ratliff took it down field and ripped a two-pointer to put the visitors in front 3-1 with 6:09 to play. The Hounds had several shots in the next few minutes, but Burke stood tall in goal. John Haus finally broke through with 2:15 to play in the first quarter.
The Cannons scored their second two-point goal just 1:36 into the second quarter to push their lead to 5-2. It marked the start of a five-goal run for the visitors, who racked up a 9-2 advantage following back-to-back tallies from David Emala. Sankey ended the Hounds’ draught with just under five minutes to play in the half, but Manny responded with his second of the night to maintain a seven-goal differential. Then, with 2.6 seconds left on the play clock, Sawyer found Terry Kimener on the doorstep. Kimener powered it home to make it a 10-4 game at the half.
Hounds goalie Pierce Bassett made just two saves in the first half, which lead to him being replaced by Jack Runkel at the start of the third quarter. However, he got off to a rough start as well, allowing a goal on the first shot he saw. Manny scored two straight and Buchanan added his second of the night to build the Cannons advantage to 13-4 with 6:12 to play in the third. The Hounds started to find some momentum, as Sankey tallied back-to-back goals, but the Cannons had an answer for everything. Manny and Adams both scored before Sawyer could find the back of the net again, making it a 15-7 game going into the final 15 minutes.
Sankey continued to surge in the fourth quarter, scoring another two-straight in the first 1:15 to make it a six-goal game. But the Cannons outscored the Hounds three to one over the next seven minutes. Kevin Cunningham tallied back-to-back goals to pull the Hounds back within six with 53 seconds on the clock, but it wouldn’t be enough. Each team would score once more in the final seconds to account for the 19-13 final.
The Hounds’ home stand continues next week with a tilt against the undefeated New York Lizards (6-0), who are traveling to Charlotte off their bye week. The game will be played at American Legion Memorial Stadium on Saturday, May 30 with faceoff scheduled for 7:00pm ET.
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About Charlotte Hounds
In January 2011, Major League Lacrosse announced a league expansion for the 2012 season that included Columbus, OH and Charlotte, NC. The Charlotte Hounds began play in 2012 at historic American Legion Memorial Stadium. The organization is dedicated to growing the sport of lacrosse in Charlotte and the Carolinas, as well as providing a unique sports environment that entertains and embraces fans.
For more information, please visit www.charlottehounds.com