The Charlotte Hounds on Sunday afternoon suffered a 14-10 loss to the visiting Chesapeake Bayhawks at American Legion Memorial Stadium. It was a day in which not much went right for the Hounds, including having to deal with a malfunctioning game clock at their home venue. Bayhawks midfielder Matt Mackrides was named Coca-Cola Player of the game for his three-goal performance, while the Hounds were lead by Jake Tripucka with one goal and two assists.
As the Hounds struggled with turnovers and errant passes, the Bayhawks built up a 4-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. The run included two goals each from Mackrides and attackman Jack Rice.
It seemed as though the Hounds found their rhythm in the second quarter, getting on the board within the first two minutes. Pierce Bassett made a save, cleared the ball to Tripucka and the Hounds worked it around before John Haus was able to find the back of the net. Less than a minute later, Mike Sawyer cut the Bayhawks lead to two with a goal from close range. But the visitors responded, putting together another four-goal run, including back-to-back tallies from Peet Poillon, to push ahead 8-2 with 7:04 remaining in the half.
The final three minutes were all Hounds though, as Haus was just barely able to get a pass off before being knocked to the ground. Josh Dionne received the ball and ripped it into the net. The Bayhawks got the ball back, but Bassett was able to make a save and clear to Michael Ehrhardt. The defenseman took it all the way to the cage, cutting the Bayhawks lead to 8-4 at the half.
Bassett stood tall to start second half, making three straight saves before the Hounds got the ball back. Terry Kimener was able to score on the run to make it 8-5 with just under 10 minutes to play in the third quarter. Brett Schmidt then forced a turnover and took the ball down the field, scoring as he fell to the ground. But that’s where the Hounds’ momentum halted, as the Bayhawks scored three straight, including the third of the day from Mackrides, to close the quarter with an 11-6 advantage.
Steven Robarge won the opening faceoff for the Bayhawks in the fourth quarter, setting up Matt Danowski for his second goal of the day. One minute later Jeff Reynolds got in front of Bassett, faked his shot high and scored low to give the visitors a 13-6 lead. Ehrhardt was able to finish a two-point goal in transition and Dionne scored his second while being knocked to the ground to get the Hounds back within four, 13-9, with 9:13 remaining in the game. After 5:41 of scoreless play, Reynolds notched his second of the night to essentially put the game out of reach for the Hounds. Tripucka scored his lone goal with 2:45 remaining in the game to account for the 14-10 final.
The Hounds (1-3) will have a short turnaround this week, as they travel to Delaware, Ohio to face the Ohio Machine (1-3) on Saturday, May 16. The Machine are coming off a 15-12 loss at the Florida Launch. Saturday’s game will be played at Ohio Wesleyan’s Selby Stadium with faceoff scheduled for 7:00pm. Fans can watch the action live on ESPN3 or the WatchESPN app.
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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