Blue beats White in ALL Young Guns Game

Patrick Miles scored 10 seconds into the game and Dylan Goddard followed that up with another 20 seconds later and Team Blue cruised to a 14-5 win over Team White in the Arena Lacrosse League Young Guns game held Saturday at the TRAC in Oakville. 

Goddard lead all scorers with 2 goals and 4 assists points in the game held before the National Lacrosse League (NLL) combine and attended by many of the General Managers and Coaches of the professional league. Goddard showed flashes of brilliance throughout the game and scored a highlight goal from behind Team White's net, his second of the game to put Blue ahead 5-1 in the first quarter.  

NLL Draft hopeful Layne Smith added 3 goals including a power play marker early in the first quarter after Zach Sloan had cut Blue's lead to 2-1. Blue then rode the stellar goaltending of both Chase Martin, (3 goals against, 24 shots) and Lucas Coote (2 goals against 26 shots) as White goaltenders Craig Wende (8 goals against, 28 shots) and Patrick Pollock (6 goals, 19 shots) could not match their excellence.

Nick Chaykowsky, another NLL prospect lead the White attack with a goal and 2 assists but the White power play could not score during a five minute major to Blue's Doug Utting early in the 3rd quarter when a couple of goals could have started a run to bring the White back in the game as Blue lead 10-3 at the half.

Defensively, Blue were solid, Travis Burton played well and showed NLL personnel that he could be ready to play at the Pro level. Free agents Tyler Roche and Patrick Miles as well as Zach Tomkinson and Doug Utting may have NLL teams thinking about giving these guys an opportunity. Team White Jordan Houtby had a solid game on the back end, and Jayson Crawford showed he still has the speed to get out in transition chasing down a long pass and scoring on the lip of the crease to cut Blue's lead to 8-3 in the 2nd quarter.

The game itself provided fans an opportunity to watch the ALL to see the high level of lacrosse the league provides non pro players. Many of the NLL combine players in attendance also had their first look at the ALL and should be considering playing in the league if they are looking to play during the winter months and develop their game under NLL rules.