The Carolina Chaos secured their first win of the season with a dramatic 12-9 victory over the Denver Outlaws on Friday. The game, held at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, saw Blaze Riorden deliver a record-breaking performance with 25 saves, setting a new Premier Lacrosse League single-game record.
Ross Scott led the offensive charge for the Chaos (1-1), contributing five points on three goals and two assists. Garrett Degnon added three goals to his tally while Adam Charalambides and JJ Sillstrop each chipped in two points apiece. Mark Glicini and Cross Ferrara also found the back of the net once each as seven different players scored for Carolina.
Despite trailing early, Denver (0-2) relied heavily on Brennan O'Neill's hat trick performance alongside Graham Bundy's two-point goal contribution. Dalton Young added two goals while Mike Manley and Pat Kavanagh contributed one goal each. However, Owen McElroy struggled between the pipes for Denver with only seven saves compared to Riorden's stellar outing.
The turning point came during an explosive fourth quarter where Carolina outscored Denver 5-2 after entering tied at seven apiece through three quarters. Ross Scott rejected defensive picks en route to scoring key goals that helped swing momentum toward his team late in regulation.
Denver's offense was stifled by Riorden's dominance throughout all four quarters as he stopped shots from close range and long distance alike -- holding Tewaaraton winners Logan Wisnauskas and Jared Bernhardt scoreless across multiple attempts.
With this victory marking Roy Colsey's first win as head coach of Carolina Chaos amidst homecoming festivities featuring passionate fans dressed like "Reapers," they'll look forward confidently towards Saturday night against Redwoods.
Up next: The Chaos host the California Redwoods on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, while the Denver Outlaws visit the Philadelphia Waterdogs on June 14 at 7 p.m.
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