The Whipsnakes staged a remarkable comeback to defeat the Atlas 16-12 on Saturday, overcoming a five-goal deficit in the first quarter at Villanova Stadium. The victory marked Maryland's first win of the season (1-2), while New York fell to 1-2.
Trailing 5-0 after one quarter, Maryland found its rhythm in the second half, scoring eight goals in an explosive fourth quarter. TJ Malone led the charge for the Whipsnakes with five points (three goals and two assists), including key plays during their late-game surge. Adam Poitras also contributed four goals, while Aidan Carroll added three goals and an assist. Brad Smith's long-range two-point goal was pivotal in shifting momentum as he finished with three points overall.
Rob Pannell continued his climb toward history by dishing out the ball for three assists, bringing his career total to 291 assists -- just one shy of Ryan Boyle's all-time record. Colin Heacock chipped in with three goals for Maryland, and Matt Rambo recorded two assists.
On defense, Brendan Krebs stood tall for Maryland with 12 saves against a high-powered Atlas offense that struggled after its hot start. Joe Nardella dominated faceoffs late in the game to help secure possession during critical moments.
For New York, Connor Shellenberger shined bright despite his team's struggles, tallying seven points on three goals and four assists -- a performance that included several highlight-reel plays. Xander Dickson netted four goals, three of which were off feeds from Shellenberger, but he saw limited opportunities as Maryland tightened up defensively later on. Liam Entenmann made an impressive 17 saves but couldn't hold off Maryland's relentless attack down the stretch.
New York started strong behind Brett Makar's early two-point goal and contributions from Tyler Carpenter and Matt Traynor; however, they had no points over the final two quarters as their offense sputtered under pressure.
The loss leaves New York at the bottom of Eastern Conference standings, despite both teams showing flashes of brilliance throughout this contest.
Up next: The Atlas face the Philadelphia Waterdogs on June 21 at 4 p.m. ET on Homewood Field, where the Whipsnakes will host the Boston Cannons at 7 p.m. ET on the same day.
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