The Chesapeake Bayhawks defeated the Hamilton Nationals 13-12 in a back-and-forth game to reach the MLL Championship Game, at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. on Saturday. The Bayhawks will look to repeat as champions against the fourth seeded Charlotte Hounds.
Michael Kimmel lead the way for the Bayhawks with four points, While Ben Hunt and John Grant Jr. added three of their own in an intense game that featured six ties and four lead changes. Joe Walters paced the way for the Nationals and had a game-high five points on two goals and three assists.
Kimmel got the defending champs on the board first with a two-point rip that beat Brett Queener from deep. However, the Nationals scored the next three goals to take a 3-2 goal into the first break.
Josh Amidon scored the first goal on an assist from Walters before 2013 MLL MVP Kevin Crowley scored and then assisted on a Martin Cahill man-up goal with just under 20 seconds remaining in the opening frame.
Hunt opened the second quarter by driving to his left through the Nationals defense and putting a shot past Queener to put an end to the Hamilton run. But two quick goals by Kevin Cunningham and Cahill put the nationals back on top 5-3.
Once again, Hunt scored a lefty goal to draw the Bayhawks back within one. Another man-up goal, this time by Cunningham, put the Nationals back up by two, but goals by John Grant Jr. and Drew Westervelt evened the score at six heading into halftime.