Issaquah vs. Mercer Island - Recap

Mercer has got to take this game from Issaquah after dropping their first game to them.  Issaquah wants a win on MI to cement the final status for play-offs (coverage and brackets coming soon).  Nick Yaap hit the first two goals in the first quarter- and would be the factor for Issaquah that broke the game open.  Yaap had 5 goals and 2 asssts on the day.

Starting the second quarter, MI is tied with Issaquah 2-2 after a tying shot just inside the last minute by Matt Wright. MI has Mahony working against Gerrard on the wing and either Brazg or Howell on the face-off.

Issy gets a possession, and shoots on MI from a drive top center scoring on a bounce shot, just thirty seconds into the third quarter. The score is 3-2. Mercer gets possession on the next face-off due to a loose ball push, but turns the ball over on a bad pass after beating his man. Issaquah gets some great ball movement from Wright to Campi who assists Wright on a nice shot off the foot of Schmidt. Issaquah now leads 4-2.  Issaquah gets possession moving the ball at will. Alex Bates finds an open look to freshman Jake Director and Issaquah is up 5-2 just under 9 minutes. Mercer gets possession from Kevin Mahony who hits his brother for a cannon finding net for Mercer. The score is 5-3 with 8:12 left in the third.  Issaquah takes the ball behind to work their angles against the MI zone, as Brazg anticipates and strips an Issaquah midfielder. Neely picks up a ground ball across midfield, and is tripped by Wright. Mercer Island gets a man-up opportunity with 6:21 in the third. MI needs to convert here, to keep momentum from running away from them.

Kevin finds a lane and works against the near pipe but is wide. Issaquah has killed the penalty, and the ball bounces off of Kevin Mahony. Mahony then chases down Gerrard and knocks the ball from his stick in a diving check to prevent a sure fast break, but Mercer is forcing the cage from the wings and turns it over. Brazg is there to work on Wright and forces a couple of take-aways, but cannot keep possession. Schmidt makes a save and turns it the other direction with Kevin Mahony on a fast break look with Gerrard behind him, and there is a timeout called. Mercer turns it over on an adjacent pass when middies are too close, and Issaquah has it again.

Mercer, now on defense, is going hard on the zone. Schwartz makes a save, and passes to clear, but passes into an Issaquah player’s stick, in their zone ride leaving the goalie open. Schwartz is lucky to get a second opportunity, and then flips the ball backwards into another Issaquah players stick, but they cannot convert. MI gives them another opportunity with a penalty, with under a minute left in the half.

 
Mercer starts the ball at the half, after being man-down at the end of the half, and works a great clear only to turn the ball over on failure to advance. With 30 seconds into the fourth quarter, Nick Yaap takes it in uncontested, making the score 7-3 on a sub shot past Ankram and Schwartz. Yaap has 4 goals already.
Greg Mahony takes the ball past on a sweep, but bounces into a save by Johnson. Johnson has been the factor in Mercer turning the ball over on nearly every possession. 
Mercer’s Loesh gets a 1 minute personal, and Mercer is man-down with 9 minutes left in the quarter. Brazg helps kill the penalty, though not retaining possession. Issaquah turns it over and now MI sets something up. They cannot convert, and turn it over to the ‘quah as they fall back to defense. Yaap is driving the offense for Issaquah and works behind feeding Campi for Issaquah’s number 8 with just under six minutes left in the game. Issaquah is being patient with the ball, getting a one minute on Mahony for a questionable late hit, MI is down one. Getting a possession trade, MI gets a slash in their favor allowing MI to release Mahony and go man up. Just as Mahony comes in, He rings a top shelf bell on Johnson, making the score 8-4 Issaquah. 

Kevin Mahony Mercer gets another opportunity to shift momentum on
Issaquah and draws the double with less than a minute in the third, giving Travis Wright his fourth for the evening solo against Schwartz who is also five-holed. Mercer is in a state as they enter the fourth quarter down 9-4. 
Mercer brings in Bowen for the fourth quarter in cage, and he starts the game by running down the ball after a shot and clears it up for MIs first possession of the quarter only to lose the ball on bad passing. Mercer is really pushing hard on defense, and Brazg gets a great clear for a couple of shots on the cage. Gerrard gets another penalty giving the life-support offense at MI breath with 9 minutes left in the quarter. 

Suddenly, Kevin Mahony sweeps next to brother Greg, flips the ball to his brother, and fools the entire Issaquah team. Mahony gets a fast break off the face-off giving the ball to the AJ Ellis, but the inside quick stick doesn’t find home. Issy clears the ball and works against Bowen who is making save after save in the fourth. Mercer is man-down from a Howell slash, and after some spirited shooting, Alex Bates puts the nail in the coffin of momentum for MI with Issy’s 10th goal of the evening with 7 minutes remaining in the game.

With great defense from Losh, Franklin, Ellis and Mahony all find the ball but cannot get it in the cage. Issy gets the ball back and Campi twirls one-on-one with Bowen and gets stonewalled. Bowen can’t seem to stop the Yaap shot, and Nick has his 5th of the night. Mercer can’t seem to hang on to the ball on offense, and their defense is playing as well as they can to keep the ball out of the net. Clock management has clearly been on the side of Issaquah, and with that, MI grabs one on a jumper from AJ Ellis and the count is 11-6 Issaquah. 
Mercer wins the face-off, and pumps one to Greg Mahony who is triple teamed as he gets off a shot. Inbounding the ball, MI works it around, and gets the ball to AJ Ellis who patiently buries the ball over Johnson for Mercer’s number seven. AJ Ellis is on fire right now and is providing the inspiration Mercer needs right now. In fact, Ellis grabs the ball near the left pipe and drives in number eight for MI and with 1:16 left in the quarter.

Mercer’s Howell carries the ball over the midfield, and fires a shot with 55 seconds in the game, hitting the pipe like an angry plumber. Mercer gets possession and something strange happens. Both MI and Issaquah get penalties and the situation is exacerbated by a bench penalty on MI. Now, MI is down three and Issaquah down one. In the last second, MI gets another penalty, and just lets out all the steam in what has become an officials battle versus a lacrosse game. Issaquah takes another win away from MI, and simply cannot get it done. They will have to fix this offense and midfield.