Chaos Comeback Falls Short in Cali

SAN DIEGO— After a near 3,000-mile trip, the Carolina Chaos’ slow start ended up being too much to overcome, despite scoring the last four goals in a 10-8 loss to division rival California on their homecoming weekend. It was another game where the defense put up a strong effort as the offense struggled to find their footing at times.

“We should be able to win a game where you only let up 10 goals and it’s frustrating for us, there’s no question about it,” said Carolina’s Head Coach Andy Towers. “We’re an experienced defense and a new offense, and part of the new-ness includes rookies, or second-year guys or guys we just picked up this year and it’s a work in progress.”

Carolina got on the board with the first goal, but after that it was all Redwoods as they scored eight of the following 10 goals. Including three straight goals from the Redwoods in that run in the third quarter, followed by Shane Knobloch and Jules Heninburg scoring in the final two minutes of the period to bring it to a four-score game heading into the fourth. 

Knobloch, the rookie who has quickly become a focal point of the Chaos offense, added in another goal less than three minutes into the fourth giving his team a fighting chance the rest of the way where Carolina had ample opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net holding most of the possession to end out the game.

They were able to get one more with a little more than three minutes left in the contest with a goal from Kyle Jackson who sat right on top of the crease in a play that saw great ball movement with a beautiful assist from Josh Byrne. 

With possession for the final three minutes, the red and black looked for the right opportunity, including getting two good two-point shot looks in the final minute, but neither of them could find the back of the net.

The Redwoods won a lot of the 50/50 balls in the game scooping up 31 ground balls compared to 23 for Carolina. They also struggled a bit at the face-off X, winning just five out of 19, leading the home team to win the possession battle.

Knobloch was the highlight offensively scoring four points from two goals and a two-point goal as well. Byrne’s vision didn’t go unnoticed as he finished with three assists in the loss. An impressive day from Blaze Riorden is nothing new, but he was able to contribute with 14 saves at a 63.6 percent clip in the cage, something the Chaos will continue to rely on as they try to take a shot at the postseason.

“At the end of the day, our goal is still to win the PLL Championship,” said Towers. “While it sucks to lose, the reality is that we control our own destiny and that goal is still attainable for us. That’s where our focus is. Our short-term frustration is tough, but it is part of it all, but we can’t let that derail our long-term opportunity.”

Though the Chaos still remain in playoff contention, the loss still stings a bit knowing things just got tighter in the division race against a team that you probably should’ve beaten. They now look to rebound next week to even up their record again when they head to Baltimore to take on the Utah Archers Sunday at 5:30pm.