The Bayhawks are out of inexperienced rookies. Six games after the 2006 MLL collegiate draft, Baltimore?s top pick, Kyle Dixon, and its last pick, Matt Russell, finally donned Bayhawks uniforms.
Both Dixon and Russell made their professional lacrosse debuts Saturday night before a crowd of 2,939 at Unitas Stadium, as the Bayhawks (3-5) defeated the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Cannons, 19-12. It was only the second loss in eight games for the Cannons.
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“I called Coach [Scott] Hiller a couple days ago, and I told him, ?Coach, I can?t watch another game I have got to get back out here,? ” said Dixon, a Virginia graduate.
Dixon, the draft?s second pick overall, had been sidelined after injuring his left thumb against Notre Dame during the Cavaliers? NCAA championship run.
“He told me to just get my feet wet a little bit, and I ended up playing the whole game,” said Dixon, a graduate of Archbishop Spalding. Dixon also scored his first pro goal in the win.
“I wasn?t going to play him that much, but I didn?t have a choice,” said Hiller, who was forced to play Dixon because of the unavailability of midfielders Mike Mollot (ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct) and Mark Frye (minor hamstring injury).
“We just wanted him to test it [the thumb], and he ended up playing the entire second half,” Hiller said. “I give him a lot of credit for wanting to play.”
Hiller also had Naval Academy graduate and goalkeeper Matt Russell playing in his first professional game. “It was a great thrill for him ? kind of his last hurrah before going to SEAL school,” Hiller said.
“There were no expectations for me out there, so there was nothing I could do wrong,” Russell said. “I went out there and played as aggressively as I could, and it worked out.
“I just love coming out of the net. I think I wanted to be a midfielder. That has been my style of play since I was in the fourth grade.”
Bayhawks defenseman Shawn Nadelen appreciates the aggressiveness of Russell?s play. “It is like having an 11th guy out there for us. He just flies around and gets the loose balls,” Nadelen said.
BAYHAWKS INFO BOX
» Of the 19 goals scored in the victory over Boston, 13 of them were scored by Bayhawks rookies drafted in 2006, with six coming from Matt Ward and five coming from Bill McGlone.
» Russell will report for Navy SEAL training school Aug. 28. At 5-feet-7, he is the shortest player on the Bayhawks active roster.
