Orlin & Cohen Postgame Report: Riptide Drop A Close One In Overtime To Panther City

Uniondale, NY – After a second half comeback, the New York Riptide took Panther City Lacrosse Club to overtime, before Patrick Dodds scored 10:50 into the extra period to give Fort Worth (1-4) the victory at Nassau Coliseum. The goal came after an 9-3 run by the Riptide (0-4) to tie the game at 12. For New York, Connor Kearnan had six points on four goals and two assists. Jake Fox and Jeff Teat each scored a hat trick and Callum Crawford added a season-high seven assists.

“The second half was amazing and I think that’s the kind of lacrosse that we can play,” head coach Dan Ladouceur said. “This group has never shown any quit. I said that when I was in Georgia playing against them to now being with them. They’ve never had quit. So seeing what they’re capable of doing, it’s been frustrating to see the slow starts that we’ve had and put ourselves in a position where we have to come out strong in the second half. But I tip my hat because I went into the locker room and I challenged them at halftime and they answered that challenge.”

Panther City opened up the game by scoring the first four goals, but the Riptide came right back, scoring three of the next four, including Teat’s first goal since returning from the Covid-19 protocol list. All three goals had assists by Crawford, to cut Panther City’s lead to 5-3 to end the first quarter.

The second quarter only featured three goals, all coming from Fort Worth to push the lead to 8-3. But the Riptide would score three of the next four goals in the third quarter with Fox scoring two of them, and Crawford adding two assists.

In the fourth quarter, the Riptide followed up with four of the next five goals to tie the game at 10, including two shorthanded goals by Teat and Scott Dominey. Kearnan scored the next two Riptide goals to complete his hat trick as part of a six-point night (four goals and two assists) which sent the game to overtime.

With the crowd behind them, Callum Crawford scored what would have been the game winner, but upon video review, the call on the turf was overturned and ruled a crease violation. The Riptide killed off a penalty in overtime as well and had momentum on their side, but it was Dodds’ goal that ended it.

The Riptide are right back at it again next weekend, as the team travels back to Philadelphia to take on the Wings, on Sunday, January 23 at 4:00 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center. Be sure to tune in to ESPN+ on television and WRHU Radio Hofstra University on the radio and web for coverage and follow @NewYorkRiptide on social media for updates.