Recap: Apuzzo nets game-winning goal to secure 10-9 comeback win

Eric Rhew

Aug 10, 2023

SPARKS, Md. — Attacker Sam Apuzzo and midfielder Dempsey Arsenault have become Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse’s version of the “dynamic duo” and their perfect pairing was on display again in Thursday’s Week Four opener against Team Bosco at USA Lacrosse Headquarters.

The pair of long-time friends teamed up yet to provide another game-winning moment as Apuzzo’s goal with 12 seconds left off an Arsenault feed lifted Team Apuzzo to a 10-9 victory over Team Bosco.

Apuzzo, who earned her league-best seventh Game MVP award of the season, took home top MVP honors after netting a game-high four goals along with a ground ball to secure 196 leaderboard points.

Arsenault, meanwhile, was the game’s MVP 2 honoree after scoring a goal and dishing out three assists to go with three ground balls, three draw controls and caused turnovers. The former Boston College standout authored a game-high 197 leaderboard points in the victory.

Midfielder Ally Mastroianni added a hat trick with six draw controls and a caused turnover to garner MVP 3 distinction while earning 164 leaderboard points.

Goalkeeper Britt Read added seven saves, including four in the second half, to anchor a strong defensive unit that forced 18 turnovers and allowed just seven goals.

Midfielder Erica Evans paced the Team Bosco offense with two goals, while five other players added a marker, including two-point goals from midfielder Grace Griffin and attacker Kenzie Kent. Goalkeeper Caylee Waters made eight saves in the setback.

KEY MOMENT

Team Apuzzo overcame a 9-8 deficit early in the fourth quarter with the final two goals of the contest. After Mastroianni evened the score at 9-9 with 2:10 remaining, Apuzzo secured the comeback win by scoring off Arsenault’s pass with 12 seconds left. Team Bosco had one last attempt to even the score, but a turnover as time expired sealed the verdict.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Apuzzo’s 196 leaderboard points vaulted her back into the league lead with 1,437 points while Arsenault lifted her standing by four positions and stands third with 1,106 points.

GAME NOTES

Team Bosco and Team Apuzzo combined to register six assists during Thursday’s Week Four opener, upping the league’s season total to 121 assists through 19 games … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every assist this season as part of its ‘Aspiration Assists’ initiative.
Nine of the league’s 19 games have been decided by a one-point margin after Thursday’s 10-9 verdict.
Team Apuzzo outshot Team Bosco, 31-19, and held a 12-9 advantage in draw controls.
Apuzzo has now scored a goal in 35-of-37 career games and authored her league-record fifth career contest with four or more goals, breaking a tie with attacker Charlotte North … Apuzzo also owns 16 career hat tricks, including a league-high fifth this season.
Arsenault’s three assists are an Athletes Unlimited single-game career high … She becomes the 13th different player in league history to register three or more assists in a game.
Apuzzo closed the Week Four opener with 4,904 career leaderboard points and will enter Saturday’s tilt against Team Glynn needing just 96 points to become the first player in league history to amass 5,000 points.
Kent scored her third two-point goal of the season with 1:05 left in the second quarter on a diving shot from behind the goal line … She stands second in the league in two-point goals behind North’s four two-point markers.
Griffin scored the first two-point goal of her Athletes Unlimited career with 5:45 remaining in the first half.