Recap: Team Moreno Limits Team McCool to Two Second-Half Goals in 12-5 Win

Ryan Legarsky

Jul 27, 2024

SPARKS, Md. — Team Moreno held Team McCool to just a pair of second-half goals on its way to a 12-5 victory to close out Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse action at USA Lacrosse Headquarters on Saturday night.

Team Moreno moves to 2-0 during Week Two, while Team McCool falls to 0-2.

Goalkeeper Taylor Moreno made 11 saves and yielded just five goals to earn MVP 1 laurels and pick up 230 leaderboard points. She also caused a pair of turnovers and grabbed one ground ball in the victory.

Midfielder Ally Kennedy pitched in a pair of goals, an assist, five ground balls and a caused turnover to receive MVP 2 accommodations and 196 points towards the standings, while attacker Livy Rosenzweig nearly matched her league record with 11 draw controls to take MVP 3 honors and 169 leaderboard points as Team Moreno swept the Game MVP selections.

Rookie attacker Maggi Hall led the game with three goals, including a two-point marker, and added an assist for a five-point performance in Team Moreno’s victory. Attacker Charlotte North tallied a pair of goals, including a two-pointer, and an assist with two ground balls and a caused turnover, while rookie midfielder Ellie Masera also contributed a pair of goals in the win.

Defensively for Team Moreno, rookie defender Kendall Halpern notched four ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers.

For Team McCool, attacker Erica Evans led the way with a pair of goals, while midfielder Dempsey Arsenault and attackers Andie Aldave and Kenzie Kent each contributed one score in the loss.

Goalkeeper Caylee Waters made 13 saves and caused a turnover before exiting the contest late in the fourth quarter.

KEY MOMENT

Team Moreno held a slim 4-3 lead coming out of the halftime break before Kennedy scored just over 90 seconds into the third frame to increase the lead to 5-3. Team McCool was blanked in the third quarter and was held to just two goals in the final 10 minutes as Team Moreno finished the game on a 8-2 scoring run to grow its lead that it never relinquished.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Moreno remains in second place on the leaderboard with 759 points, while Kennedy moves into third with 712 points. Fellow Team Moreno member North sits in fourth with 676 points in the standings. Attacker Sam Apuzzo remains atop the listing with 771 points.

GAME NOTES

Teams are now 4-for-11 in captain’s challenges in the 2024 season … Team McCool initiated a captain’s challenge at 3:59 in the first quarter to challenge defender Kayla Wood’s goal … The call was upheld and the challenge was unsuccessful.
Team Moreno initiated a captain’s challenge with 41.2 second left in the fourth to review a goal scored by Arsenault … The call on the field was confirmed and the goal was given.
Wood’s goal in the first quarter was just the second of her AU Pro Lacrosse career … It’s her first goal since July 24, 2021 during the league’s inaugural season.
Kent scored with 50 seconds remaining in the first quarter to give her 67 goals in her Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse career … The tally moves her into sole possession of third place on the league’s all-time scoring ledger.
Defender Caroline Wakefield grabbed three ground balls in the game, which moves her career total to 100 … She becomes the first player in AU Pro Lacrosse history to reach the 100-ground ball mark.
Goalkeeper Caylee Waters made 13 saves to record her 10th career game with double-digit saves, which is fourth-most in the league’s four-year history.
Hall scored the second two-point goal of her short career at the 4:20 mark of the third quarter.
North registered her 15th two-point marker at the 2:04 point in the third frame … The goal extended her AU Pro Lacrosse record for most two-point goals in league history.
Moreno finished with 11 saves for her 23rd career AU Pro Lacrosse game with double-digit saves … She has stopped at least 10 shots in every game this season.
Rosenzweig finished with 11 draw controls, which is the second most in a single game in league history … Rosenzweig owns the single-game record after pulling down 13 draw controls against Team Apuzzo on August 12, 2023.
Goalkeeper Madison Doucette made her season debut as she entered in relief with 2:15 remaining in the fourth quarter … She made one save and picked up a ground ball.
Team Moreno registered the third win points sweep of the 2024 season, including Team Moreno’s second win points sweep within the last seven days … It marks the 22nd win points sweet in AU Pro Lacrosse history.
Moreno earned her 14th Game MVP honor of her career … It marked the sixth time she garnered MVP 1 plaudits, which moves her into a tie for second most in the league … She is now tied with North and trails only attacker Sam Apuzzo who has 16 MVP 1 accolades.
Moreno’s 230 leaderboard points makes the seventh time she has earned at least 200 points in a single game … She breaks a tie with Apuzzo for the most on the AU Pro Lacrosse ledger.