CHICAGO — T.J. Malone had six points. Maryland never trailed. The Whipsnakes looked every bit like the team that opened the season with four wins in five tries.
Maryland beat the Carolina Chaos 17-10 Saturday at Northwestern Medicine Field, snapping a two-game losing streak and improving to 4-3 heading into the second half of the PLL regular season. Malone was dominant, recording a season-high six points to lead all scorers. Joey Spallina and Aidan Carroll each added four points in a complete offensive performance that saw the Whipsnakes convert 40.7 percent of their shots.
Maryland jumped to a 4-0 lead before Carolina got on the board, and the game was effectively over by halftime — the Whipsnakes led 11-4 at the break. Coach Jim Stagnitta's team never gave the Chaos a foothold, controlling pace and field position throughout.
Rob Pannell chipped in three points, including a goal and two assists, and now sits within three of Paul Rabil's all-time PLL scoring record. Richie Connell scored his first career PLL goal. Petey LaSalla added the sixth goal of his season, and Adam Poitras also found the back of the net.
The result gave Maryland momentum heading into Week 8 at Fairfield, Conn., where they'll face the California Redwoods on Friday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Whipsnakes finish the regular season with Denver, Boston, and Philadelphia still on the schedule, with three or four wins likely needed to secure a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
For Carolina, the loss drops them further from contention. They fell to 3-4.