Gait

PHILADELPHIA - Ryan Boyle made a big impression in his debut for Major League Lacrosse's Philadelphia Barrage. But the Bayhawks' Gary Gait had the last word. Gait's one-handed, underhand goal with 8:23 remaining in overtime helped the Bayhawks escape with a 19-18 victory over the Barrage before 2,495 at Villanova Stadium last night. The Bayhawks moved back into a first-place tie in the National Division with Rochester, despite surrendering a five-point lead and getting little offense in the second and third quarters.

The Bayhawks' triple threat - Tom Marechek, Gary Gait and Mikey Powell - ran circles around Long Island Lizards defensemen, scoring 11 goals in a 19-8 victory yesterday. During a 21-minute span in the second and third quarters, the host Bayhawks (7-0) used a 10-1 run to put the game out of reach. "If you're passing the ball and everyone's moving, you're going to be hard to defend," Bayhawks midfielder Mark Frye said. The Lizards' only answer came in the form of physical force. Along with Lizards midfielder Ryan Moran, defensemen Nicky Polanco and John Gagliardi accumulated 4:30 in penalty minutes in attempts to halt the Bayhawks' high-powered offense.

The Thunder's hopes of capturing the championship in the National Lacrosse League's inaugural season came crashing down last night as the Philadelphia Wings swept the best-of-three series with a 17-12 victory before 3,137 at the Baltimore Arena.Philadelphia, which would have had home-field advantage had the Thunder forced a third game, spoiled the home team's opportunity to tie the series by scoring five unanswered goals in the fourth quarter.Gary Gait, who demanded to be traded from the Wings to Baltimore in the preseason, was limited to two goals and three assists.

IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. - They had to shrug off the effects of a nine-hour bus ride, a six-point halftime deficit and, perhaps, a certain amount of complacency. But once they did, the Bayhawks made it look easy, outscoring the Rochester Rattlers 14-1 during the final 22 minutes and walking off with an 18-11 Major League Lacrosse victory last night before 4,214 at Bishop Kearney High School. Player-coach Gary Gait, Mikey Powell and Tom Marechek each scored three goals, with Gait adding three assists, to keep the Bayhawks (4-0)

Although Toronto was a late arrival last night, the Thunder made certain it was an early exit for the Rock.Blindsiding Toronto with an 8-2 run, the Thunder built an eight-goal lead early in the third quarter and coasted to a 21-10 win over the Rock before 5,738 at the Baltimore Arena.Toronto, making its National Lacrosse League debut, never seemed to be in sync after arriving only an hour before game time because of fog at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.Gary Gait registered another one-man assault with a personal-best 10 goals and four assists.

DENVER - Midfielder Gary Gait scored five goals and added an assist to lead the Bayhawks to a 22-19 Major League Lacrosse victory over the New Jersey Pride last night before 8,137 at Invesco Field at Mile High. The Bayhawks (2-1) set a team record with a third straight game of 20 or more points. With 14:11 left in the game, New Jersey defenseman Christian Cook scored to end a three-goal Bayhawks spurt and cut the Pride's deficit to 17-14. Mark Millon and Mark Frye extended Baltimore's lead to 19-14 by scoring back-to-back goals.

BOSTON - The Bayhawks seemed to be in trouble early in last night's Major League Lacrosse game against the Boston Cannons. They lost the league's best faceoff man, midfielder Paul Cantabene, after he suffered a seven-stitch gash above his left eye barely four minutes into the game. Shortly thereafter, they lost midfielder Josh Sims to a hamstring injury. But Ben Defelice filled in admirably for Cantabene, winning 19 of 33 faceoffs, and Jeff Sonke stepped in for Sims and contributed five points, including one two-point goal.

VS. DETROIT TURBOS* WHEN: Tomorrow, 8 p.m.* WHERE: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit.* OUTLOOK: This is a battle between the Major Indoor Lacrosse League's division leaders. The Thunder, seeking its fifth straight victory, leads the American with a 4-2 record. The Detroit Turbos are atop the National at 5-1. The Turbos beat the Thunder in the season opener, 20-16, as Paul and Gary Gait combined for 11 goals and four assists. "This game will indicate how much we've improved since the opener," said Thunder coach John Stewart.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Mercy? The Bayhawks showed little of it last night. Not to the Bridgeport Barrage, and not to the record books, either. The Bayhawks tied a franchise scoring mark, and raised their record to 2-1, with a 21-14 blitzing of the hapless Barrage (0-3), before 2,987 at Harbor Yard. Player/coach Gary Gait and Mark Millon both found the net five times, while Tom Marechek added four goals and three assists against a porous Barrage defense that has allowed 20 or more points in all its games this year.

Opponent: New York SaintsWhere: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.When: 7: 30Radio: WCBM (680 AM)Outlook: The National Lacrosse League-leading Thunder (3-0) proved it is more than just a one-man attack last week at Buffalo. With superstar Gary Gait suffering from stomach flu, Joe Hiltz picked up the slack, scoring seven goals to go along with two assists in a 22-15 victory. Three other Thunder players recorded three goals or more, including Gait, who scored three times. The Thunder has the NLL's top three scorers in Gait, Hiltz and Matt Shearer and is averaging 21 goals per game.