May 7, 2024
By Cody Roy
Boston Glory defeated Toronto Rush 21-13 Saturday night, in a big victory capped off with career nights for several Glory players.
The highlights began with an early Boston break, a 75-yard Jonah Stang-Osborne huck that found Orion Cable on a breakaway, giving Glory a 2-1 lead on Cable’s full-extension layout. Boston would add 2 more breaks.
Rush would finally hold against a rotated Glory D-Line, but not before the presence of 18-year-old Roan Dunkerly was announced. Dunkerly jumped in front of a throw, a clean layout block earned in just his second career point.
A Gus Haflin block would end the opening quarter 4-2.
The 2nd frame would open with more Glory dominance, in the form of a hold and 2 consecutive breaks, the latter of which coming again from a Dunkerly block. Dunkerly was in an aggressive poach, setting up another highlight reel bid.
Dunkerly, who is set to play for Team USA U-20 later this year, would finish the game with 2 blocks and a +2 rating, but played with a level of confidence and field sense ahead of his time. On a night where Glory were without key pieces, Dunkerly made the most of every minute he was given.
“His defensive IQ, his hip positioning and his ability to turn his head and just lay out is phenomenal,” Glory captain Brendan McCann said of Dunkerly. “He’s [playing] way beyond his years. I’m excited to see his growth on this team.”
The quarter would continue with more Glory goals, as just 2 points later, Simon Carapella would find Jeff Babbitt laying out on a back cone cut, extending Boston’s lead to 8-3. The unlikely connection between Boston’s 2 most lethal cutters was Carapella’s second assist of the night, on his way to a career-high 6; doubling his previous high earned against DC Breeze in 2023.
Boston would break Rush once more before the end of the half, going into the intermission up 11-5.
Rush would open the 3rd quarter with a pair of goals, including their only break of the evening on a Luc Comire long ball to Dax Miller. Rush would go 1 for 15 on break chances, struggling to capitalize on the few mistakes Glory made with the disc.
Boston would break once again through a Rocco Linehan block, the second of his two blocks; as he earned the assist on a long upline to Jac Carreiro.
Holds would be traded to end the 3rd frame, as Boston led 15-10 with possession to open the final quarter.
Boston would add another trio of consecutive breaks in the fourth, the last of which earned on a perfectly timed Phil Joyce layout block, closed out with the O-Line brought on.
The two stars of Saturday’s show would connect on Glory’s final goal, as Carapella capped off his night with a 57-yard forehand to a streaking Cable who pulled 2 defenders, skying both. It was the last of Cable’s 5 goals, marking a stellar debut for the Glory cutter.
The dust would settle on a 21-13 Glory rout, the club’s biggest win since 2023 Week 7, a 22-12 victory in Montreal.
Rush next face Royal in Toronto’s home opener, next Saturday with a 7pm first pull.
For Glory, next week will be a tough test with a road trip to DC on Friday, then Philadelphia Saturday. For now, Glory sit atop the East Division in the early goings of the 2024 season.
