Rookie Chad Palumbo scored two goals in the final three minutes of his professional debut to lead the Carolina Chaos to a 10-8 road victory over the Philadelphia Waterdogs on Saturday.
Palumbo, who finished with two goals and an assist, capped a remarkable week that began with him winning a national championship with Princeton on Monday and graduating Tuesday. The Chaos (2-1) also received two goals apiece from Ross Scott, Owen Hiltz and Jackson Eicher. Shane Knobloch added a goal and an assist. Goaltender Blaze Riorden made 14 saves to secure the win.
CJ Kirst powered the offense for the Waterdogs (1-2), finishing with three goals and two assists for a game-high five points. Michael Sowers and Kieran McArdle each contributed two goals and one assist. Matt DeLuca matched his counterpart with 14 saves.
Philadelphia jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the first quarter behind a natural hat trick from Kirst. Carolina stormed back, mounting a 5-0 scoring run that spanned the first and second quarters to take a 7-4 advantage. Peter Detwiler's goal at the 10:46 mark of the second quarter capped the run.
The Waterdogs chipped away at the lead, with a goal from Thomas McConvey cutting the deficit to 8-7 with 3:33 remaining. Palumbo then took over, scoring at the 9:03 mark and again just over a minute later to give the Chaos a 10-7 lead and put the game out of reach.
Up next: The Carolina Chaos host the Utah Archers on Friday at 6 p.m. ET. The Philadelphia Waterdogs host the Boston Cannons on Saturday at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 8 p.m. ET.
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