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Week 10 Preview: Lizards at Launch

June 25, 2015 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL) - New York Lizards News Release


Who: Florida Launch (1-8) v. New York Lizards (8-1)

When: Friday, June 26, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL

Watch: ESPN3 & MSG+

Week 9 Pregame Notes

The New York Lizards prepare to take on the Florida Launch after the team's first setback against the Charlotte Hounds. After beating the Launch 18-11 in New York just three weeks ago, the Lizards look to sweep the regular season series and improve their overall record to 9-1.

Week 9 Recap

Week 9 saw the Lizards fall to the Charlotte Hounds 13-12. The loss was the first of the season for the Lizards, as the team's overall record now stands at 8-1. It was a very back-and-forth game, with each team making multiple goal runs and holding the other scoreless for extended periods of time.

Greg Gurenlian continued his dominance at the faceoff 'X' as he went 20-28 (71%) for the game. Gurenlian also had a game-high 12 ground balls.

Rob Pannell, Matt Gibson, and Tommy Palasek each had three points on the day, while Ned Crotty and Mike Stone each had two. In addition, rookie Hakeem Lecky scored his first career MLL goal in the first quarter of the game.

What to Look Out For

The Quest to 100 Wins

Despite the outcome of the game against Charlotte, the New York Lizards hold 99 regular season wins throughout their 15-year history. The Lizards only need one more win to break their 100-win milestone.

Coaches' Notes

When asked about the Lizards' morale heading down to Florida, Head Coach Joe Spallina commented: "I don't know if we approached the [Hounds] game the way we wanted to, and our guys had a bit of a reality check. We just weren't good enough...we have been picking up the slack the whole season, just couldn't do it this past weekend."

In regards to Lizards' legend Nicky Polanco coming back to New York: "A lot of it is 'destiny' and it's so great having Nicky back in New York. We look forward to having Brian and Nicky play together again."

On the effort of his players against Charlotte, Spallina noted the play of Mike Stone specifically as he said: "I loved the way Mike Stone played last game. He had the heart of a lion, I loved the way he fought, and he forced the other team to pole him towards the latter parts of the game. We need more fighters, guys that are willing to step in and fight for the team."

Looking Ahead

After the upcoming game against Florida, the Lizards will travel to Chesapeake to play the Bayhawks on July 2nd. In their previous matchup, the Lizards won a tight game 15-14.

The Lizards will return to New York for their final regular season home game on July 9th against the Denver Outlaws. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive an exclusive Rob Pannell poster. Watch the Lizards in their quest for the playoffs! Visit NYLizards.com/Tickets or call 1-855-NYLizards.


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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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