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New York Secures Playoff Spot and 100th Franchise Victory

July 2, 2015 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL) - New York Lizards News Release


Annapolis, MD (July 2, 2015) - It was one heck of a cat and mouse battle down in Annapolis on Thursday night, but the New York Lizards came out on top against the Chesapeak Bayhawks, 15-13, securing a spot in the playoffs and their 100th franchise victory.

Chesapeake was the first on the board with two back-to-back goals, but JoJo Marasco came soaring in with a midflight goal five minutes into the first quarter. Steve DeNapoli and Paul Rabil would also contribute in the first. This is the first game Rabil (3 goals, 1 assist) has played since the All-Star break, sitting on the two-game injured reserve for a lower extremity injury. Ultimately, though, the first quarter was the worst of the game for New York, trailing Chesapeake 7-3 as the buzzer sounded.

A few incredible stops by Drew Adams to start the second quarter gave the team the fire they needed to close the gap. DeNapoli, Rob Pannell and Matt Gibson each with a goal, Rabil with a goal and two-pointer, and Kevin Unterstein with a quarter-ending stunner, picking up a long pole to even out the playing field, left the Lizards within two at halftime. DeNapoli was ejected shortly after his goal for a frustrating call of unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Bayhawks were virtually silent in the third quarter as Ned Crotty, Pannell and Tommy Palasek contributed three unanswered goals to close out the period. New York, however, was hammered by penalties throughout the game. In seven penalty kill situations, the Lizards only relinquished one goal to the Bayhawks - a huge improvement over last week's matchup against Florida.

In the end, however, the game came down to some show-stopping saves by Drew Adams and one perfectly timed goal to break the tie, courtesy of JoJo Marasco. Paul Rabil contributed with a gem of his own with five seconds left in the game.

Adams was named Coca-Cola Player of the Game, racking up 20 saves for a 61 percent save average.

New York awaits the results from the Boston Cannons game this Saturday to determine their potential playoff fate. With a Cannons win, the Lizards will secure a home-field advantage for the August 1st playoff game.

New York will return home next Thursday, July 9th to take on the reigning MLL Champions, the Denver Outlaws, at 7:30 p.m. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive an exclusive Rob Pannell poster. For tickets, please visit NYLizards.com/Tickets or call 1-855-NYLIZARDS.


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