Atlanta Blaze Dominate Ohio Machine
Published on July 22, 2018 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Atlanta Blaze News Release
Kennesaw, GA - The Atlanta Blaze (5-6) got 12 saves from goalie Adam Ghitelman, three goals and an assist from attackman Kevin Rice, and spirited defensive efforts from close defender Liam Byrnes and defensive middies Jeff Reynolds and Kyle McClancy in a 13-10 victory over the Ohio Machine.
With their second straight road win and fourth on the season, the Blaze stayed alive in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) playoff chase and are nipping at the heels of Charlotte (7-6) and New York (6-6) in the race for fourth-place. The Blaze will play the Chesapeake Bayhawks (8-3) at home Thursday, July 26.
For the second straight game, the Blaze defensive corps limited their opponent to just 10 goals.
"Liam (Byrnes) did a really nice job on (Justin) Guterding, getting in on his hands and making him go to his right. We noticed they tried to run their offense through Guterding. He's an excellent player but Liam was up to the task tonight," said head coach Liam Banks after the victory.
Goaltender Ghitelman has now won two games in a row after a slow start to the season.
"We have two starters in the cage. Right now our hot goalie is Adam. He is a leader and when we sat him down on the bench he was an incredible team guy," Banks said. "In the last two games, he played excellently for us. He made some big saves in the second half for us that stopped their momentum. I am extremely pleased with the way he has conducted himself as a teammate the entire year."
The Blaze's balanced offensive attack featured two goals each from rookies Connor Kelly and Christian Cuccinello, a pair from Deemer Class, and one each from Tommy Palasek and rookie Jack Kozelius. With another hat trick, Rice extended his team-leading point total to 54. His second goal of the night, with 2:19 left in the third quarter, was the 100th of his MLL career.
The Atlanta Blaze will be back in action at Fifth Third Bank Stadium this Thursday, July 26th. All Atlanta Blaze home games are played at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA. Single-game tickets are on sale now at AtlantaBlaze.com/Tickets
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 22, 2018
- Atlanta Blaze Dominate Ohio Machine - Atlanta Blaze
- Rattlers Secure Home-Field Advantage - Dallas Rattlers
- Sheens Fall to Blaze 13-10 - Ohio Machine
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