Los Angeles Riptide weekly update
August 1, 2006 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Los Angeles Riptide News Release
L.A. RIPTIDE VISIT SAN FRANCISCO DRAGONS, SATURDAY, AUGUST 5: The Riptide plays the final road game of the inaugural season at San Francisco this week to complete the season series against the Dragons. The Riptide won the first two games against San Francisco in a home-and-home weekend series on July 22 and 23. The Riptide look to sweep on Saturday, August 5 at 1:00 p.m. (PT) at the Kezar Stadium. The Riptide returns home for the season finale against the Denver Outlaws on Saturday, August 12.
ALIVE OR ELIMINATED: When the Los Angeles Riptide travels to San Francisco this weekend, the team will play the most important game of its young history. The game could allow the Riptide to keep its playoff hopes alive, or it could mathematically eliminate the team once and for all. With a victory last weekend, the Dragons remain two points ahead of the Riptide. If the Riptide wins this weekend, the two teams will be tied for points and the final wild card spot with one game remaining for each team. If the Riptide loses, San Francisco will be four points ahead of Los Angeles, with only one game remaining and not enough time to catch up in points.
PLAYOFF FORMAT: Four teams advance to the MLL playoffs. The Eastern Conference and Western Conference leaders advance to the playoffs. There are also two wild card spots, which are won by the two teams with the next best regular season records, regardless of the conference they are in. The conference winner with the best record plays the wild card team with the lesser record in one semi-final game, while the remaining two teams play in the second semi-final game. The winners of the two semi-final games will play each other in the Championship Game. All three games will be played at the Home Depot Center Track and Field Complex during the New Balance Championship Weekend on Friday, August 25 and Sunday August 27.
RIPTIDE COMPLETES SEASON SWEEP OF MACHINE: The Riptide completed the season sweep of the Chicago Machine last weekend in Chicago. The Riptide traveled to the Sports Complex of Benedictine University to take on the Machine for the third and final time this season and earned the victory, 14-8. The first game between the two teams was played on June 17 at the Home Depot Center, where the Riptide earned its first victory of the season, 17-6. The second game between the two teams came one week later at Chicago and resulted in another Riptide victory, this time 14-8. The Machine remains the only winless team in the League.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: For the second consecutive week, a Riptide player was selected player of the week by the League. Riptide goaltender Tillman Johnson was selected MLL Defensive Player of the Week for Week 10. Johnson made 24 saves in the Riptide's Saturday victory over the Chicago Machine, 14-8.
ROOKIE TOPS ON DEFENSE: Rookie D.J. Driscoll continues to impress with his defensive skills and put up a good case for becoming Rookie of the Year. He leads the team in groundballs with 31 in just 8 games of action. He had the most impressive defensive performance of his young MLL career against the San Francisco Dragons, this week's opponent, on July 22, scooping up nine groundballs. In the team's first-ever Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft on May 31, the Riptide selected Notre Dame defenseman Driscoll. He has picked up groundballs in every game he has played in this season. Driscoll, the Great West Defensive Player of the Year in 2006, was selected with the first pick of the second round of the draft.
UNDEFEATED PLAYER: Rookie J.J. Morrissey remains undefeated in 2006. A defensive midfielder from the University of Virginia, Morrissey helped lead the Cavaliers to a 17-0 record this season before being selected by the Rochester Rattlers in the MLL Collegiate Draft. Since the Riptide acquired him on July 11, the team has gone 3-0. Morrissey's team has won all 20 games in which he has played this season.
FORMER RATTLERS SHOWING BITE: When the Riptide acquired midfielder J.J. Morrissey from the Rochester Rattlers on July 11, he became the third player to have spent time on the Rattlers roster this season to be acquired by the Riptide within a month. Attackman Andrew "Buggs" Combs was the first, acquired on June 13, and attackman Spencer Ford was the second, acquired on July 5. All three former Rattlers continue to contribute to the Riptide. In last weekend's victory at Chicago, Combs scored four goals, Ford scored one goal and added one assist, while scooping up two groundballs, and Morrissey registered two assists and one groundball. Since Combs joined the Riptide lineup seven games ago, he has scored at least one goal in every game he has played in and at least two goals in five games. Ford has registered at least two points in the last three games with the Riptide. The defensive midfielder Morrissey has picked up at least one groundball in all three games he has played in since joining the Riptide.
WELCOME BACK GILL: Since rejoining the active roster on July 21, midfielder Graham Gill has contributed to the Riptide offense. He has scored at least one goal in each of the last three games. Gill has scored a total of six goals, one of which was a two-point goal, added five assists and scooped up nine groundballs since his return.
BLOGGING BICE: Los Angeles Riptide defenseman Greg Bice is now an ESPN.com blogger. ESPN.com is now featuring weekly blogs written by two MLL players, Bice and San Francisco's Trey Whitty. Bice's first two blogs are now up at espn.com now. Keep checking http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/lacrosse/index for Bice's current blog and get some "Bicecream" humor.
VETERAN LEADERSHIP: Veteran MLL attackman Michael Watson continues to lead the Riptide in offense. He had another multi-goal performance last week at Chicago. He registered two goals against the Machine on Saturday at the Sports Complex of Benedictine University, while also scooping up two groundballs. His 32 points for the season place him in the team's scoring lead. After getting off to a slow start, not scoring any points in the first game of the season on May 27 at Philadelphia, Watson has contributed at least two goals in each subsequent game. His goal-scoring streak was extended to nine games.
LINDSAY LEADS MIDFIELDERS: Midfielder Sean Lindsay continues his offensive consistency for the Riptide. He scored his fourth hat trick of the season on Saturday, July 29 at Chicago. He also picked up his third two-point goal of the season. Lindsay scored three goals, including a two-point goal, and added two assists to total a season high six points. He continues to lead all Riptide midfielders in scoring with 30 points (16 goals, 3 two-point goals, 8 assists). He is also second among all Riptide players in scoring. After not scoring any points in the first game of the season, Lindsay has picked up the offense, netting at least one point in each subsequent game this season.
WEBSITE FEATURES: Don't miss the two weekly columns on the Riptide's revamped website, www.lariptide.com. Each Monday, look for "Inside the Numbers," written by lacrosse analyst Nick Ammazzalorso. Ammazzalorso takes a look back at the previous game and ahead to next week's game. Each Friday, there's "Shannon's Slant," written by Inside Lacrosse Magazine Assistant Editor Geoff Shannon. Shannon brings you highlights of the past week and his slant on the week ahead, as well as in depth and personal looks at the Riptide's superstars.
2006 RIPTIDE SEASON TICKETS ON SALE: Los Angeles Riptide season tickets for 2006 are on sale. Season ticket packages for the Riptide's inaugural season at the Home Depot Center start at just $96 for adults and $80 for youth (16 & under). For more information or to reserve your seats today, call the Riptide ticket office at 1-866-4-LAX-TIX, or visit the Riptide's website at www.lariptide.com.
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