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MLL Ohio Machine

Machine Dominate Battle of Top Two Teams

July 18, 2015 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Ohio Machine News Release


It was one for the record books as the Ohio Machine (8-5) took down the New York Lizards (10-3), 14-9 for the first time in club history. Featuring two playoff-bound teams in front of a full crowd at Selby Stadium, the contest did not disappoint.

The Machine entered the game in second place in the Major League Lacrosse standings but still in need of a win in order to put themselves in a position to host a first-round playoff game on August 1. The Lizards on the other hand have already solidified the top overall seed.

The Machine came out ready to lay it all on the line. The first quarter featured a Machine offense that could find nothing but the back of the net. The matchup featured two of the most explosive offenses in the league as both teams have scored a combined 341 goals so far this season

Defenseman Brian Farrell started off the night with a goal after just a minute of play. Marcus Holman would follow before rookie Jimmy Bitter would fire away his first career two-point goal with 4:38 to go in the first quarter.

The Machine outscored the Lizards 7-2 in the first quarter. However, having scored an average of 13 goals a game this season, the Lizards began to chip away at the five-goal lead.

With the Lizards taking the slight advantage in the scoring column in the second quarter, the Machine lead was cut to four as the teams headed to halftime.

The third quarter went just as the Machine would have hoped as they continued to build their lead. Steele Stanwick put two goals in the back of the net to start the Machine run.

Peter Baum joined Stanwick in the scoring column, followed by Bitter who earned his fourth hat trick of the season. Marcus Holman also scored goal number 35 of the season, just two behind his league-leading tally from last year.

While the Machine offense was able to bring together a 13-8 lead by the quarter's end, there would be no offense without gaining possession. Greg Puskuldjian fought hard in the center for the Machine to help Ohio expand its lead.

In the end, the Machine lead turned out to be just too much for the Lizards overcome. Ohio never let the Lizards get closer than three goals and only used the fourth quarter to increase their lead.

Holman and Bitter led the Machine with three goals apiece as Ohio improved its record to 8-5 while New York falls to 10-3.

The Machine will return to Selby Stadium next Saturday, July 25, to take on the Boston Cannons in their final regular season of the 2015 season.

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