Nationals Begin Three Game Home Stretch
Published on July 26, 2012 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Hamilton Nationals News Release
The Hamilton Nationals begin a three game homestand this weekend. The Nationals will host the Denver Outlaws on Saturday, July 28th at 7:00 p.m. The game will be carried live on ESPN3.
Scouting the Nationals: Hamilton is battling for its second win in three weeks. The Nationals (3-8) are tied for sixth place in Major League Lacrosse. The Nats were eliminated from the MLL Playoff Race following a 19-12 loss to Long Island. Hamilton got four goals from David Earl, three goals from Stephen Keogh and three-point nights from Joe Resetarits (2+1) and Brodie Merrill (1+2). Keogh became only the third Nationals player to hit the 20-goal plateau in a single season. He joined Merrick Thompson (44) and Joe Walters (23), who achieved the feat in 2009. Earl tied his career high with his four game effort. Kevin Crowley notched two assists to extend his team-high point streak to 10 games. Brodie Merrill is third in the MLL with 78 ground balls. Right behind Merrill is teammate Matt Dolente, who enters the game with the 70. Dolente also ranks third in the MLL with 177 faceoff wins. He stands just 19 wins away from breaking the single-season team record of 195 set by Geoff Snider in 2009.
Let's go Joe: With three games to play, Walters is 13 points away from passing his career high of 44 set in 2008 with the Rochester Rattlers. He is also a mere three assists away from setting a new personal single-season assist mark. He would break the 20 assists he notched last season, which is a franchise record.
Johnson and Brown Win Medals: Nationals Assistant Coach Jason Johnson and Director of Marketing/Sponsorship Stu Brown both brought back medals from the 2012 U-19 World Lacrosse Championships in Finland. Johnson won bronze as an assistant coach with the Iroquois Nationals, while Brown earned silver as the head scout for the Canadians.
Outlaws Notes: Denver (8-3) is riding a three-game winning streak after defeating the Boston Cannons 17-13 last Thursday night. The Outlaws are just one game behind the Chesapeake Bayhawks for the top spot in the MLL, and can clinch a playoff spot with a win and losses by either Boston or Rochester. Denver takes the most potent offense in the league into Hamilton on Saturday. Led by superstar Brendan Mundorf and Jimmy Sieverts, the Outlaws have scored 167 goals this season. Mundorf leads his team with 24 goals and is second in the NLL with 45 points. Sieverts has 23 goals and is sixth in the league with 34 points. Denver is just as solid in goal with veteran Jesse Schwartzman raking third with a 10.87 goals-against average. He is also third in saves (134) and tied for third in save percentage (.538). The Outlaws are also much improved at the faceoff X with newly acquired Anthony Kelly taking the draws. In two games, he has won 37 faceoffs, including 23 against Charlotte, and has collected 17 ground balls.
Next Game: The Hamilton Nationals will host the Charlotte Hounds on Saturday, August 4th at 7:00 p.m. The game will be carried live on ESPN3.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 26, 2012
- MLL to Host 2013 All-Star Game in Charlotte - MLL
- Nationals Begin Three Game Home Stretch - Hamilton Nationals
- Rattlers Host Ohio on Friday Night as They Push for the Playoffs - Dallas Rattlers
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