Pride host Long Island Saturday
Published on August 4, 2006 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
New Jersey Pride News Release
The formula for the New Jersey Pride to make the playoffs is quite complicated. The team needs help from clubs out west, and will eventually need to score more goals than their opponents - a confusing scenario at best.
But one thing is for certain: they need to win their final two games to have any chance at the postseason.
New Jersey hosts the Long Island Lizards on Saturday night at 8 p.m. at Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University looking to take care of its own business, hoping all the while the team gets the help it needs to move on. The game will be televised on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
"We have to win, that's what we can control and that's what we're focused on,'' said Pride head coach Peter Jacobs. "There are a lot of other variables, but we can't control any of them. We only have a say in what happens in our game, and we're going to go out there and put ourselves in the best position we can to win.''
The game is the final home contest of the season for the Pride, who are celebrating women's lacrosse with a pre-game girls' lacrosse clinic conducted by alumni of the United States National Team.
In addition, the Pride are donating $5 from the sale of every ticket to the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, which will go directly to breast cancer research.
"We think this is a great opportunity to give back and help fight a disease that has affected so many people,'' said Pride General Manager Trey Reeder/ "It's just a great cause and we hope we can really help make an impact. We're very proud of our partnership with the Cancer Institute.''
On the field, the Pride will take on Long Island for the first time this season as a part of a home-and-home series that takes the team to the end of the regular season. Both teams sit 4-6, with the Pride needing to win both games to have any chance at the playoffs.
Should the Pride win the final two games of the season, and should Baltimore, Rochester and Los Angeles also finish at 6-6, things would get complicated.
Los Angeles would have to beat San Francisco this weekend, and the Dragons would have to also lose their final game of the season, giving the Riptide the tiebreaker in the Western Conference.
The Pride hold the tiebreakers over Baltimore and Rochester, and thus would be face-to-face with Los Angeles at 6-6. That means the final tiebreaker comes down to goal differential which at this point in time is nearly even.
"There are just so many things that need to happen,'' Reeder said. "We're going to do our thing and see what falls into place.''
The Pride are coming off a 20-14 win over the Boston Cannons, who at 7-3 are already in the playoff race. Adam Doneger earned his second Bud Light Game MVP award in that contest for firing a pair of 2-pointers and tallying five points total.
New Jersey was 1-1 against Long Island in 2005, winning the opening game of the season in overtime, then falling to the Lizards back in Jersey.
Tickets for Saturday's game are available by calling 973-614-1792. Tickets are also available at the Yurcak Field Box Office on Saturday. Gates open at 6:45 pm but the tailgate party starts hours before in the Yurcak Field parking lot.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from August 4, 2006
- Pride host Long Island Saturday - New Jersey Pride
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