Pride, Scherr Take Down Rattlers

August 4, 2007 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
New Jersey Pride News Release


PISCATAWAY - All season long Pride coach Peter Jacobs has re-affirmed his belief that the Pride can beat any team in the league. Saturday the Pride (4-7) proved it by snapping the Rochester Rattlers' eight game winning streak, which began with a 21-14 defeat of the Pride in Rochester, in a tight 13-12 battle.

"I think the guys know we can play with anyone in the league," Jacobs said, "it's just a matter of putting it all together. It's a shame that it's only happening at this stage of the season."

Rob Scherr was brilliant in goal again for the Pride, stopping 26-of-38 shots to earn Bud Light MVP honors for the second time in three weeks.

"It felt great," Scherr said of the win. "We came in knowing we had nothing to lose. The last few weeks we've stepped it up by playing loose, having fun and running more, and that's what got us going."

"Rob's had a great season," Jacobs said, "he's been awesome."

The Pride's defensive unit, defended by many in the organization as the league's most underrated, was stellar as well, holding MLL Scoring Leader John Grant Jr. to only two points (0 goals) and shutting down the league's top-scoring offense.

"My defense played great," Scherr said. "They're so underrated as a defense, and they really stepped it up and played great for me."

"I think our defense doesn't get enough credit," Brett Hughes said. "I think we have the best defense in the league. [Ryan] McClay and [Ryan] Mollet played out of their minds."

They also held Casey Powell, who dominated with eight points in the teams' first meeting, to three assists on the game, frustrating the Rochester star. Powell was visibly frustrated in the second half, striking the advertisement boards with his stick on the way to the bench.

"They were bringing John Grant through the box," Hughes said, "and it gave me the chance to step up and clog the lane. Believe me, Casey is such an amazing player that if he's frustrated, it's not that he's not playing well, it's that there are no plays there to make.

"If the plays are there he's making them, so you know you're doing something when you've got him throwing his stick on the sideline."

Powell also earned a crucial unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the game's waning seconds. After forcing Ryan Mollet out of bounds with 1:02 left on the clock, Powell was incensed to learn the Pride had called a timeout while Mollet was still in play, and threw his stick at the boards. The fresh clock allowed the Pride to run the clock down to 2.2 seconds.

On the offensive end, the Pride were led by Conor Ford's four goals and Merrick Thomson's first career hat-trick. Matt Rewkowski also added four points with a goal and three assists.

"I think [Thomson] is getting more comfortable," Jacobs said. "He pressed a little in the beginning, but he's letting things come naturally now, and that's what this league is about."

"Today our offense, when they clicked, they were helping us out and holding the ball," Hughes said.

The defenses came out strong for both teams, as did goaltender Rob Scherr who stopped the first three shots he faced, including an attempt by Grant from the doorstep.

Jeff Zywicki broke the scoreless drought for the Rattlers 9:40 into the opening session, but Ford answered for the Pride with a diving effort on a Rewkowski feed just 1:18 later.

Mollet extended the Pride's lead with a bullish effort coming from behind the Rattlers net. Following a great play by Jack Reid to strip Scott Urick, Mollet came out on top in a rarely-seen battle of long poles, and tucked the ball behind Mike Levin.

Urick closed the scoring for the period when he buried a Dan Chemotti feed, giving the Pride the 3-1 edge after one.

The Rattlers' top-ranked man-up unit got the best of the Pride's top-ranked kill early in the second quarter, registering three man-up goals in the opening 4:10. Gavin Prout scored twice along with one for Joe Walters. Casey Powell assisted on Prout's first, and Colin Doyle fed the latter two goals to give the Rattlers the 4-3 advantage.

Kyle Harrison evened the score shortly after, but Brodie Merrill and Patrick Dutton tallied unassisted goals to make the score 6-4 in favor of the Rattlers.

The Pride added a man-up goal of their own when Thomson ripped a shot past Levin on a Rewkowski feed to make the score 6-5 at the break.

The goaltenders controlled the first half with Levin stopping 9 of 14 shots (64.2%) and Scherr stopping 16 of 22 (72.7%) for the Pride.

Rochester extended their lead early with a goal 34 seconds into the half by Walters, but answered with two deep scores.

Ford scored a 15 yarder with a stripe on a Greg Peyser feed, and Harrison fired a heavily contested shot in to knot the score at seven.

The Rattlers re-established their lead with a pair of goals by Zywicki on feeds by Powell and Grant.

The Pride took the ball to the crease to even the score after three. First Rewkowski scored on a crease dive, which was followed by a flag-inducing scuffle, than Thomson followed suit after the ensuing face-off win to make the score 9-9 with one to play.

The Pride exploded out of the gate in the final session with four unanswered. Thomson scored to give the Pride their first lead since the second quarter, and Ford added two quick tallies of his own shortly thereafter. Adam Doneger completed the run to give the Pride a 13-9 lead with 8:12 to play.

The Rattlers answered with a three-goal burst of their own with goals by Alex Smith, Chris Schiller and Prout to cut the lead to one with 3:34 to play, but it was too little too late for Rochester.



Major League Lacrosse Stories from August 4, 2007


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