Rattlers Host Boston in First-Place Showdown
July 24, 2008 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Dallas Rattlers News Release
(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Rattlers host the Boston Cannons on Saturday, July 26th at 7:30 p.m. at PAETEC Park. The teams enter the game tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with identical 6-3 records. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Casey Powell player card, courtesy of Bud Light. Fans can arrive early and enjoy the pregame party with live music from the Paul Cummings Band. After the game, the Rattlers' official postgame party will be held at The Distillery at 1142 Mt. Hope Ave. The contest will be televised live on Time Warner Cable SportsNet. The game also will be broadcast live on WYSL 1040-AM and wysl1040.com.
Head-to-Head: The game is the second and final meeting of the season between the two teams. Rochester won the first contest, 17-14, on May 23rd. The Rattlers have won the last four matchups to improve to 8-7 lifetime against Boston.
Mikey versus Casey Powell: The contest features a battle of the Powell Brothers as Casey (Rochester) takes on his younger brother Mikey (Boston). The game is the sixth meeting between the brothers in MLL history. Casey leads the all-time series (3-2) and the point's race. Casey has 12 goals and 10 assists to Mikey's eight goals and four assists.
Rattlers Notes: The Rattlers enter the game on a two-game winning streak, which includes a thrilling 18-17 victory last Saturday at New Jersey. Gavin Prout netted the game-winner with just one second to play. Rochester's Jeff Zywicki tied a team record with five goals in the first half, and added two goals in the second half to set a new career best. Alex Smith also set a team record with 27 faceoff wins. Further, Mike Levin earned the win in goal, making 17 saves. John Grant continues to lead the MLL in points with 41 (29+3+9). Brodie Merrill was named the MLL Defensive Player of the Week, as he collected 12 loose balls and one assist. Merrill leads all defensemen with 10 points.
Cannons Notes: Boston has won two straight and five of its last six games. Goalie Kip Turner leads the MLL with a 12.42 goals-against average. Turner was named the MLL Goalkeeper of the Week after making 16 saves, including 12 in the second half. Midfielder Matt Poskay is tied for seventh in the league with 33 points. Further, rookie Paul Rabil already has 23 points (18+2+3) in just six professional games.
Next Game: The Rochester Rattlers host the Long Island Lizards on Friday, August 1st at PAETEC Park at 7:30 p.m. The first 1,000 fans will receive a John Grant player card, courtesy of Bud Light. The Rattlers will also honor the best performances of the year as part of Awards Night. Fans can arrive early and enjoy the pregame party with live music from the DNR. After the game, the Rattlers' official postgame party will be held at The Distillery at 1142 Mt. Hope Ave.
SNAKE BITES: Hitting the century mark: Midfielder Chris Schiller will become the first Rattlers' player to reach the 100-game plateau. Saturday is his 96th regular-season game to go along with four playoff games.
Closing in on 100: Midfielder Joe Walters needs just two points to reach 100 in his career. He enters the game with 91, which ranks fifth on the team's all-time list.
'Get shorty': Rochester leads the league in penalty-killing efficiency, holding opponents to seven goals on 44 opportunities (84 percent). Rochester has also scored two shorthanded goals this season.
From indoors to outdoors: The Rattlers have 11 players that spent the last five months playing indoors in the National Lacrosse League. The players that will now shift their talents to the outdoor game include Brett Bucktooth (Buffalo), Colin Doyle (San Jose), John Grant (Rochester), Jordan Hall (New York), Brodie Merrill (Portland), Casey Powell (New York), Gavin Prout (Colorado), Jack Reid (Rochester), Chris Schiller (Rochester), Joe Smith (Buffalo) and Jeff Zywicki (San Jose).
Oh, Canada! Rochester has the most Canadian-born players in the MLL. The Rattlers have six players that hail from Canada and, coincidently, all five were named to the 2006 World Field Lacrosse Championships. Doyle, Grant, Hall, Merrill, Prout and Zywicki all won gold for Canada.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 24, 2008
- Rattlers Host Boston in First-Place Showdown - Dallas Rattlers
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