Riptide Gets Second Chance at Outlaws
July 7, 2006 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Los Angeles Riptide News Release
CARSON, CALIFORNIA - Friday, July 7, 2006 - The Los Angeles Riptide of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) returns to the Home Depot Center Track and Field Complex to complete the home-and-home series against the Denver Outlaws this Saturday, July 8 at 1:00 p.m. (PT).
The team had its two-game winning streak broken last Saturday by the Western Conference leading Outlaws in a 22-11 rout. The Riptide gets a chance to redeem itself when the Outlaws come to California. L.A. will have their work cut out for them against a highly offensive and defensively stingy Denver, which has a 5-2 season record. The Riptide will have to work hard to show the scoring touch they displayed in the previous two games and increase the shots on goal total, which took a large tumble last week when they were doubled up in shots by the Outlaws.
Riptide All-Stars, goalie Tillman Johnson and defenseman Dan Cocchi, will try to help regain the improved defense of recent weeks after playing in the MLL All-Star game on July 6. It is the second consecutive All-Star appearance for Johnson and the first appearance for Cocchi.
Veteran attackman Michael Watson became the first Riptide player to break into the league's top-25 scorers after a 14-8 victory at the Chicago Machine on June 24 when he scored four goals and three assists. He moved up on the list to a 19th place tie after netting two goals and two assists in last week's defeat at Denver, bringing him to 21 points on the season. After a slow start this season, Watson continues to provide consistent offense for the Riptide, scoring a minimum of two goals in the last five games.
Collegiate Draft pick midfielder Devon Britts scored his first career MLL goal last week in only his second game for the Riptide after being activated from the Collegiate Inactive List on June 22. The other Collegiate Draft pick to see action for the Riptide this season, D.J. Driscoll, also continues to improve defensively with each game he plays. In the loss to Denver last week, he picked up four groundballs, the largest amount he has gotten this season.
Attackman Andrew Combs continues to fit in well with the Riptide after being acquired from the Rochester Rattlers on June 13. The veteran has paid immediate dividends, helping to spark the offense by scoring two goals in each of his first two games for the Riptide and adding one goal against Denver last week.
The Riptide midfield is bolstered by the confident leadership of Sean Lindsay, who scored 29 goals and registered 12 assists in his first two years in Major League Lacrosse. This season he is the Riptide point leader among midfielders with 17 points (12 G, 5 A). Lindsay has also been offensively consistent for the Riptide, netting at least two goals in each of the last five games. Lindsay's former Syracuse University teammate Kevin Dougherty also provides midfield stability. The midfield has also gotten some help from Syracuse teammate, Steve Vallone, who has scored a two-point goal in each of the last two games. That was after Dougherty broke through with the first two-point goal of the season for the Riptide on June 17. The Riptide now have a three-game streak of two-point goals.
Tickets for the Riptide's inaugural season at The Home Depot Center are on sale now, with season ticket packages beginning at just $96 (adults)/ $80 (youth 16 & under). For more information or to purchase your tickets today, please call toll free at 1-866-4-LAX-TIX.
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Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 7, 2006
- Riptide Gets Second Chance at Outlaws - Los Angeles Riptide
- Cannons Visit Baltimore Saturday - Boston Cannons
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