Riptide Weekly Update
July 13, 2006 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Los Angeles Riptide News Release
L.A. RIPTIDE HAS A WEEK OFF TO REGROUP: After a second disappointing loss to the Denver Outlaws on July 8, the Los Angeles Riptide get a week to regroup. The entire MLL is until Thursday, July 20. The Riptide will return to action on Saturday, July 22 at the Home Depot Center Track and Field Complex against the San Francisco Dragons at 1:00 p.m. (PT). It will be the first game of a home-and-home series against the Dragons, which will conclude the following day in San Francisco.
RIPTIDE ALL-STARS: On Thursday, July 6, Riptide goalie Tillman Johnson and defenseman Dan Cocchi were a part of the Fifth Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game. The game, matched up the best players from MLL against the best from Team USA, and was played at Nickerson Field in Boston, Mass., home of the Boston Cannons. It was the second consecutive All-Star appearance for Johnson and the first-ever appearance for Cocchi. The MLL All-Stars were unable to break through against the U.S. National Team, falling 18-10.
VETERAN LEADERSHIP: Veteran MLL attackman Michael Watson continues to lead the Riptide in offense. He had another two-goal performance in last week's loss to the Denver Outlaws at the Home Depot Center. His 23 points for the season place him firmly in the team's scoring lead. After getting off to a slow start, not scoring any points in the first game of the season on May 27 at Philadelphia, Watson has contributed at least two goals in each subsequent game. Watson also contributed defensively against Denver, scooping up two groundballs.
LINDSAY LEADS MIDFIELDERS: Midfielder Sean Lindsay continues his offensive consistency for the Riptide. He picked up his first two-point goal of the season against Denver on July 8. Lindsay continues to lead all Riptide midfielders in scoring with 19 points (13 goals, 5 assists). He is also second among all Riptide players in scoring. After not scoring any points in the first game of the season, Lindsay has picked up the offense, netting at least one goal, and two points, in each subsequent game this season.
HELP FROM THE ROOKIE: Rookie D.J. Driscoll continues to contribute to the Riptide defense, adding another groundball against Denver on July 8. In the team's first-ever Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft on May 31, the Riptide selected Notre Dame defenseman Driscoll. Driscoll picked up his first MLL assist in the Riptide's first win on June 17 against the Chicago Machine on the game-winning goal scored by Andrew Combs. Driscoll has picked up groundballs in every game he has played in this season. In his first two games for the Riptide, against Boston and Chicago, Driscoll picked up two groundballs in each contest. He added three groundballs in the team's win at Chicago. Driscoll, the Great West Defensive Player of the Year in 2006, was selected with the first pick of the second round of the draft.
COMBS CONTINUES TO CONTRIBUTE: The June 13, 2006 trade in which the Riptide acquired attackman Andrew Combs from the Rochester Rattlers continues to pay dividends. Combs has contributed to the offense in each of the four games he has played in since being acquired by the Riptide, scoring at least one goal in each of those games.
NEW RIPTIDE PLAYER: Hoping to add more offense, the Riptide claimed attackman/midfielder Spencer Ford from the League Player Pool on July 5. Ford made his debut for the Riptide in the loss to Denver on July 8 and did not record any points. Ford played one game for the Rochester Rattlers this season, registering three assists. A 1999 graduate of Towson, he was selected first team All-Conference once and second team All-Conference twice. In his senior season, he was the national leader in assists with 53.
BLOGGING BICE: Los Angeles Riptide defenseman Greg Bice is soon to become an ESPN.com blogger. ESPN.com will soon feature weekly blogs written by two MLL players, Bice and San Francisco's Trey Whitty. Keep checking www.ESPN.com for Bice's blog, coming soon.
PLAYOFF FORMAT: Four teams advance to the MLL playoffs. The Eastern Conference and Western Conference leaders advance to the playoffs. There are also two wild card spots, which are won by the two teams with the next best regular season records, regardless of the conference they are in. The conference winner with the best record plays the wild card team with the lesser record in one semi-final game, while the remaining two teams play in the other second semi-final game. The winners of the two semi-final games will play each other in the Championship Game. All three games will be played at the Home Depot Center Track and Field Complex during the New Balance Championship Weekend on Friday, August 25 and Sunday August 27.
WESTERN CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: The Riptide is now learning that only having games against teams in the Western Conference is not easy. In the first two games of the season against teams in the West, the Riptide notched its first two victories. Both of them were against Chicago, a 17-6 game on June 17 at the Home Depot Center and a 14-8 game on June 24 in Chicago. Then came the Denver Outlaws, the best team in the Western Conference. The Riptide then suffered its first two Western Conference defeats, a 22-11 game at Denver on July 1 and a 17-7 game at the Home Depot Center on July 8. The Riptide was the first team in the Western Conference to complete its games against Eastern Conference teams, having played its first three games against Philadelphia, Rochester and Boston. All of the remaining games for the Riptide are against Western Conference opponents. Only L.A. and Chicago in the Western Conference have played all of their Eastern Conference matchups. The Riptide has one game against Chicago, one game against Denver and three games against second-place San Francisco remaining.
WEBSITE FEATURES: Don't miss the two weekly columns on the Riptide's revamped website, www.lariptide.com. Each Monday, look for "Inside the Numbers," written by lacrosse analyst Nick Ammazzalorso. Ammazzalorso takes a look back at the previous game and ahead to next week's game. Each Friday, there's "Shannon's Slant," written by Inside Lacrosse Magazine Assistant Editor Geoff Shannon. Shannon brings you highlights of the past week and his slant on the week ahead, as well as in depth and personal looks at the Riptide's superstars.
2006 RIPTIDE SEASON TICKETS ON SALE: Los Angeles Riptide season tickets for 2006 are on sale. Season ticket packages for the Riptide's inaugural season at the Home Depot Center start at just $96 for adults and $80 for youth (16 & under). For more information or to reserve your seats today, call the Riptide ticket office at 1-866-4-LAX-TIX, or visit the Riptide's website at www.lariptide.com.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 13, 2006
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