Rochester Rattlers (3-6) vs. Bridgeport Barrage (1-8) Game Notes
August 2, 2003 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Dallas Rattlers News Release
Game Notes: The Rochester Rattlers conclude a home-and-home series tonight against the Bridgeport Barrage at Bishop Kearney Field. The Rattlers are coming off a 21-19 victory in Bridgeport last week to keep their playoff hopes alive. Tonight's game is the 2003 regular season home finale for the Rattlers. The 7:35 p.m. contest will be broadcast on News Talk 950 WROC and www.rochesterrattlers.com.
All-Time Series: Rochester leads the season-series 2-0 after defeating the Barrage at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on July 24th. The Rattlers have a 6-0 all-time record against the Barrage. The game is the third of a four-game series against the Barrage. The final game is Thursday, August 14th in Bridgeport.
Playoff Race: After tonight's game, Rochester has one game remaining against the Barrage and an August 9th showdown against the Baltimore Bayhawks. The Rattlers are currently in fifth place in the MLL with three games remaining. Rochester trails the Boston Cannons (5-4) by two games for the final playoff spot. New Jersey and Long Island have both clinched postseason berths. The Barrage were eliminated from the playoff picture after Thursday's 22-14 loss to the New Jersey.
Going for two: A win this Saturday would extend Rochester's winning streak to a season-best two games. It would also break a franchise record four-game home losing streak for the Rattlers. Rochester has not won at home since May 31st against Bridgeport.
Snake Bites: The game marks the return of Fairport native Tim Soudan. The Rochester midfielder has missed the previous nine games because of two offseason surgeries. The two-time MLL All-Star has notched 33 goals and nine assists in 28 games with the Rattlers. After missing the Rattlers' 2003 season opener, Soudan's streak of 138 straight professional games in Rochester came to an end. He played in 110 consecutive games for the Rochester Knighthawks of the NLL and 28 straight with the Rattlers. Casey Powell enters the game second in the league with 47 points (21+1+25) in nine games. He trails Mark Millon of Baltimore by six points. Goalie Brian Carcaterra earned his first win as a Rattler last week at Bridgeport. After last week's road win, Josh Coffman was honored as the MLL Offensive Player of the Week and Kevin Cassese won Cascade MLL Rookie of the Week accolades.
Faceoff X-Factor: Two of the top faceoff men in the league will do battle tonight at Bishop Kearney. Bridgeport's Doug Shanahan leads the MLL with a .546 winning percentage (125/229) and Rochester rookie Tim Booth is fifth in the league with a .504 winning percentage (71/141). Booth leads the head-to-head matchup after winning nine of 14 faceoffs against Shanahan last week in Bridgeport.
Bridgeport Notes: For the third time in team history, the Barrage will not make the MLL playoffs. The loss was the second straight for Bridgeport after its first win of the season over Baltimore. Bridgeport was eliminated from the postseason race after Thursday's loss to the Pride. Dan Denihan, however, is having an outstanding season. He is currently tied for eighth in the league with 36 points. He is also fifth in the MLL with 18 assists. Blake Miller is tied for 10th with 20 goals this season. The Barrage have yielded a league-high 173 goals this season.
Lacrosse Clinic: Prior to tonight's game against the Barrage, the Rochester Rattlers will conduct a pregame clinic at Bishop Kearney Field. The clinic is scheduled from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. with an autograph session to follow. The session is for boys and girls ages 5-15. All participants need a Rattlers game ticket for August 2nd to take part in the clinic. Special $8.00 game tickets for all USA Lacrosse members also include the clinic. Call the Rattlers at 585-454-5425 to order tickets or sign up for the clinic.
Pregame Party: Fans can also enjoy the Rochester Rattlers pregame party. The festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. at Bishop Kearney Field. The event is sponsored by Bud Light, Foodlink, Zweigle's, Atlantis Pools & Spas, the Democrat & Chronicle, and Massage on University.
Meet the Knighthawks: The Rochester Knighthawks, Rochester Knightingales and the team's mascot, Laxcalibur, will sign autographs tonight during halftime of the Rochester Rattlers-Bridgeport Barrage Major League Lacrosse game. Defensemen Casey Zaph and Steve Penny, and dance team members Angela and Meghan, will sign autographs in the tent located near the entrance to the field. This past season, the Knighthawks finished as the National Lacrosse League's regular season and Central Division champions. Rochester (12-4) also advanced to its fifth final in nine years. The 2003-04 season marks a decade of Knighthawks lacrosse in Rochester.
Next Game: Rochester travels to Baltimore on Saturday, August 9th to play the Bayhawks. The 7:30 p.m. contest will be broadcast on News Talk 950 WROC and www.rochesterrattlers.com. The game will also be televised tape delayed on ESPN2 on Tuesday, August 12th at 3:00 p.m.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from August 2, 2003
- Rattlers notch a league-record 28 goals in home win - Dallas Rattlers
- Massey leads Lizards over Pride, 13-10 - New York Lizards
- Rochester Rattlers (3-6) vs. Bridgeport Barrage (1-8) Game Notes - Dallas Rattlers
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