Rochester Rattlers at New Jersey Pride
Published on August 6, 2004 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Dallas Rattlers News Release
(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Rattlers can clinch a playoff berth this weekend with a win at New Jersey, combined with a Philadelphia loss at Long Island. The Rattlers battle the New Jersey Pride (1-9) at 4:00 p.m. at Sprague Field on Saturday, August 7th. The contest will be broadcast on News Talk 950 WROC and SportsJuice.com.
The Rattlers (5-5) enter the game in second place in the National Division, following the Baltimore Bayhawks (6-5) 25-14 win over the Boston Cannons (8-3) Thursday night. The win moved the Bayhawks one half game ahead of the idle Rattlers. The victory denied Rochester a chance to clinch its first division title. The Rattlers could have secured the National Division crown with a Baltimore loss and a win this weekend in New Jersey.
The Rattlers can still clinch a playoff spot Saturday with a win and a Philadelphia loss because Rochester owns the tiebreaker against the Barrage (5-5). The Barrage play the Long Island Lizards (6-4) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Long Island.
The postseason berth would be Rochester's second in four seasons. The Rattlers advanced to the 2001 Major League Lacrosse Playoffs, but lost to Long Island in the semifinals. Rochester leads the all-time series versus New Jersey with an 8-4 record. The Rattlers are 2-0 against the Pride this year and won the last meeting 17-10 on July 24th.
Rochester is led by Major League Lacrosse Rookie of the Year candidate Tillman Johnson. The Rattlers goalie leads the league with a 12.68 goals-against average and a .643 save percentage. The University of Virginia standout has backstopped Rochester to a league-low 143 goals against.
On offense, Ryan Powell has a team-high 48 points (26+22). Casey Powell is not far behind, recording 47 points (26+1+20). Casey Powell is currently tied with Mark Millon of Baltimore for first all-time in league history with 253 points.
The Pride enter the game losers of nine straight. New Jersey, however, is led by one of the most prolific scorers in MLL history: Jesse Hubbard. This season he leads the team with 32 goals and 44 points. Hubbard is also the MLL's all-time leader in goals with 183 and is third all-time with 231 points.
New Jersey announced this week that Shane Twomey will start in goal and defenseman Neil Adams and midfielder Jack Lingo will make just their third appearances of the season. Twomey has played 47 minutes this season and has a 7.70 goals-against average and a .700 save percentage.
Next week, Rochester returns home to host the Long Island Lizards (6-4) on August 14th to conclude the regular season. The Rattlers lost 14-13 in overtime at Long Island on July 30th. The contest will be broadcast on News Talk 950 WROC and SportsJuice.com.
SNAKE BITES
MLL Honors: Rochester Rattlers goalie Tillman Johnson was named the Cascade Rookie of the Week by Major League Lacrosse, following a 27-save effort in a 14-13 overtime loss last Friday night. The Week 10 award marked the third time this season the Rattlers goalie has been recognized by the MLL. He received his first rookie of the week honor in Week 4 after beating Baltimore 14-12 in Towson, Md. The next week, Johnson recorded 31 saves in a 17-11 victory over New Jersey and was named the MLL Defensive Player of the Week. In his first season of professional lacrosse, Johnson has a 4-3 record and leads the MLL with a 12.68 goals-against average and a .643 save percentage. He has also moved into second place on the Rattlers' all-time saves list with 160 and is tied for second for the most wins in franchise history.
Defense! Defense!: The Rattlers boast five former Defenseman of the Year: Eric Martin (2004) Michael Howley (2003), John Glatzel (2002), Ryan Mollett (2001) and Marshall Abrams (2000). Four of the five were Division I honorees, with Martin winning the Division III equivalent in 2004. Martin was selected by Rochester in the fourth round (20th overall) of the 2004 MLL Collegiate Draft. Abrams is the only member not on the active roster. He will miss the entire season because of an injury he sustained for the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League.
All-Rookie Team: The Rochester Rattlers have two players on their roster that were honored as members of the 2004 National Lacrosse League All-Rookie Team. A.J. Shannon (Buffalo Bandits) and Ryan Ward (Philadelphia Wings) were among the indoor league's best young players. Shannon was acquired in an offseason trade with the New Jersey Pride and Ward was selected in the 2004 MLL Supplemental Draft. Shannon played his college lacrosse at the University of Virginia and Ward spent his collegiate career at Butler University.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from August 6, 2004
- Philadelphia Barrage Vs. Long Island Lizards - Philadelphia Barrage
- Bayhawks Snap Losing Streak in Explosive Fashion With Convincing Victory Over Cannons - Chesapeake Bayhawks
- Rochester Rattlers at New Jersey Pride - Dallas Rattlers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
