The New York Lizards have won the 2015 MLL Championship, defeating the Rochester Rattlers 15 – 12 in front of over 8,000 at the Fifth World Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. A heavily contested match from start to finish, the Lizards used a fourth quarter rally behind Coca-Cola game MVP Paul Rabil’s six points to defeat the Rattlers 15 – 12.
This is the first championship in a dozen years for the Lizards, who ended the year with a team best 10 – 4 record, starting out 8 – 0. For the Rochester Rattlers, it was another disappointing game despite the potential and work put in. Rochester did well throughout the game, having the lead or tying for the vast majority of the contest until the fourth quarter, with multiple goal-scorers and superb ball movement carrying Rochester to a four goal, 7 – 3 lead in a gigantic second quarter push.
However, heavy defensive assignments plus lack of control of the Face-Offs ultimately did them in, as 2015 MLL League MVP Greg Gurenlian’s ability at the Face-Offs, going 16 of 23, gave an NY offense that appeared disjointed for the vast majority of the game chance after chance to correct their game plan and come back, which they did on a tired out and broken down Rochester defense, that even John Galloway’s 13 saves couldn’t stop. At the Face-Off X, it was a scrum early, with Rochester getting some key possessions, (Gurenlian going only 5 for 9 at one point), but that ability to make the Face-Offs a battle went away when Joe Fletcher was switched to the wings, which the Rattlers had no answer for.
I could not recall hearing Jeremy Thompsons name at all, while Donnie Moss was only mentioned when he picked up a defensive pole to help out a tired John LoCascio. Meanwhile, while the Rattlers’ offense did well for the most part, their lack of playmaking at key moments in the game shut themselves out of it completely. Rochester was the perfect matchup against NY because it wasn’t known what they would bring to the game as each actual game is a different way to score for them, while also being a deep team of many scorers. However, it seemed as though in this game, they themselves didn’t know how they wanted to attack as well. Several times, Rochester would go on the transition after a great defensive play in the first half and a bit in the third, only to not score a transition goal, despite being a transition team playing against a not so great defensive transition team. Other times, they would shoot down-low on Adams, despite a vast majority of goals being from up-top and successful. 2015 Offensive Player of the Year Jordan Wolf scored twice, but wasn’t the primary ball-carrier, despite the fact that 2015 Defensive Player of the Year Joe Fletcher wasn’t able to guard him one on one.
The primary ball carrier in Kevin Rice had only one goal, while Jordan MacIntosh, their best initiator alongside Lawson at midfield, also only had a single point. Kyle Denhoff scored twice, but the lack of stretch shooters, despite a few key times to at least try to bomb one from the outside, didn’t keep them in the game, while Mark Matthews’ hat trick was a spark that ultimately didn’t pan out. Coach Soudan has to make a move.
For the second consecutive season, his squad has made it to the Finals, only to fall short. While I mentioned last week that this time, they did it battered and bruised, this was their chance to avenge a 2014 season where they themselves were the top team. Anthony Kelly has recently been released from the Outlaws. I would think heavily into recruiting him, along with another defensemen. Most teams in the league dress only five, but six makes more sense to have from a pragmatic standpoint.
Despite all this, Rochester hung with the top team in the league and controlled the vast majority of the game despite being weakened throughout the second half of the entire MLL season. It was a disappointing end, and congratulations to the MLL Champs in the Lizards, but Rochester was on the verge of proving something, with such a tough season. In that respect, they’re winners.
