Four teams. Three Locations. Two Games. One Champion.
History was made this year with the Ohio Machine finally breaking through to the MLL playoffs for the first time in program history. Rochester will get another shot at the Steinfeld Cup after taking a few years off from playoff contention. New York will take a lick at hoisting the cup for the first time since YEAR. Finally, Denver… again… can the Outlaws finally get wrangle hands on the cup?
Here are the five players to watch:
1. Rochester – Miles Thompson, Jordan Wolf, Justin Turri, Kevin Leveille & Joel White – Wolf has tallied 33 points in just seven games and is second in points with the Rattlers. Turri is the most improved player this year without a doubt with one more point than Wolf. He has become a dominant player at the midfield for the Rats and will be someone to keep your eye on in their playoff run. Thompson is just ridiculous as always with his most recent around the world goal – look for him and Wolf to connect. White is dangerous with his pole and will probably grab a point or two. Leveille finally got his shot at Team USA and was nothing short of spectacular – he will be the inside finisher and connect with everyone.
2. Goalies – After a second place finish in the FIL World Games, the three goalies who made Team USA will get their shot at the Steinfeld Cup – Drew Adams (New York), John Galloway (Rochester) and Jesse Schwartzman (Denver). Brain Phipps (Ohio) and Scott Rodgers (Ohio) will give offenses a hard time as well.
3. New York – Greg Gurenlian, Rob Pannell, Joe Fletcher, Kyle Hartzell & Ned Crotty – Pennell has 56 points and leads the Lizards by almost double of Tommy Palasek’s points this year. Ned Crotty can dodge and score from anywhere. LSM Hartzell can bring it from two point range and will be a threat in transition. Fletcher will take anyone on and play very sound defense. Gurenlian will do what he loves and win faceoffs for Coach Spallina giving the Lizards a pretty good edge in possession time.
4. Denver – The ‘So close, yet so far’ team is in the playoffs AGAIN. Surprising? Not really. Schwartzman better wake up in cage or the Outlaws will miss out on the cup once again. Players to watch: Drew Snider, John Grant Jr, Jeremy Sieverts & Eric Law – How Snider didn’t make the US team.. I’ll never know but he is one of the best two-way midfielders in the game. Sieverts didn’t make team USA either and is hungry for the Cup and has the capabilities to make a huge impact for Denver. Law tallied 9 points last year in the Semi’s at PPL Park – I got to see it in person – it was amazing – look for him to show up hungry as well. John Grant Jr – didn’t get to play for Canada in the FIL World games – MVP of the 2013 MLL Championship Game – hungry doesn’t do justice to what Grant Jr is probably feeling heading into the playoffs. Look out goalies.
5. Ohio – Peter Baum, Marcus Holman & Logan Schuss – These three are electrifying players. Holmans speed and understanding of the game has actually increased since he played for team USA. Baum has adjusted well into the MLL after playing in the LXM Tour and is dominant. Schuss will (hopefully) take another step towards greatness.
The Semi-Final games will be played as home games this year with the Outlaws hosting the Lizards at 5:30pm and the first place Rattlers welcoming the Machine at 3pm. Both games will be on Saturday August 16. Hoisting of the cup will take place down in Kennesaw, Georgia at Fifth Third Bank Stadium
