Hi ILWT Readers,
Another week in the MLL and another one goal game for the Cannons. Unfortunately, we were on the losing end, falling to the New York Lizards in overtime. It was a unique match up given the circumstances regarding the World Games, as both teams were missing multiple world-class athletes at each position. With Chris Eck and Greg Gurenlian both out with Team USA commitments, I was given the starting nod at the X against an old friend, Jerry Ragonese. Jerry and I played together in Rochester back in 2012, and have remained good friends ever since.
I feel like a broken record at this point, but Saturday night’s game featured multiple lead changes and was certainly an up-tempo game. Brent Adams, who played tremendously, scored a goal to put us up by two with about a minute left in regulation. However, the Lizards got another offensive opportunity following a face off win and hit a two point shot with 19 ticks left on the clock. In overtime, both teams failed to capitalize on their transition opportunities, but the Lizards earned a man up situation and Jojo Marasco buried the game winner off of a well executed face dodge.
Needless to say, it was an incredibly frustrating loss, as we seemingly had the victory in the palm of our hands. Credit goes to the Lizards who battled hard up to the final seconds of the game. I truly enjoyed my battle at the X with Jerry, and six days later, my body is still recovering from the matchup. But, as with every loss, a short term memory is required, since it’s right back to business for the Cannons. With 3 games left in the season, we need a strong finish to close out the regular season and earn a trip to the play offs. I am excited to see how our World Game participants respond this week, given the sense of urgency as we approach the end of the season. Expect another exciting weekend of MLL action, with each team competing harder than ever before.
‘That’s what a leader’s about: sacrifice. The times he’s gotta sacrifice because he’s gotta lead, by example. Not by fear and not by self-pity.’- Al Pacino, ‘Any Given Sunday.’
Crush the week.
