The Lizards’ championship wasn’t because of one player. League MVP Greg Gurenlian made that clear in his postgame interview and said it was because New York had the best locker room. And arguably the most important cog in the Lizards’ machine outside of Gurenlian was goalie Drew Adams.
Adams has been in the MLL since 2009 and he’s been one of the best goalies in the league most seasons. He was the goalie of the year in 2011 and 2012 and then recorded a league-high 209 saves and 836 minutes in 2013. In 2014, Adams had a goals-allowed average of 11.67, which was third in the league. That rate would have been the MLL’s best this season.
While Adams has had tremendous success throughout his career, his biggest mark was left during the 2015 season. He finished second in the league with 210 saves and his 11.74 goals allowed per game led the MLL.
But beyond all the stats, Adams was the backbone of the league’s best defense. A lot of that had to do with Gurenlian’s dominance on faceoffs, but when a clutch save was needed, Adams was there.
But most importantly, Adams made the most important save of the entire MLL season. In the semifinals against Boston, the Lizards were in sudden-death overtime. Adams made a save on the doorstep and delivered an outlet pass that led to the Lizards’ game-winning goal on the same possession.
While it’s just one play, it encapsulates Adams’, and the Lizards’, season. If Adams didn’t make that save, New York wouldn’t have won the semifinal, let alone the championship. Though he had the help of the best faceoff specialist in the game and one of the most potent offenses, Adams was the backbone of the team. Adams was clutch all year and he made the biggest save of the season.
Everyone can debate the Paul Rabil trade and whether New York would have won the championship with or without him. But they can’t debate Adams, who stamped his legacy with his clutch performances throughout the 2015 season.
