Throughout the 2015 season, Rochester’s offense relied heavily on the returning players from their strong 2014 showing. Despite the sweeping change from an offensive standpoint, second year players, such as Jordan Wolf, and Rattlers’ mainstays, such as Jordan MacIntosh, were their best decision makers and go-to guys. More often than not, it was players such as these two who were able to spark the offense in tough games, garnering momentum and bringing life back into the Rattlers. As we head into 2016, there is a particular player with the ability to take over games who can lead the Rattlers: 2015 Syracuse Rookie Kevin Rice.
Originally drafted by the Florida Launch, the Rattlers acquired Kevin Rice in a trade that involved them sending over hometown hero Miles Thompson to join his brother Lyle down in Boca. While many people will talk about how “The” trade, Paul Rabil’s departure from the Boston Cannons to the MLL Champion New York Lizards helped both those teams out, this particular trade might have been the best move by the Rattlers all season. Rice, arriving from a quarterfinals bid in the 2015 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament, was originally eased into the Rochester lineup. Coach Soudan was heavily interested in what he might be able to bring to the table, particularly with an offense that now did most of the damage from behind the net.
The results were exactly what Coach Soudan wanted. In just eight games, Kevin Rice became the team’s fifth leading goal scorer, with a rather balanced 11 goals and 10 assists for a cool 21 points on the year, what is considered a decent year for a midfielder. To put this in perspective, Rochester Captain John Ranagan and 2014 Most Improved Player and Rochester mainstay Justin Turri are both 18 and 11 points respectively. Rice, a Tewaaraton finalist and 2015 ACC Offensive of the Year, didn’t miss a beat in his pro debut. After finding a pattern of plays and sets in the offense, Rice was break down defenses and quarterback the offense from both behind and up-top, scoring multiple points in each game. A particular play we saw was alternating with Jordan Wolf from up-top and behind, confusing top defensive assignments and allowing Rice to be freed up to score or feed. This is an astounding feat considering how Wolf commanded the ball from behind and the presence of several different primary ball carriers on the midfield. In several games, Rice’s chemistry with another Syracuse alum, Randy Staats, allowed the two to be another fantastic one-two knockout combo that Orange fans (such as myself) were used to seeing.
Not fazed by the bright lights of the MLL’s Championship Tournament, Rice played excellently in the post, putting up four points in the semifinal game against the Machine at Ohio. His ability was such that, in a previous piece, I mentioned that for Rochester to win, Rice, a rookie on a pro squad, needed to at least mirror his production on that day. With the sting of the upset loss in the NCAA Quarterfinals undoubtedly still there, Rice headed into the Championship game with a slight chance of personal redemption, but ultimately Rochester could not pull through (Rice failed to hit four points).
Barring any NLL commitments, the Skaneateles, N.Y. native will undoubtedly look to lead Rochester, particularly in the first half of the season, heading into 2016. With two MLL Final appearances, the Rattlers are going to be playing with a chip on their shoulders, and Coach Soudan will be expecting a great deal out of a player like Rice. Luckily, with his ability on the field, Rice won’t be suffering from any sophomore slump.
