Coming off of a bye week, the New York Lizards visit the Charlotte Hounds at American Legion Memorial Stadium, looking to keep their undefeated season going. This is the first time the teams will see each other this season; the second time will be at James M. Shuart Stadium on June 20th.
These teams sit on opposite sides of the standings, with the Lizards, no surprise, in first with a 6-0 record while the Hounds, who are having a season to forget, sit in last place with a 1-5 record. Last year, the Lizards made quick work of the Hounds by sweeping both games. The Lizards hold a 4-2 lead in the all-time series. It is also worth noting that the Lizards are three wins away from their 100th win as a franchise, which, if they remain unbeaten, will be achieved in the second game against the Hounds.
The Lizards will rely heavily on their offense to win this game. Paul Rabil and Rob Pannell currently lead the team in points with 28 for Pannell and 26 for Rabil and in goals with 14 each followed by Matt Gibson with 13. Rabil is about to reach a milestone, as he is twelve points away from his 400th-career point. Mike Stone will also be a factor in the offense, as he won the Coca-Cola Player of the Week for his three-goal, one-assist performance against the Chesapeake Bayhawks. Going up against Pierce Bassett, who on average has given up 12.74 goals this season, the Lizards will look to take advantage.
Another advantage the Lizards will look to use against the Hounds will be the face-offs. When it comes to face-offs, it’s simple: the team that controls the face-offs controls the game. This is something the Lizards have done well the past few weeks, winning 28 of 32 face-offs against the Bayhawks. Greg Gurenlian, the face-off man for the lizards, was awarded for his performance with the FOAthlete of the Week. This is the fourth time Gurenlian has achieved this award.
New York is too overmatched for Charlotte, and it shows in the standings and in the statistics. The Hounds’ leading scorers, John Haus, Mike Sawyer, and Jake Tripucka, all have the same number of goals as Paul Rabil alone. The Hounds are also coming off of a 19-13 defeat at the hands of the Boston Cannons, who the Hounds beat in overtime earlier this year for their only win. It is possible the Hounds can pull an upset, but it seems very unlikely.
