Coming into this matchup with a 2-4 record and hopes that this season would be a turnaround for the Ohio MLL team, there was a lot on the line against the Rattlers. Desperation can play a huge part in a team’s performance and I believe the Machine hit their point of desperation heading into this game.
The Rattlers had control of the game until halfway through the second quarter. With them controlling the lead 6-2, that’s when I feel the message really kicked in for Ohio. The Machine returned the next to goals at 5:26 and 6:56 in the second to bring the scoreboard within two points (6-4), and despite effort from Rochester from there on in, Ohio answered back twice as much.
The final score was 18-13 Ohio, but with it 6-2 in the second quarter (as I just mentioned), that means Rochester scored 7 more goals, while the Machine were successful on 16 more opportunities.
For the Machine, Logan Schuss and Marcus Holman were on fire. Holman had 5 goals, Schuss had 4. Steele Stanwick was a feeding machine, assisting 6 times in one game. Not going unmentioned, I also throw a shoutout to Peter Baum, who helped Ohio cap off Rochester with another 5 goals. Kyle Harrison had two on the day.
Brian Phipps played all sixty minutes in the cage for Ohio. He took 29 shots on goal, and saved 16 of them. His biggest contributions came in the first quarter when he made 6 saves in those fifteen minutes alone.
Face off specialist Eric O’Brien went a little under 50% by winning 13 of 32 draws. Jake Bernhardt also took some game reps, and won one of the two he faced.
On the Rattlers’ side of the game, rather than four goal contributors playing big, Rochester had numerous players score throughout the game, just less individually.
Jordan Wolf led the efforts with four goals and one assist. Miles Thompson had three goals, Jordan MacIntosh two, and John Ranagan, Kevin Leveille, Mike Manley and Dave Lawson each had one.
John Galloway started in the cage, taking 34 shots on goal and saving 16 of them. He played all sixty minutes, as well.
Rattlers face off specialist John Ortolani took all 34 draws for Rochester and won 20 of them.
Ohio’s Peter Baum received the Game’s MVP recognition.
