As Major League Lacrosse heads into the All-Star break, check out our three stars from the weekend that was.
3) Jake Bernhardt (Ohio) – 3 goals, 3 groundballs
There were several tremendous candidates this week, but Jake Bernhardt gets the third star not for the quantity of goals, but importance. Jordan Wolf of Rochester and his seven points deserve an honorable mention, but that came in a 13-6 win. Bernhardt got the nod because his three goals all came in the fourth quarter. Tied 10-10 after 45 minutes of play, he set the tone by scoring just 10 seconds into the fourth. His second goal gave Ohio a 12-11 lead at the 3:26 mark, then he added his third just over two minutes later to make it 13-11. That goal proved to be the game-winner. The three goals marked a season high; now has nine points in eight games this season. He also added three groundballs, helping the Machine win their fourth game in a row and improve to 5-3.
2) Joe Walters (Chesapeake) – 4 goals, 4 assists
Playing in his second Major League Lacrosse game of the season, Walters exploded for eight points to help Chesapeake to a big 15-11 home win over Denver. Five of those points were in the first half as the Bayhawks took a 10-1 lead at the half. He had a hand in all three of Chesapeake’s third-quarter goals as Walters and his squad held off the Denver comeback. The Outlaws scored 11 in the second half, but Chesapeake had enough to snap a three-game losing streak and improved to 4-4 on the season.
1) Greg Gurenlian (New York) – 27-of-31 faceoffs, 21 groundballs
Several New York players could have been named a star, but no player had a bigger influence on his team than faceoff man Greg Gurenlian. The Penn State alum finished an incredible 27-of-31 (that’s 87 percent) with 21 groundballs, helping the Lizards tally a 54-39 edge in shots, control possession and ultimately win their eighth game in as many tries. New York held a 44-22 advantage in groundballs which proved crucial in the 18-11 victory. For the season, Gurenlian leads Major League Lacrosse with an incredible 78 winning percent (160-of-204). Honorable mention shoutout to Rob Pannell, who tallied seven points for a second straight week and is now tied for the Major League Lacrosse lead with 42 points on the season (24 goals, 18 assists).
