The Rochester Rattlers (7 – 5) look to surge towards the post with momentum as they host the Charlotte Hounds (3 – 9) in Brockport, NY in the final home game of the season. The Rattlers, winners of two straight, look to sweep the Hounds, whom they beat in the first game of the 2015 MLL campaign in a fantastic match that went beyond the final buzzer, as Jordan Wolf scored the game-winning goal to take it 10 – 9 in OT.
Rochester is coming off a hard-fought victory against a very game Chesapeake Bayhawks at home. Led by Matt Danowski’s seven points, the five-time MLL Champions gave the Rattlers all they can handle in the fourth, as they went on a late quarter 4-goal run that tied the game with a little over three minutes left. Rochester would take that game 14 – 13 after Kevin Rice found the back of the net. Dave Lawson led that game with four goals and an assist, while rookie Kevin Rice and a returning Mark Matthews both had hat tricks. Expect Rice and another ‘Cuse rookie in Randy Staats to have a ton of time, while another NLL champion in Jeremy Thompson returns to the lineup to help on face-offs and transition.
Meanwhile, the Hounds are coming off a disappointing 17 – 16 decision against the Florida Launch. They won’t be looked over however. The Rattlers are well aware that the Hounds have the players to really test them, because despite the record, the Hounds have a bright future with the likes of rookie Joey Sankey, who is first in assist and second on the team in scoring. If Rochester is going to win this game, the defense must be on high alert for him and the team’s leading goal scorer John Haus. In particular, the Rattlers’ must pay special attention to their transition defense, as Charlotte is a team that loves to push transition, something Rochester itself is known to be great at. John Galloway and the Rochester defense is starting to recover from losing Mike Manley, though progress is slow. This game and the Launch game will be good indicators of where the team is at defensively.
These two high-powered offenses will be great tests for the Rattlers, who can potentially go 9 – 5, just a game behind their dominant 10 – 4 previous season.
