This Saturday will welcome the first entrance of the Ohio Machine to the playoffs of Major League Lacrosse. The Machine had to fight there way in, winning in the last week of the season to assure their spot in the final four. Rochester dismantled the Boston Cannons in the final game to lock the top spot in the tournament.
Ohio:
Ohio is built on the youth of the league making waves in their first years in the league. Marcus Holman, Steele Stanwick, Derek Maltz, and Logan Schuss are all just beginning to hit their stride in their professional careers. They are versatile, in that three of the four can do a multitude of things in the offense and Maltz can finish with the best of them.
Midfield is still young, but have the legs of a seasoned veteran to help calm the waters if things should stir in the semifinals. Peter Baum, Tom Schreiber, Jake Bernhardt, and Rob Guida make up an extremely young midfield. Kyle Harrison does have the ability to get timely goals, having done so in college and in the professional level. If Baum or Harrison becomes a dominant force this weekend, it could be Ohio’s title next weekend to lose.
Max Schmidt and Chad Weidmaier are the staples down low with Brian Farrell patrolling the midfield defensively. Farrell can push transition in the midfield, which is a luxury to have. He forces offensive players to run the length of the field and sometimes stay in to play defense. Schmidt and Weidmaier are two of the better young defenseman in the game.
The veteran leadership in the goal is the backstop to the defense. Brian Phipps and Scott Rodgers are two very capable goalies, with the ability to put pressure on opposing shooters. The odds are that Phipps will continue to man the goal, but if the team needs Rodgers, he will be more than capable of getting the win.
Rochester:
Here is the team that many thought would be at the bottom of the league standings, only to finish the season in first place. The youth of the team has come into its own and meshed together better than anyone could have expected and exceeded expectations. They have dominated for a long stretch of the season, leading them to this position.
At attack, there is Kevin Leveille, Jordan Wolf, Mark Matthews, and Mark Cockerton all vying for playing time. Wolf and Cockerton have been just great for the Rattlers. Both can score tough goals and play within the offense. In shortened time due to their college season, Wolf is second on the team in scoring after just seven games. Cockerton is sixth, but leads the team in goals in only nine games played.
Miles Thompson bring an uncanny sense of the game. All Kevin Leveille has done is continue scoring with the best of them in the league since his first days in the league. He is still over a goal a game player. The rookies account for 57 goals for the team and Leveille still has seventeen of his own.
Midfield has taken leaps forward from the beginning of the season. Justin Turri, recently named Most Improved Player, has found new life with the addition of Duke teammate David Lawson. Lawson is fresh off his stint with Team USA, showing how well he is playing right now.
John Ranagan and Jordan MacIntosh have thirty goal combined, 13 and 17 respectively. That gives the Rattlers two options on two midfield lines, which is exceptional depth in the battle between restraining lines. How successful Rochester can be will be determined by the plus/minus ratio the midfield has. If they score without giving up back goals in return, no one will be able to keep with them.
The defensive end has been a surprise as well with how well Mike Manley has played this season. He has been one of the best in the league. His fellow linemates have been regulars all season along side him. Will Koshansky, Danny Moss, and John Lade have all played over ten games. They are on the same page and playing well, which can be see by their domination of Boston last weekend.
Long pole midfield has to be the best tandem in the league with Joel White and John LoCascio. Both can run for days and will be causing havoc on both ends of the field. Pushing transition will force their opposition to play them the length of the field.
John Galloway is their man in the cage. He keeps getting better, as evident from some of the amazing saves he has made in tight this season. It is clearly his job, with his backup playing just over twenty minutes for the entire season.
The odd on favorite is that the depth in Rochester will outmatch Ohio. The ability to throw so many waves at your opposition will be the key to success for the Rattlers. Facing off isn’t a strong suit for the team, so getting the ball away from their offense is only half the battle, as their defense allows no easy goals.
Prediction: Rochester 15, Ohio 10
