One year after making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the Ohio Machine were set to host their first home playoff game ever against the very same team they lost to the year prior.
A 15-11 defeat at the hands of the Rochester Rattlers last summer left the Machine hungry and ready for more this season.
Unfortunately for them, they were not able to take the next step as they were beaten by the Rattlers again last Saturday at Selby Stadium in Delaware, Ohio by a 12-8 final.
So now we take a moment to reflect on the season that was for Ohio, and what we might expect come next season.
From an offensive standpoint…
Holy cow.
If head coach Bear Davis and the Machine front office are able to keep this core together for next year, look out, because they were scary good at times.
The Machine had three players in the top 10 in the league in scoring during the regular season, Tom Schreiber, Marcus Holman and Steele Stanwick.
The only other team that can boast that is Denver, who missed the playoffs this year.
Schreiber’s 60 points placed him fourth in the league in that category while his and Stanwick’s 30 assists were tied for first along with New York’s Rob Pannell.
Holman’s 39 goals were second most in the MLL.
But it wasn’t just these three that carried the offensive load. Midfielders Peter Baum and Kyle Harrison, as well as attackman Jimmy Bitter were arguably the most solid supporting cast in the league.
My big question out of these guys is Harrison. The 32-year-old is a clear role model and leader on the field. Will he continue his solid play, even if he isn’t contributing as much in the scoring department?
How many years does he have left for that matter?
No need to search for a faceoff man next year
After struggling to find the go-to guy at the x, Greg Puskuldjian became the epitome of a battler and was the focal point as to why Ohio dominated possession for a majority of the season.
He won 53.4 percent of his draws during the regular season and he was nowhere near the reason that the Machine’s summer came to a close, as he won 15 of 23 draws against the Rattlers last Saturday.
Once again, a core member of this team that the front office needs to secure for the future.
And then on the back end…
Brian Phipps was the player of the year for Ohio. No question about it.
And I’ve been a broken record all season, but it really wasn’t his stats, although respectable, that made him so special.
The former Maryland Terrapin finished the regular season with a 9-4 record to go along with a 12.23 goals against average and a .564 save percentage.
The timely and big-time saves again and again were what carried his team through some tough points during certain games this 2015 campaign.
He made nine saves on 21 shots in the playoff loss to Rochester.
And yes, I won’t forget about the defensive core of Brian Karalunas, Steven Waldeck and Jackson Place. As sturdy of a group as they come.
They gave up 12.2 goals per game, third best in the league, and giving up 12 goals in the playoffs should’ve gotten them through to the championship game.
Shutting the Machine Down
There’s no excuse for putting up only eight goals in the playoffs for such a high potent offense that Ohio had.
In the end, that’s what cost them a title.
If the core group remains the same, there’s no reason to believe that Ohio won’t get to the playoffs next season with a championship or bust attitude.
And who knows, maybe the front office will make a ground breaking move to push them over the edge in 2016.
As for now, the organization will take the offseason to oil up the gears and get ready for next summer.
