Team USA has to cut their roster down to 23 by Monday, and Richie Meade along with his team of coaches have a lot of work to do before they make their decisions. On Thursday night, USA’s roster had one last chance for players to make a case for themselves as they defeated Team MLL 10-9 at Harvard Stadium.
USA struggled on many levels, trailing for the majority of the game and their main struggles coming from in front of the net on both ends. However, some players stood out and we highlight them, along with looking at who struggled.
Top Three
Garrett Thul—Thul was playing midfield on Thursday and stood out as an impact player immediately. He scored a goal with his power and speed running through a defender and he also used speed to have an assist on the first goal of the game. He’s strong, powerful and has more speed than you’d think watching him. Out of the group of attackmen about two are likely to be cut, and since Thul is playing midfield as well, he seems safe. This could put Marcus Holman in danger.
Kevin Leveille—On Wednesday our Brian Davies had Leveille not making the cut. That very well may have been the case if not for the strong showing he had on Thursday night. He was huge inside and one of their only threats around the net. Leveille is a true finisher and his two early goals may have bought him a spot on the roster.
Dave Lawson—Lawson may have earned his chance to stay on the Team USA roster with three midfielders expected to be cut. He was picking up ground balls and scoring and as always, his dodging was terrific. He is valuable on defense-to-offense transitions so it seems likely he will stay.
Bottom Three
Tucker Durkin—Durkin struggled more than any player on the field probably. He was out physicaled when he matched up against Matt Danowski. USA has a strong defense and it is more than likely Durkin stays on the roster, and his season in MLL has been terrific. He was burnt often and just run past by Danowski. USA probably has to chalk it up to a bad night for their young defenseman.
Lee Zink—Zink is another guy who is one of the best in the world and had a rough night. He was also beat by Danowski more than once and he was beat a few more times. He will be remembered for knocking the stick away from Ohio player Logan Schuss, but it overall wasn’t a great showing.
Matt Mackrides—Mackrides had to impress to stay with this midfield unit and he didn’t do much. He was a bit sloppy at times and his passes tended to be off the mark, creating a transition chance for Team MLL. The midfield unit is deep and he didn’t do himself any favors.
