LI Enters Playoffs on Best Streak Since 2008
by Brian Coughlin | majorleaguelacrosse.com
The Long Island Lizards locked up the No. 3 seed in the playoffs
with a 13-7 victory Saturday over the Toronto Nationals. They will
meet the Denver Outlaws in an MLL semifinal Aug. 21 in Annapolis,
Md., riding high on a five-game winning streak -- their longest
since June 2008.
Despite their 3-8 record, Brodie Merrill and the defending
Steinfeld Cup champion Nationals had every intention of defeating
the Lizards, just as they had in the semifinals last season. They
even had some tricks up their sleeves, switching jersey numbers and
placing goalkeeper Brett Queener in midfield.
On the opposite bench, Joe Spallina got the opportunity to coach
the Lizards in place of Jim Mule and led them to their most
impressive defensive performance of the season, spearheaded by his
brother Brian Spallina.
Tim Goettelmann opened up the scoring for the Lizards with a goal
off an out-of-bounds play just 39 seconds in the game. However,
this would be the lone offensive highlight of the quarter for the
Lizards, as they came out sloppily once again.
The Nationals continued their trickery with their uniform
numbers, as Chris Daniello, wearing number 14, scored the second
goal of his career to tie it at 1 with 9:02 left in the first.
Queener scored his second goal in as many weeks to put the
Nationals up 2-1.
Just as Goettelmann had done in the first, he sparked the scoring
with a pass to a wide-open Berger in the second. The goal knotted
the game at 2. Stephen Peyser blew by Steven Waldeck and fired his
first goal since the world lacrosse championships to put the
Lizards up 3-2. Peyser scored two goals in the tournament with Team
USA, but was unable to score last week.
Following a faceoff win by Peter Vlahakis, Mike Ward fed Matt Danowski for his 25th goal of the season.
Polanco and the Long Island defense picked up the intensity,
shutting down John Grant Jr. and the Nationals in the second
quarter, holding them scoreless for the second straight game in the
second quarter, as the Lizards advanced to halftime up 4-2. The
defense, just as it had been all season, was tenacious, holding the
Nationals scoreless for the last 17 and a half minutes of the
quarter.
Two stories dominated the third quarter of the game, with one being
the explosion of the Lizards' offense, particularly on the power
play. Chris Fiore, who had already taken five shots in the game,
fired another one from two0point range and hit to put the Lizards
up 6-3 with under nine minutes leftin the third.
From there, the Nationals' frustration showed on the field. An illegal body check by Geoff Snider gave the Lizards their first man-up of the quarter, on which Peyser would capitalize. Beautiful ballwork gave Peyser an easy opportunity, as he gave the Lizards a 7-3 lead.
Moments later, another Snider penalty yielded another Peyser goal.
A penalty by Merrill on the ensuing faceoff gave the Lizards
their third powerp lay of the quarter. Fiore scored off Cromwell's
third assist of the game. Before Saturday, Long Island had just
seven power play goals all season.
Spallina held Grant to just one goal last week and had the
attackman fuming Saturday, as at one point Grant threw his helmet
on the ground.
Long Island led 11-3 after three quarters and never looked back. The seven goals for the Nationals was the fewest surrendered by the Lizards' defense this season. Bud Light MVP Mike Ward cited the excellent play in transition of John Orsen, Ricky Pages, Chris Unterstein and Dan Cocchi as being key to the victory, as well as the winning streak.
