Tom Coyne, Beat Writer Dallas Rattlers
Lacrosse is Awesome
On Father’s Day June 17, 2018 the Dallas Rattlers (7-2) hosted the league’s defending 2017 MLL champs the Ohio Machine (2-6) in front of 3,011 Rattlers fans at the Ford Center at The Star. This is the same venue where the struggling Machine (The ‘Sheen), won the Steinfeld Cup in August 2017. The Rattlers were in sole ownership of first place going into the game and held that spot in the league’s only Father’s Day game. They are still perfect at home and managed yet another exciting comeback victory edging the Machine by one point with the final score: Rattlers 17—Machine 16.
As so often is the case the Ratz got off to a fast start scoring three goals within the first four minutes in the first. It started with Jordan Wolf’s (2G, 3A) first goal of the game unassisted and just 17 seconds into the contest; followed by Ty Thompson’s (3G) 26th goal of the season (assist Wolf) at the 2:55 mark; and John Ranagan (1G) with his eighth goal of the year at the 3:50 mark, 3-0 Rattlers up. The Sheen who have been struggling as of late in dramatic fashion, would score three quick goals of their own to tie things up. Speaking of dramatic fashion, Mike Dunn (2G,1-2PtG) a D-pole, broke the tie scoring off a faceoff for Dallas at the 11:01 mark increasing the lead to 6-3; following up only 17 seconds later with a two-pointer on an assist from Joel White (1A), a fellow D-pole. White has already garnered two MLL Defensive Player of the Week honors this season.
Marcus Holman (6G, 4A) who won the MLL Championship Game MVP trophy would score a total of four goals with an assist in the first half. At the end of the first thirty, the score was 12-9 and the Machine were in the lead.
Drew Simoneau (1G, 19-36 F/O) would once again show his true value to the Rattlers by scoring on the opening faceoff of the second half just eight seconds into the third quarter making it 12-10 and giving the hometown fans hope of yet another comeback victory at home.
The last place Sheen could not hold down the first placed and fast-paced Rattlers eventually losing the lead and the game 17-16.
Tewaaraton Trophy winner; the Rattlers number one draft pick; and a member of the ’18 NCAA D1 Men’s Lacrosse Champions the Yale Bulldogs, Ben Reeves (2G) would score his first MLL career goal to break the tie in the second quarter when it was 6-6; and in the closing minutes of the game scored his second tie the game up at 16-16. This happened right before Thompson scored his 28th goal of the year with just 4:22 left on the game clock. Wolf assisted on both key goals breaking the tie and helping give the Ratz their fourth victory at home.
Dallas would deny the Champs a chance at redemption splitting the season’s series with Ohio a game apiece and avenging one of their only two defeats this season. The victory leaves Dallas in sole possession of first place in the MLL.
Players of note for the ‘Sheen would be
Holman, who despite scoring six goals and four assists told “Lacrosse is Awesome” that he felt responsible for the loss because he did not excel in the fourth quarter. One of the many reasons you gotta love the MLL and its players who remain so humble. Lest we not forget rookies Ryan Keenan (2G) and Justin Guterding (2G, 2A) who did well playing in only their second MLL game of their careers’.
For the Dallas Rattlers “the Battlers”, they had outstanding performances from Jordan Wolf (2G, 3A) again notching five points; veteran Ned Crotty (3G) with his first hat trick of the season; and Ty Thompson scoring the game winner and tying him with Paul Rabil at ninth in the league at 29 points. Goalie John Galloway (10 SV, 4GB) who will be playing in the FIL World Games for Team USA in July was as always, directing the defense which is arguably the best in the league; John Moderski (7GB, 3CTO) who leads the league in CTO’s (caused turnovers) with 14; and Jordan Stevens from Smithtown, NY, (as is Keenan of the Machine) with four GB’s and four CTO’s.
It’s a great feeling for Dallas to be all alone in first place and in the Lone Star State.
This weekend both teams will be in action on June 23, 2018. Ohio will host the red-hot Denver Outlaws (5-4), and Dallas heads to Atlanta to face the Blaze (3-5) where first-year Head Coach Liam Banks is promising an all-out battle with the “Battlers”.
On July 7th the Ratz come home and will host the only other team that has beaten them in ’18, the Charlotte Hounds (6-3) who are currently in third place just a game back from the Ratz.
Tom Coyne, Beat Writer Dallas Rattlers
Lacrosse is Awesome