2017 NEW YORK LIZARDS

Transcription

1 2017 NEW YORK LIZARDS WEEK 11 NOTES Watch: Lacrosse Sports Network Media Contact: Rick Rissetto Ext. 305

2 April Sat. 22 Sat v. Denver W (OT) L, 7-13 May Sat. Atlanta W, Sat. Boston L, June Fri. 2 v. Florida L, Sat. L, (OT) Sat. 17 Sat. 24 Thu. 29 v. v. Ohio W, L, :00 p.m. July Thu. 13 v. Atlanta 7:00 p.m. Sat. 7:00 p.m. Thu. 20 v. Boston 7:00 p.m. Sat. 7:00 p.m. August Sat. 5 v. Charlotte 7:00 p.m. Venue: James M. Shuart Stadium (Hempstead, NY) Playing Surface: Fieldturf Capacity: 13,000 All-Time Series: Lizards leads, 7-3 Last Meeting: 8/6/16: Machine 22, Lizards 13 Live Video: Lax Sports Network TEAM INFORMATION Website: Record: 3-5 Head Coach: Joe Spallina (6 th year) Coach s All-Time Record: MEDIA INFORMATION PR Director: Rick Rissetto RXRissetto@NYLizards.com Phone: QUICK FACTS Name.... New York Lizards Location.. Garden City, NY Founded Home Field.. James M. Shuart Stadium MLL Titles... 3 (2001, 2003, 2015) ALL-TIME RECORDS Regular Season Post Season LIZARDS COACHES Head Coach. Joe Spallina Assistant Coach... Tommy Susko Offensive Coordinator Ryan Danehy Defensive Coordinator Brian Dougherty TEAM INFORMATION Website: Record: 7-2 Head Coach: Bear Davis Coach s All-Time Record: MEDIA INFORMATION Media Contact: Kaley Rentz krentz@theohiomachine.com Phone:

3 Coaching Staff JOE SPALLINA Head Coach - Entering his sixth season with the Lizards - Previously served as Lizards assistant coach for two years Brine Coach of the Year - Head coach of the Stony Brook Women s lacrosse team TOMMY SUSKO Assistant Coach - Entering his fifth season with the Lizards - Assistant coach at Adelphi University RYAN DANEHY Offensive Coordinator - Entering his first season with the Lizards - Previously served as the assistant coach for the men s lacrosse team at the University of Michigan and Dartmouth College Player News BRIAN DOUGHERTY Defensive Coordinator - Entering his first season with the Lizards - Head coach of the Chestnut Hill College lacrosse Men s team DARRIN SCHIRTZER Team Operations Manager - Entering his sixth season with the Lizards - Coaches Team 91 s Crush with Joe Spallina ANDREW ALDERMAN Assistant Equipment Manager - Entering his 16 th season with the Lizards - Played with the Israel Men s Lacrosse Team at the FIL World Lacrosse Championships in 2014 Superman is Thriving in Expanded Role It took some time for Curtis Dickson to find a permanent home on a MLL roster, but the Canadian seems to have done just that with the New York Lizards. A star in the NLL for the Calgary Roughnecks, Dickson is known as Superman due to his ability to dive across the crease and score. After an incredible senior year for Delaware in 2010 where he scored 62 goals and tallied 15 assists in his senior year, Dickson was later drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 Expansion Draft by the Denver Outlaws and also spent limited time with the Florida Launch and Rochester Rattlers. This season for the Lizards, Dickson has 13 goals in six games, including 11 in his last four. Rematch Against the Machine The Lizards last hosted the Machine at James M. Shuart Stadium in August of New York lost the contest 22-13, but clinched a spot in the MLL Semi-Finals against the Denver Outlaws. If New York is going to have a chance to win this game, they need to continue to score at a high rate throughout the entire game, not just the first half. In their last matchup with the Machine, the Lizards netted only three first half goals. The Lizards also need consistency in their defense if they are to keep this a close game with first-place Ohio, as New York gave up 11 second half in their last contest against the Outlaws on Saturday, June 24. The Lizards can win this game by continuing to score goals at a high rate and play dependable defense for 60 minutes, thus adding momentum for a late playoff push.

4 ROSTERS New York Lizards 25-Man Roster (Alphabetical) # PLAYER POS HT WT COLLEGE 14 Drew Adams G lbs. Penn State 90 Jack Carrigan D lbs. Loyola (MD) 70 Steve DeNapoli M lbs. Hofstra 71 Curtis Dickson A lbs. Delaware 25 Scott Firman D lbs. Syracuse 24 Ryan Flanagan D lbs. UNC 17 Joe Fletcher D lbs. Loyola Jon Garino FO lbs. Maryland 66 Matt Gibson A lbs. Yale 32 Greg Gurenlian FO lbs. Penn State 81 Kyle Hartzell D lbs. Salisbury 5 Joe LoCascio M lbs. Maryland 11 Chris Madalon G lbs. UNC 4 Will Manny A lbs. UMass 22 JoJo Marasco M lbs. Syracuse 84 Tommy Palasek A lbs. Syracuse 3 Rob Pannell A lbs. Cornell 33 Austin Pifani D lbs. UNC 99 Paul Rabil M lbs. Johns Hopkins 27 Jacob Richard M lbs. Marquette 7 Kyle Sweeney D lbs. Georgetown 36 Kevin Unterstein M lbs. Hofstra 43 Ryan Walsh A lbs. Colgate 1 Joe Walters M lbs. Maryland 21 Thomas Zenker M lbs. Duke New York Lizards 25-Man Roster (Numerical) # PLAYER POS HT WT COLLEGE 1 Joe Walters M lbs. Maryland 3 Rob Pannell A lbs. Cornell 4 Will Manny A lbs. UMass 5 Joe LoCascio M lbs. Maryland 7 Kyle Sweeney D lbs. Georgetown 11 Chris Madalon G lbs. UNC 14 Drew Adams G lbs. Penn State 17 Joe Fletcher D lbs. Loyola 21 Thomas Zenker M lbs. Duke 22 JoJo Marasco M lbs. Syracuse 24 Ryan Flanagan D lbs. UNC 25 Scott Firman D lbs. Syracuse 27 Jacob Richard M lbs. Marquette 32 Greg Gurenlian FO lbs. Penn State 33 Austin Pifani D lbs. UNC 36 Kevin Unterstein M lbs. Hofstra 43 Ryan Walsh A lbs. Colgate 66 Matt Gibson A lbs. Yale 70 Steve DeNapoli M lbs. Hofstra 71 Curtis Dickson A lbs. Delaware 81 Kyle Hartzell D lbs. Salisbury 84 Tommy Palasek A lbs. Syracuse 90 Jack Carrigan D lbs. Loyola (MD) 99 Paul Rabil M lbs. Johns Hopkins Jon Garino FO lbs. Maryland Player News Part Two Lizards Active at the Deadline New York was eager to make a deal to jump-start the team prior to Thursday s match-up with the Machine. In a trade deadline deal, the Lizards sent midfielders Dave Lawson and Chris LaPierre to the Boston Cannons. In return, Boston s leading scorer---will Manny---comes home to Long Island as does second-year midfielder Joe LoCascio. Manny, a native of Massapequa and a popular player in the MLL, collected 30 points through nine games with Boston this season while LoCascio scored 12 goals and totaled 15 points on the year. The trade also means that the Lizards have an even more lethally dangerous offense as Manny will be tasked to team with the returning Rob Pannell along with Curtis Dickson and Matt Gibson on the attacking line.

5 Week 11 Game Preview Week 11 Preview: New York vs. Ohio June 29, 2017 New York needs to get back to in the win column, but a battle of the two most recent MVPs in the MLL will present a unique obstacle for the Lizards. Who: New York Lizards vs. Ohio Machine When: Thursday, June 7:00 p.m. Where: James M. Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University Watch: Lax Sports Network (Live Feed on Week 11 Pregame Notes The offense has been firing on all cylinders for the Lizards in the midway stretch of the season, given the returning talent that is back on New York s sideline. Rob Pannell returned to the field last Saturday versus Denver and immediately created a spark with three goals and three assists for New York. Curtis Dickson, meanwhile, continues to tear up opposing defenses; the British Columbia native and former University of Delaware star had five goals against the Outlaws including another highlight-reel feat of acrobatics when he dove from behind the cage to score the Lizards final goal of the contest. Seven players are in double-figures in total points for the Lizards with Greg Gurenlian knocking on the door to a ten-plus point season in his swan song campaign. Week 10 Recap New York jumped out to a 9-2 lead at one point in the first half and led 11-6 at halftime, taking a raucous Denver crowd out of its element after a half-hour of gameplay. The second half depicted a much different story, however, with the Outlaws roaring back to form. Denver outscored the Lizards 11-3 in the second half and finished the game with five straight goals to score an incomprehensible victory at the hands of the visitors. What to Look Out For MVP vs. MVP 2015 was a spectacular season for Greg The Beast Gurenlian; the face-off specialist was the MLL Most Valuable Player and a member of the league champions as the Lizards claimed their third-ever Steinfeld Cup. Last season, MVP laurels went westward to the Buckeye State as

6 Ohio s Tom Schreiber claimed the award following a 60-point season. Schreiber was also named Rookie of the Year for the 2017 National Lacrosse League season recently, so Thursday s game will be yet another feature installment of the best players in the world in both indoor and outdoor lacrosse. Offensive Caveat Yes, the Lizards offense has a potent punch with a bevy of superstars attached donning the black and green of a New York jersey. But seeing as there is only one lacrosse ball in play at all times, scoring is at a premium. New York s offense has scored a total of 98 goals over eight games, a mark that is the lowest in the league thus far. Conversely, the Lizards defensive unit has allowed the third-fewest goals (109) bested by only the top two teams in the MLL---Denver (88) and Ohio (98). Though the game of lacrosse is more known for its firepower, a lockdown defensive strategy might help New York prevail over the Machine on Thursday night. Win At All Costs Heading into the All-Star break after Thursday night s contest, New York needs to get back on track in the win column. With a 7-2 Ohio squad coming to Long Island, the Lizards sit at 3-5 and are a full game behind fourth-place Charlotte (5-5) for the final playoff spot in the league. The Hounds, interestingly, do not play again until July 15 th when New York visits the Queen City. Should the Lizards win against Ohio and then Atlanta on July 13 th, it will set up a very interesting Saturday night in North Carolina as the season starts to wind down. Looking Ahead The Lizards will be well-represented at the Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game on July 8 th in Sacramento, Calif. Five members of the team earned All-Star selections; Joe Walters, Paul Rabil, Greg Gurenlian, Joe Fletcher and Drew Adams all got the call to head to Papa Murphy s Park in the Golden State s capital city. Following the break, New York will host its first-ever Camp Day and day game celebration on Thursday, July 13 th. The Lizards host the Atlanta Blaze in a 12 p.m. contest at Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University. For tickets, please call NYLIZARDS or go to

7 HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON CHART 2017 STATISTICS Average shots per game Average goals per game Average goals allowed per game % Shot percentage % Average groundballs per game Face-offs won %..... Face-off percentage % Average penalty minutes per game Pronunciation Guide Greg Gurenlian...Ger-EN-lee-EN Tommy Palasek..PAL-uh-sek Austin Pifani..Puh-FAH-knee Paul Rabil..RAY-bull Kevin Unterstein..Un-ter-STINE Kyle Hartzell.HEART-zull

8 2016 Lizards Award Winners Week One Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Paul Rabil Week Three Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Steve Holmes Defensive Player of the Week: Steve Holmes Week Four Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Rob Pannell Offensive Player of the Week: Rob Pannell Week Five Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Rob Pannell Offensive Player of the Week: Rob Pannell Week Seven Week Eight Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Dave Lawson Week Nine Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Dave Lawson Offensive Player of the Week: Dave Lawson Week Thirteen Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Paul Rabil Offensive Player of the Week: Paul Rabil Player of the Year: Faceoff Athlete of the Year: Greg Gurenlian Offensive Player of the Year: Rob Pannell Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Rob Pannell Offensive Player of the Week: Rob Pannell 2017 Lizards Awards Winners Week One Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Drew Adams Defensive Player of the Week: Drew Adams Week Nine Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Joe Walters Offensive Player of the Week: Joe Walters Week Three Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Paul Rabil

9 2017 Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown Game Date 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT NY OPP NY OPP NY OPP NY OPP NY Chesapeake 22-Apr P W v. Denver 29-Apr Atlanta 13-May Boston 20-May L v. Florida 2-June Florida 10-June L v. Rochester 17-June Denver 24-June L v. Ohio 29-June v. Atlanta 13-July Charlotte 15-July v. Boston 20-July Ohio 29-July v. Charlotte 5-Aug Total MLL Special Teams Statistics TEAM GP PPGF ADV PPPCT SHGA PPGA TSH PKPCT SHGF Atlanta Boston Charlotte Chesapeake Denver Florida New York Ohio Rochester

10 2017 Lizards Team Statistics # PLAYERS POS GP G 2ptG A PTS PIM PPG PPA SHG SHA GWG GB DC TO CTO S SPCT SOG FO 1 Walters, Joe M Pannell, Rob A Fletcher, Joe D Marasco, Jojo A Flanagan, Ryan D Richard, Jacob M Gurenlian, Greg FO Pifani, Austin D Unterstein, Kevin M Walsh, Ryan A Gibson, Matt A DeNapoli, Steve M Dickson, Curtis A Hartzell, Kyle D Carrigan, Jack D Rabil, Paul M TOTALS: # GOALIES GP MIN W L GA 2ptGA GAA SV SV% 14 Adams, Drew 8 488: Madalon, Christopher 0 0: TOTALS:

11 Lizards Player Profiles (Alphabetically Listed) DREW ADAMS #14 GOALIE - Member of 2014 US Men s National Team, won silver and 2012 Warrior Goalie of the Year - Three time member of the MLL All-Star Team (2011, 2012, 2013) JACK CARRIGAN #90 DEFENSE - Played college lacrosse at Loyola University STEVE DENAPOLI #70 MIDFIELD - Played college lacrosse at Hofstra - Member of 2014 MLL All-Star Team - Scored four goals for New York in One of three Lizards players to play in all 14 games of the 2014 season CURTIS DICKSON #71 ATTACK - Played college lacrosse at Delaware University - Two-time All-American and 2010 Tewaaraton Award Finalist - All-time leading goal scorer in Delaware history (162 goals) SCOTT FIRMAN #25 DEFENSE - Played college lacrosse at Syracuse - USILA Second-Team All-American and Inside Lacrosse First-Team All-American RYAN FLANAGAN #24 DEFENSE - Played college lacrosse at UNC - Spent first five seasons as a member of the Charlotte Hounds - Picked up 59 ground balls in his rookie season in 2012 JOE FLETCHER #17 MIDFIELD - Played college lacrosse at Loyola Tewaaraton Award Finalist - Only college player named to the 2014 US Men s National Team 30-man training roster - Two-time member of the MLL All-Star Team (2015, 2016) Media Contact: Rick Rissetto Ext. 305 RXRissetto@NYLizards.com

12 JON GARINO FACEOFF - Played college lacrosse at Maryland NCAA National Champion MATT GIBSON #66 ATTACK - Played college lacrosse at Yale Cascade Rookie of the Year - Member of the 2012 MLL All-Star Team GREG GURENLIAN #32 FACEOFF - Ranks second all-time in the MLL for ground balls in a single season (124 in 2012) - Finished 2013 season with the highest face-off win percentage in the history of the MLL (.641) - Member of 2014 US Men s National Team, won silver - Winner of the inaugural MLL FOGO of the Year award in Defensive Player of the Week: Weeks 1 and 7 - Team Captain in 2013 and Two-time member of the MLL All-Star Team (2013, 2016) - Three time All MLL Team member (2012, 2013, 2014) - Currently holds MLL record for most face off wins KYLE HARTZELL #81 MIDFIELD - Played college lacrosse at Salisbury - Member of 2014 US Men s National Team, won silver - Set record for most points in a season by a defenseman in 2012 with the Ohio Machine (21 points) CHRIS MADALON #11 GOALIE - Played college lacrosse at North Carolina JOJO MARASCO #22 MIDFIELD - Played college lacrosse at Syracuse - Re-acquired by Lizards in trade with Rochester in June Totaled 65 goals in his first four seasons with New York - Was a member of the 2015 MLL Championship team. ROB PANNELL #3 ATTACK - Member of 2014 US Men s National Team, won silver - Three-time MLL All-Star (2013, 2014, 2016) Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Weeks 1, 8, 13 - Leading scorer for New York in 2014

13 Cascade Rookie of the Year Tewaaraton Award winner - NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer with 354 career points TOMMY PALASEK #84 ATTACK - Played college lacrosse at Syracuse Coca-Cola Player of the Game: Weeks 4, 10 - Second leading scorer for New York in Two-time Cascade Rookie of the Week in Ranks 8 th in the league for most goals scored by a rookie - Game MVP April 28, 2013 v. Boston Cannons; June 13, 2013 v. Hamilton Nationals - Member of the 2013 MLL All Star Team AUSTIN PIFANI #33 DEFENSE - Played college lacrosse at North Carolina - Two-time Tewaaraton Award Watch List nominee ACC Defensive Player of the Year PAUL RABIL #99 DEFENSE - Member of 2014 and 2010 US Men s National Team, won silver and gold respectively FIL All-World Team - Two-time FIL World s Best Midfielder (2010, 2014) FIL World s MVP - Eight-time member of the MLL All-Star team ( ) - Six-time member of the MLL First-Team All-Pro ( ) - Holds MLL Single Season All-Time Points Record with 72 points in the 2012 season for Boston - Two-time MLL MVP (2009, 2011) - MLL Championship MVP (2015) JAKE RICHARD #27 MIDFIELD - Played college lacrosse at Marquette University KYLE SWEENEY #7 DEFENSE - Played college lacrosse at Georgetown - Has won four MLL Championships (2004, 2006 and 2007 with the Bridgeport Barrage and 2011 with the Boston Cannons) - 13-year MLL veteran KEVIN UNTERSTEIN #36 MIDFIELD - Played college lacrosse at Hofstra

14 - Team captain in Scored career-high five points in Member of 2014 US Men s National Team 52-man training roster - Member of 2014 MLL All-Star Team RYAN WALSH #43 ATTACK - Played college lacrosse at Colgate NCAA All-American - Finished at the top of the All-Patriot League with 31 goals and 45 points JOE WALTERS #28 DEFENSE - Played college lacrosse at the University of Maryland - Played 3 seasons with Rochester with 73 goals - Played 4 seasons with the Hamilton Nationals with 80 goals THOMAS ZENKER #21 MIDFIELD - Played college lacrosse at Duke University