Lizards capture MLL championship

Posted

The never-say-die New York Lizards captured their first Major Lacrosse League championship since 2003 with a come-from-behind 15-12 victory over the Rochester Rattlers last Saturday night at Fifth Third Bank Stadium just outside of Atlanta.

For the second time in a week, the Lizards (12-4 overall) rallied from a four-goal deficit. Mike Stone, who was part of a blockbuster offseason trade that brought superstar Paul Rabil, netted the eventual game-winning goal with 11:08 left in the fourth quarter. Tommy Palasek and Rabil added insurance goals.

“It was a team effort from top to bottom,” Lizards coach Joe Spallina said. “We knew we had as much talent as any team in the league, but we had to win the blue collar parts of the game to accomplish our ultimate goal.

“It was a storybook kind of year,” he added. “There’s nothing sweeter than winning a championship. We had a few bumps in the road, but the guys brought the effort, energy and emotion that it takes to be successful and the staff made sure they were prepared.”

Rabil, widely considered the top player in the sport and an eight-time All-Star, was acquired from the Boston Cannons in January along with Stone for a package of players and draft picks. He earned MVP honors (“Coca-Cola Player of the Game) of the championship after recording three goals and three assists. It’s his second MLL title after leading Boston to the crown in 2011.

“He fit right in,” Spallina said of Rabil, who in 2012 set a league single-season record for points with 72.

Rabil scored twice in the second half to help spark the comeback. Also instrumental in the rally was Greg Gurenlian, who won 16 of 23 faceoffs, and goaltender Drew Adams, who made 11 saves.

The Lizards trailed 6-2 after the opening quarter but cut the deficit to one by halftime. Matt Gibson, the overtime hero in their 16-15 semifinal playoff win over Boston on Aug. 1, scored early in the second quarter to get things moving in the right direction, Spallina said.

“In this league you’ve got to be able to absorb the punches teams are going to throw at you,” Spallina said. “It’s something we were able to do very well.”

Rob Pannell, who led the MLL in scoring during the regular season with 68 points, scored twice in the second quarter while Palasek and JoJo Marasco added goals and the Lizards trailed 8-7 at intermission. 

Pannell tied the game twice in the second half. He scored early in the third quarter to make it 8-8, and his fourth goal of the night made it 12-12 early in the fourth after a timeout by Spallina. “I can’t say how happy I am for Rob,” the coach said. “It’s his first championship at any level. It was a long time coming for him. He’s a tremendous player who had an incredible season.”

On his Twitter account, Pannell wrote: “World Champs! Been waiting for this moment my entire life!”

Spallina said the championship game crowd of 8,764 was pro-Lizards. A week earlier, 4,941 fans packed Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium and got their money’s worth when the Lizards worked overtime to win a semifinal they trailed 5-1 in the first half.

“To come back from four goals down in back-to-back elimination games shows the character this team had,” Spallina said. “We beat both Rochester and Boston three times this season, which is a difficult thing to do. They’re both strong teams.”

Boston forced OT on a goal with 36 seconds left in regulation and nearly won it in the extra period but Adams (20 saves) made a point-blank stop to keep the Lizards alive. Then Rabil, with the ball on his stick on the doorstep against his former team, sent a smooth pass to Gibson for the winner.

“Drew made an incredible one-on-one stop,” Spallina said. “That’s what big-time players do. Then on the winning goal, Paul made the most unselfish play in a big spot I’ve ever seen.”