Major League Lacrosse :      May 20, 2006 [ The Game Story]
Philadelphia Barrage 12 Rochester Rattlers 11 Scoring: Scoring: Ryan Boyle Michael Springer Matt Striebel Jed Prossner Roy Colsey Bj Prager Jack Devilliers (2, 6) (4, 0) (2, 1) (2, 1) (0, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) Seth Goldberg Kevin Cassese Pat Dutton John Grant Joe Kostolansky Chris Schiller A.J. Shannon (2, 1) (3, 0) (1, 1) (1, 1) (2, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) Saves: Saves: Brian Dougherty 30  (0.732) Mike Levin 28  (0.700) Current Record :     (1-0) Current Record :     (0-1) Team Page For 2006 Team Page For 2006       The Game Story:

It's just about summer and that means here comes the MLL season. The new-look Rattlers traveled down to Philadelphia to take on the Barrage, who remain nearly identical to last year's team. For a more in-depth preview, check out the latest edition of LAX. The Barrage needed a 5-goal run late in the fourth to hold off the Rattlers. They were paced by Ryan Boyle's 8 points (2,6) and Mike Springer's 4 goals. Brian Dougherty contributed with 21 saves in cage. On the losing end, the Rattlers received three points from Seth Goldberg (2,1) and Spencer Ford (3a), while Mike Levin recorded 18 saves in the losing effort.

It was a homecoming of sorts for some as the game was played in historic University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field. Barrage midfielder Will Phillips was UPenn class of '04, while Rattler's attackman Seth Goldberg is currently in grad school at Penn, known to throw around with the club team and is familiar from his time at Yale. Watching the game in Franklin Field gave the feeling that the MLL does one day aspire to fill venues like that. However, the seats were empty...very empty. Alas, Villanova, which wasn't available due to graduation, is a better fit for the growing league and team.

It was a good game to start the season as both teams worked through the early season learning curve. Both had trouble clearing the ball early. Rochester seemed to not be able to get into much of an offensive rhythm without the Powell brothers. The offense now looks to be run primarily through John Grant, who is more than capable, but it wasn't until others were being used more that they started to get a little bit of offensive flow. Philadelphia looked like an offensive unit that was familiar with each other and probably could have racked up some more points but they were often wide on shots and Mike Levin played well between the pipes for the Rattlers. Rochester's recent addition Brodie Merrill was all over the field and continues to impress that he is one of the premier, if not the, longpoles in the World, right now.

(From Press Release)May 22, 2006 - The Philadelphia Barrage of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier outdoor lacrosse league, won their 2006 season home opener against the Rochester Rattlers Saturday night at Franklin Field. The Bud Light MVP was Philadelphia’s Ryan Boyle (A) who recorded two goals and six assists while leading the Barrage to a 12-11 win over Rochester.

Michael Springer (A) scored the first goal for Philadelphia, assisted by Boyle, early in the first quarter. Rochester’s Andrew Combs (A) scored an unassisted goal to tie the game at 1-1. Springer scored his second and third goal of the game on assists by Boyle, bringing the Barrage to a 3-1 lead. A.J. Shannon (M) and Chris Schiller (M) scored for Rochester tying the game 3-3, but Matt Striebel (M) scored on an assist from Boyle, putting the Barrage ahead by one at the end of the first quarter.

Kevin Cassese (M) scored the only goal of the second quarter and the only two-point goal for Rochester of the game. Goalkeeper Mike Levin held the Barrage to no goals during the second quarter recording 10 saves. The scored at the end of the second half was 5-4, Rochester.

Rochester started off the second half with a goal by John Grant (A) giving them a two-goal lead. Philadelphia tied the game at 5-5 with goals by Boyle and Jed Prossner (A), his first of the night. With goals by Cassese and Seth Goldberg (A), Rochester went ahead again by two. Philadelphia went on a five goal run, three to round out the third quarter by Striebel, Springer and Prossner. The score at the end of the third was 9-8, Philadelphia.

Boyle and Jack deVilliers (M) scored to finish out the Barrage’s five-goal run in the fourth quarter, putting them ahead by three. Rochester tied the game with goals scored by Pat Dutton (M), Goldberg and Joe Kostolansky (A/M). B.J. Prager (A) scored his first goal of the game, off an assist from Roy Colsey (3), at 1:27 to put the Barrage ahead for good. It is the first time Philadelphia has won its season-opener.

Philadelphia leaders were Boyle with eight points (2G, 6A), Springer with four points (4G), Striebel with three points (2G, 1A), Prossner with three points (2G, 1A), deVilliers with one point (1G), Prager with one point (1G) and Colsey with one point (1A). Brian Dougherty (G) recorded 21 total saves in the win.

Rochester leaders were Goldberg with three points (2G, 1A), Spencer Ford (A) with three points (3A), Dutton with two points (1G, 1A), Combs with 2 points (1G, 1A), Cassese with two points (1G, 1 2pt G), Grant with one point (1G), Schiller with one point (1G), Kostolansky with one point (1G), and Shannon with one point (1G). Levin recorded 18 total saves in the loss.