Rattlers Handle Charlotte

Rochester opened the scoring 2:47 into the game when A Kevin Leveille came from behind the Hounds goal and shot low past Charlotte goalie Adam Ghitelmann to give the Rattlers a 1-0 lead.  Just over four minutes later the Rattlers doubled their advantage when Lang dodged at the top of the two-point arc and dropped the ball to Striebel.  Striebel fired his shot past Ghitelmann from 12 yards to give the Rattlers a 2-0 lead.  A Matt Danowski scored the Hounds first goal of the game at 8:52 and M Brian Carroll tied the score at two with 1:15 left in the first quarter.

Rochester opened the second quarter on a four goal run.  M Brad Ross picked up a long outlet from G John Galloway and ran out in transition.  He dodged at the top of the two-point arc and beat Ghitelmann from distance 1:44 into the quarter.  Lang picked up a ground ball at midfield with ten seconds left on the shot clock.  He ran at the Hounds goal and shot high past Ghitelmann as the shot clock ran down to restore the Rattlers two goal lead at 3:21.  Three minutes later Galloway kept the Rattlers run going when he saved a shot from Carroll at close range.  Leveille found M Jordan MacIntosh in space in front of the goal, and he dodges before scoring with 6:47 left in the first half.  One minute later Lang drifted from right to left in front of goal and scored with a quick shot.  The Hounds pulled back a goal with less than one minute left in the first half when A Billy Bitter found M Stephen Berger at the top of the two-point arc.  Berger scored with his foot on the arc to cut the Rattlers lead to 6-3 at half time.

Bitter scored the first goal of the half off of an assist from Danowski 1:22 into the third quarter to cut the Rattlers lead to 6-4.  Rochester responded with a four goal, five point run to put the game out of reach.  Striebel scored a power play goal from a step inside the two-point arc off of an assist from Crotty 4:10 into the third quarter.  Two minutes later Lang caused a turnover in the attacking half, scooped up the ground ball, and found Leveille in front of the goal.  Leveille absorbed a body check from Ghitelmann and scored into the empty net.  Crotty scored his first goal of the night off of an assist from LSM Joel White 7:41 into the third quarter.  The Rattlers ninth goal and tenth point came with 5:09 left in the quarter.  On a delayed penalty call on the Hounds, Striebel found Ross with a cross field pass.  Ross caught the ball outside the two-point arc and fired his shot past Ghitelmann to give Rochester a 10-4 lead.  Charlotte finished off the Rattlers run with a goal from Carroll off of an assist from Berger with 4:07 left in the quarter. 

Rochester A Steven Boyle and Crotty scored the last two goals of the quarter to give the Rattlers a 12-5 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Rattlers FO Tim Fallon won the opening faceoff of the fourth quarter and raced down the field.  He found Boyle open on the left side of the Hounds goal, and Boyle scored seven seconds into the quarter to give Rochester a 13-5 lead.  Rattlers SSDM Steven DeNapoli finished the scoring with a transition goal 4:07 into the quarter.

The win leaves Rochester in a tie with Boston for the fourth and final playoff spot in MLL.  Third place Long Island is 6-4 and hosts Hamilton on Saturday night.  A loss by the Lizards will leave Long Island, Rochester, and Boston in a three way tie for the last two playoff spots.