By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/22/08
The Philadelphia Barrage will shoot for their third straight Major League Lacrosse (MLL) championship in the 2008 NB ZIP™ MLL Championship Weekend Saturday and Sunday at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass.
The Barrage, seeded No. 4, take on No. 1 Rochester at noon in one semifinal Saturday. In the other semifinal, the #2 Denver Outlaws will play the #3 Los Angeles Riptide at 3:00.
The two semifinal winners will advance to the championship game at 1:00 p.m. Sunday. Saturday’s first semi-final game, as well as Sunday’s Championship Game will air live on ESPN2.
Despite not playing any games on a “home” field in Philadelphia, the Barrage went 7-5 and finished second in the Eastern Conference behind Brine MLL Coach of the Year Tony Resch.
Rochester won both regular season meetings, winning 22-9 on May 31 at PAETEC Park in Rochester, N.Y., and then earning a 20-17 victory on June 21 in Cary, NC. Joe Walters (11 goals), League MVP John Grant Jr. and Casey Powell each had 13 points for the Rattlers in the two games.
All-MLL midfielder Matt Striebel had seven points (6 goals, 1 assist) to lead the Barrage in the two losses while Seth Goldberg, Ryan Boyle and Justin Smitheach added six points. Rochester’s Alex Smith dominated Andy Corno at the faceoff “X” by winning 45 of 67 draws. Mike Levin won both starts for the Rattlers while Brian Dougherty took the losses for the Barrage (CONTINUE)
