Major League Lacrosse's Toronto Nationals, Stock Full Of University of Albany Lacrosse Alum, Head Into Playoffs Today - UAlbany Sports 2009

Although the Toronto Nationals may reside north of the border, the team has taken this nation by storm. In their inaugural season, the Nationals have notched a 7-5 record, clinched a spot in the playoffs, and have taken down the number one team in the league. From boasting the league’s leading goal scorer to housing a Thriller goalie between the pipes, the Nationals have become increasingly popular, making headlines all season long.

Obtaining 10 players from last year’s MLL Championship team, the Rochester Rattlers, Toronto hoped to start its first season with a win. The team’s powerhouse of attackers consisted of Merrick Thomson, Joe Walters, Jeff Zywicki, and Colin Doyle. Newly acquired Geoff Snider assumed his position at the X. The defensive core was to be lead by none other than Brodie Merrill, who has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year for the past three years. Flanking Merrill on defense was New Jersey Pride’s Joe Cinosky and former Duke Blue Devil, Nick O’Hara. On paper, the team was stacked—full of raw talent and sheer athleticism. But how would this fledgling Canadian team fare against some of the veteran teams in the league? Let’s take a quick look back…

Season Recap:

Off to a Hot Start
“Explosive, temperamental, and hilarious.”

These are three adjectives that face-off specialist Geoff Snider used to describe his team at the beginning of the season. If Toronto’s penalty minutes are any reflection of the first two traits, then Snider hit the nail on the head. The Nationals currently lead the league in penalty minutes, with 69.5, and have led for a majority of the season. However, this attitude also fueled an incredibly hot start to the Nationals’ season, establishing them as one of the league’s teams to beat.

In the first two games of the season, the Nationals won their first game in franchise history as well as their home opener. Thomson, who netted a career high seven goals in the first and tallied three goals and an assist in the second, earned back-to-back Bud Light MVP honors for his performances. It was clear from the start who Toronto’s leading man would be. His initial supporting cast on attack included Zywicki, Walters, Doyle, as well as defender Brodie Merrill. In the net, former championship goalie for the Rattlers, Brett Queener, had an outstanding opening night against Washington, only letting in six of 19 shots. From the beginning, these players set out to prove that the Nationals were going to be a force to be reckoned with, and it appeared as though a winning streak was in the making.

The streak was short-lived, however, as the Lizards handed Toronto its first loss. The Nationals added newly acquired rookie Sid Smith to their defensive lineup for this game. On attack, Walters, Doyle, Stephen Hoar, and Delby Powless led the charge for the Nationals. Unfortunately, it was not enough to overcome Long Island’s newest weapon, Zack Greer. Despite this 13-9 loss, the Nationals remained undaunted and only looked ahead.
Regaining composure, the Nationals entered rounds two and three with the Bayhawks. Walters earned game MVP honors by netting five goals in the nail-biting, round two match-up. With this win, the Nationals regained momentum and got their confidence back. Advancing to 3-1, Toronto was at the top of league standings alongside the Denver Outlaws. Next on the to-do list? Sweep the Bayhawks.

The Nationals returned home to host the Bayhawks for round three and for some light housekeeping. Was it Walters’ two two-pointers, Thomson and Zywicki’s combined five goals, or Merrill’s two goals and 10 ground balls? Regardless, the Bayhawks could not keep up. Toronto dictated the pace the entire game, eventually handing Washington a 19-12 loss. New to the mix that week was recently acquired goalie, Doc Schneider. Fresh from the MLL Draft, Doc delivered a stunning 11 saves on 15 shots. Making it look easy, the Nationals advanced to 4-1 and were headed to Denver to duke it out for the top spot.

Rocky Road Ahead
After a sizzling start, the Nationals looked to keep on rolling. However, in what was supposed to be one of the top games of the season, the Outlaws jumped to an early lead over Toronto and never looked back. Despite a combined 20-save performance from Docand Queener, the Nationals could not tame the Outlaws’ assault on the cage. In their first head-to-head battle with the other top team in the league, the Nationals failed to get a rhythm going, and it came back to bite them in the end. It was time to regroup, rebound, and head to Beantown to take on the Cannons.

Although the score may not reflect it, the game against Boston was much closer than the scoreboard read. Snider led the charge with four goals, including a two-pointer, and defender Brodie Merrill held Boston’s Paul Rabil to a mere two goals and an assist for the entire game. Despite such performances, Toronto fell short for the second week in a row. With Denver next on the schedule, Toronto needed to rethink its game plan.

The score was closer this time around, but the Outlaws still managed to edge out Toronto 20-16. Rookie Corey Small was activated that week and suited up for his MLL debut against Denver. Thomson was back in full force, putting up five goals and one assist, and at his side were Walters, Powless, and Doyle, who combined for 10 points. Toronto had the firepower, just not enough hits to overcome the Outlaws. With an overall record of 4-4, the Nationals wearily looked ahead to their July 4th game against the Machine.

In a high intensity, high-scoring contest, the Nationals lost their fourth straight game. Despite seven goals from Thomson, six points from Doyle, five points from Walters, and multi-point games from several others, the Leveille brothers, who combined for 16 points, could not be contained. In a heartbreaker, the Machine walked away with the win.

Now at 4-5, the Nationals had everyone wondering, what happened to Toronto?

“We started out 4-1 after five games and we were feeling pretty good about ourselves, maybe a little too good,” comments Toronto attacker Joe Walters. “We hit rock bottom after losing the next four in a row. At that point I think the coaching staff did a great job figuring out who we were as a team and placing people in the right positions to give our team the best chance to win.”

“The biggest thing was figuring out how to play with each other and what everyone’s roles would be,” adds Toronto Head Coach Dave Huntley. “I think we know that now.”

And the outcome…?

Back in the Saddle Again
Looking for redemption and for a chance to get their season back on track, the Nationals traveled to Long Island. New to the lineup this week was rookie defender Brad Ross. From the starting whistle, the Lizards didn’t even know what hit them. Doc and Queener combined for 15 saves on 23 shots, Snider went 21-31 at the X, and the usual suspects were firing on all cylinders on attack. With 10 different players scoring against the Lizards, Toronto had a field day at Shuart Stadium, routing the Lizards 19-9. Next stop? Back home to Toronto to host the Cannons. And this time, playoffs were on the line.

In week 11, the Nationals not only beat the Cannons, but they secured their spot in the playoffs. Game MVP Thomson led the attack with five goals and three assists. This time, his supporting cast added some fresh talent. While Walters and Zywicki scored four points apiece, Powless, Shawn Williams,and Gavin Prout each had three. Rookie defender, Brad Ross also netted two goals. With every single player delivering on the field, the Nationals fought to the end, when Walters netted the game winner in OT. Back on track, Toronto had now reached the climax of their regular season: the final showdown against Denver.

The Toronto Nationals made a strong bid in the campaign for the post-season Steinfeld Cup by dominating the Denver Outlaws in week 13. After months of watching from the sideline due to injury, lacrosse prodigy John Grant Jr. took the field, and he took it by storm. The game MVP notched five goals in his first game back, complementing Thomson’s four goals and one assist quite nicely.

“They are both great players who don't miss when their hands are free,” says Huntley. “I think our other guys did a great job of getting them the ball in good spots.”

Leading from the first quarter, Toronto shifted into overdrive and never looked back. At the end of regulation, the Nationals had dethroned the Outlaws 16-10.

“We all agreed to just play the game of lacrosse the way we know how to, and the outcome has been pretty amazing,” says Walters. “We are playing well at both ends, and now we have two more games to win to go 5-0 like we talked about.”

Coach Huntley adds, “We were solid in all areas of the game. In order to compete with a balanced team like Denver you can't have any weak links, and we were pretty strong in all aspects.”

One aspect that deserves recognition is the fact that 12 of Toronto’s 16 goals were assisted—by seven different players. The Nationals have been successful when they stick to the selfless style of team attack that they do best and don’t fall into a selfish style of play. It clearly paid off in this game.

“Toronto Nationals lacrosse is not a one-on-one style,” admits Walters. “We are best when we move the ball, find the open man, and make that extra pass for easy shots close to the goal. Personally, I have tried using my athleticism to draw slides and move the ball, creating offense for our team. I am much more proud of my assist total this year than my goals.”

Spoken like a true team player, Walters leads the team in assists for the season with 17 thus far. The Nationals lead the league in assists with 110 total; the second closest team, Boston, only records 82. In addition to team attack, Toronto’s game has changed for the better in other ways as well.

Keys to Success

Focus and Finish
These are two things that Coach Huntley mentioned back in week eight when Toronto lost to the Machine. Since then, the Nationals have not lost a game. Looking at the box scores and stats on Point Streak, it is clear that the Nationals have remedied their problem with finishing. Toronto also currently leads the league in goals, with 184. So, could focus have been the missing link?

“We became more and more used to playing together and focused on doing the little things right,” says standout goalie Doc Schneider. “Also, Coach Huntley talked about focus and trust. We really trust each other out there now, and have been focusing on doing the little things in a game that makes or breaks a team.”

It seems that many of the players would agree with Doc on this point. Interestingly, when asked for three new words to describe the Nationals as a team now, Snider states, “Focused, motivated, hilarious.” With playoffs on the line, the Nationals quickly turned their season around and finished on a winning streak. Championship Weekend was all the motivation they needed. The focus and trust, however, came from the coaches and, most importantly, from each other.

Great Players, Better Chemistry
When given the opportunity to brag about his own personal play this season, Doc humbly refrains and replies, “Guys like Geoff Snider and Brodie Merrill are players that you can’t find all over the league—a face off guy [Snider] that is excellent at what he does but has over 20 points and is not a liability on defense, and a long pole [Merrill] who is the best cover guy and creates more offense then any defensive player in the league by far. I feel we have a great attack and defensive unit, but these special types of players are really big game changers.”

In addition to Merrill’s physical presence all over the field, he is also a steadfast leader. Thomson recently commented that Merrill was one of the best leaders that he has ever encountered. Is it his playing style? His dedication? His personality? Perhaps a little of each.

“I just try and lead by example and help support my teammates,” says Merrill. “It’s not something you are really conscious of. We have a great group of guys on the team, so it is an easy environment to lead; everyone is on the same page.”

Although these are just two examples, the Nationals are far from modest when talking about each and every one of their teammates. With such admiration and respect for each other as players, it’s no wonder why the Nationals are doing so well. Lacrosse is a team sport, and a team is only as strong as its weakest link. The Nationals have worked together the second half of the season to ensure that there are no weak or missing links, and that the team is striving for a common goal—the Steinfeld Cup.

The Road To Annapolis:
With the top four teams in the league heading to Naptown, fans are guaranteed an electrifying weekend full of hard hits and high scores. And with just two games in two days, the Cup is anyone’s for the taking. Is Toronto up to the challenge?

Looking ahead to next weekend, Merrill comments, “I think it was important for us to experience the highs and lows. I think we will be a little more prepared to handle adversity because of the nature of our season.”

For many of Toronto’s players, this will not be their first trip to Championship Weekend; however, for the Nationals as a team, it is a first. Rookie Doc Schneider is very excited to play in Navy’s stadium.

“I am very excited for Championship Weekend. The idea of winning a championship at this level is all the motivation I need,” Schneider adds.

Goals
In the battle for the championship, the team hopes to grow further as a cohesive group and come together for an intense weekend. “Our goal is to play well as a team and as individuals on every shift,” remarks Huntley. “If we do that, winning will take care of itself.”

Aside from the main objective to win the MLL title, the team also talks personal goals. Each player has high hopes and even higher standards when it comes to individual play.

“My personal goals for the weekend are to continue to play my role, lead, get our offense the ball, and do whatever it takes to win,” lists Snider.

Aiming even higher, Walters adds, “I want to win back-to-back titles. Last season I was fortunate enough to have a good weekend. I will do everything I can to duplicate that effort and help our team in any way to hoist the Cup on Sunday.”

But to get to Sunday, the Nationals must get through the Long Island Lizards on Saturday.

The One-Two Punch
Of the four teams, Toronto and Long Island are the only two to win their last regular season game. The history between the two includes a split series, lots of goals, and several hard hits; Saturday’s match-up should be no different. Looking to keep their season alive, the Nationals welcome the challenge.

“We are definitely prepared to take on Long Island,” states a confident Walters. “We have a great group of guys and keep getting better every game. Long Island has a very tough defense and the best goalie in the league. We know what we are up against and look forward to the challenge.”

In the other semifinal game on Saturday, the fourth-seeded Boston Cannons take on the top seed, the Denver Outlaws. Many expect to see Denver in the finals. However, given the format of the weekend, anything is possible.

“Much like the NCAA Tournament, you kind of have to expect the unexpected,” admits Merrill.

A quick turnaround, with two games in two days, levels the playing field. With less than 24 hours of rest, two teams will meet on Sunday to battle for the Steinfeld Cup. With typically one game each week, none of the MLL teams encounters such a turnaround during the season, so it may be tiring for some. However, many of the Nationals also play in Canada’s Major Series Lacrosse, which shares a season with the MLL. With MSL playoffs coming to a close this week, players have played back-to-back games during their two-week respite with the MLL. This may be the factor that gives Toronto the edge in Annapolis.

“Championship Weekend will come down to endurance,” says Snider. “The majority of our team is playing summer indoor lacrosse as well. We are all in incredible shape. I think the format for the weekend caters to our athleticism.”
With such a strong, close-knit team, the Nationals likely will go far next weekend. Fans will see the formidable tandem of Thomson and Grant Jr. running circles around their defenders while Merrill commands his defensive unit on the other end; and Schneider and Queener will deliver great saves as they always do. One thing is for sure though: regardless of the weekend’s outcome, the Nationals will play their game and leave it all on the field. Coach Huntley said it best when he spoke of his team regarding Championship Weekend:

“I expect everyone who suits up to be a standout player for us.”

By Lindsay Gaesser