By CRAIG POTTER
A Rochester win Saturday over Ohio will put the Rattlers in the MLL playoffs.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Rattlers can gain the final berth in the upcoming Major League Lacrosse (MLL) playoffs with a victory over the Ohio Machine at 7 pm Saturday at Capelli Sport Stadium.
The Rattlers (7-6) beat the Machine, 12-11, in overtime on May 6 in Columbus. Jordan Wolf tallied 7 points (5 goals, 2 assists) and goalie John Galloway recorded 16 saves in the win. Wolf, who leads the team with 40 points, has sat out the past several games with an injury.
The Machine beat the New York Lizards last weekend, 21-14. Peter Baum (Colgate) led Ohio with 5 goals, one 2-pointer, and 1 assist. Goalie Kyle Berniohr (Maryland) posted 21 saves in net.
Baum leads the Machine with 49 points (29 goals, two 2-pointers and 18 assists). Marcus Holman (UNC) is in second place with 46 points (32 goals and 14 assists).
Ohio currently is tied with the Denver Outlaws for first place with 9-4 records. The Florida Launch (8-6) secured the No. 3 seed as the Launch won both games against the Rattlers this season.
However, if the Rattlers lose, either the Chesapeake Bayhawks, New York Lizards, or Charlotte Hounds will gain the final playoff spot with a 7-7 record as each of those teams own the tie-breaker over Rochester.
The No. 1 seed, either Ohio or Denver, will play host to the No. 4 seed on Saturday, Aug. 12 in one semifinal game while the other semifinal will find the No. 2 seed, either Ohio or Denver, play host to No. 3 Florida.
This will be the final opportunity to see the Rattlers play in Rochester this season. The 1-game semifinals are Aug. 12, which means if Rochester does qualify for the playoffs, the Rattlers will travel to either Columbus or Denver.
According to the MLL website, if Ohio and Denver finish with identical records, Denver will be the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.
The Outlaws beat the Machine in the 2016 MLL championship game.
The league will hold the 2017 MLL Championship Game on Saturday, Aug. 19 at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, TX. It will mark the first-ever MLL Championship Game in the state of Texas.
The Ford Center is a 12,000-seat indoor facility on the campus of The Star, which plays host to the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and serves as the team’s practice venue. It opened in August 2016 with a slate of local high school football games. The facility serves as a focal point to the sports and entertainment district that offers fans the ultimate experience with over 15 restaurants, the Dallas Cowboys ring of honor, an Omni Hotel and the Tostitos Championship Plaza.
If the league follows the same pattern, it held the 2015 and 2016 Championship Games in Atlanta before putting a team there this season to help grow the sport, one can expect Dallas to get a team next, possibly as early as the 2018 season.