NATIONALS CAN TIE FRANCHISE RECORD WITH WIN

Hamilton Notes: The Nationals won back-to-back games against the Rochester Rattlers last weekend, which included a 15-14 overtime win on Saturday. Rookie Jeremy Boltus was named the MLL Offensive Player of the Week after scoring nine times in two games. On Friday, he set a Nats single-game record with seven goals. Joe Walters also had a big series with 15 points to spring him into fourth place on the league point list with 23 (9+1+13). On Friday, he passed Merrick Thompson as the team’s all-time point leader. On Saturday, he set the team single-game assist record with six and tied the single-game point record with eight. Rookie David Earl netted a career-high four goals in the win Saturday. Goalie Scott Rodgers made 17 saves, including three in OT, to earn his first win of the season. Brodie Merrill leads all defensemen with seven points (2+1+4) and is third in the league with 35 ground balls.

 

On Canadian soil: The Nationals won for the first time since moving to Hamilton after earning an OT win over Rochester last Saturday. The Nats are 1-2 at home and are in the midst of a three-game homestand that ends in two weeks against Chesapeake.

 

Brodie racing to 500: Nationals defenseman Brodie Merrill has 482 ground balls and needs just 18 to become only the second player in MLL to reach the 500 mark. Merrill is second in league history to Paul Cantabene (538). 

 

National All-Stars: Four members of the Hamilton Nationals were selected to participate in the 2011 Sports Authority MLL All-Star Game at Harvard Stadium on Saturday, June 9th. Goalie Joe Marra, faceoff man Geoff Snider, midfielder Joe Walters and defenseman Brodie Merrill were among the 40 players selected to play in the 7:00 p.m. event in Boston, Mass.

 

Long Island Notes: The Lizards enter the game in fifth place in the MLL after suffering an 18-11 loss to Denver last weekend. Long Island has now lost three of its last four games. Matt Danowski leads the Lizards in points and is fifth in the MLL with 20 points (12+4+4). Danowski, who leads the MLL with four two-point goals, is one of seven Lizards named to play in the MLL All-Star Game. He joins Drew Adams, Stephen Berger, Stephen Peyser, Nicky Polanco, Brian Spallina and Mike Ward. Since getting traded to Long Island, John Grant Jr. has played in one game and has two goals and one assist.

 

Next Game: The Nationals will host the Chesapeake Bayhawks at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 16th. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com.