Lax day in Philly

By Tom Hoffman

Today there may be some snow on the ground but tomorrow calls for some Spring-like temps, perfect weather for a day of lacrosse in the Philadelphia area.  The Inside Lacrosse Independence Classic, sponsored by Whitman’s Sampler, will take place at PPL Park in Chester, PA.  For college lax enthusiasts this is heaven before the NCAA Championships as three games will take place.  And to complete the day of lacrosse in Philly will be the National Lacrosse League showdown between the Philadelphia Wings and the Washington Stealth at 8 PM at the Wells Fargo Center.

The day will start with a Big East matchup between St. John’s and Syracuse at Noon.  The Red Storm (3-1) will look to get some revenge following their loss to the Orange (2-1) in last year’s Big East Championship game at Villanova.  Syracuse has won two straight since their season opening loss to Albany and will look to stay perfect against St. John’s.  The second matchup at 2:30 will be a local matchup as the surprising Penn Quakers (3-1) will face off against the Villanova Wildcats (1-3).  Penn has already equaled their win total from the 2012 season and will look to continue their hot start while Villanova will seek to rebound from Tuesday’s 14-11 loss to Princeton.  The final game of the tripleheader will feature Penn State (2-2) and Lehigh (3-3) at 5 PM.  Both teams will be looking to stay in the USILA rankings which will make this an intriguing matchup.

Tickets are still available for both the Independence Classic and the Wings-Stealth game.   

Wings Lacrosse 2013 (3-9-13 vs. Washington)

By Tom Hoffman

The Philadelphia Wings (5-3) open the second half of their 2013 National Lacrosse League schedule when they host the Washington Stealth (6-4) and former Wing Athan Iannucci on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center.  Game time is at 8 PM and the game can be seen live at www.youtube.com/thelacrossenetwork.

History

The Wings are 9-3 all time against the Stealth franchise including the seasons in Albany, NY (2000-2003) and San Jose, CA (2004-2009).  All time in Philadelphia the Wings are 6-0 vs. the Attack/Stealth.  Last season the Wings defeated Washington 10-9 in overtime at the Wells Fargo Center.  It was the teams’ first meeting since 2008.  The teams will finish the 2013 season against each other in Everett, WA on April 20.   

Last Weekend

The Wings defeated the Buffalo Bandits 11-10 in overtime last Friday at the First Niagara Center.  The Wings trailed all game until Jordan Hall’s goal with less than four seconds to play in regulation tied the game setting up Drew Westervelt for the OT game winner.  Brandon Miller made 40 saves to pick up the game and season series win.     

Washington won at home on Sunday 11-8 over the Minnesota Swarm.  Athan Iannucci led the way for the Stealth with four goals.

Trivia

The Stealth had three first round picks in the 2008 NLL Entry Draft, two of whom will suit up on Saturday night, Paul Rabil (2^nd overall) for the Wings and Rhys Duch (3^rd) for Washington.  The player chosen 5^th overall would end up playing for the Wings in 2010.  Name this player?    

On this date

The Wings are 3-1 on March 9.  In 1991 they defeated the Pittsburgh Bulls 15-7 at Civic Arena, in 1996 they beat the Charlotte Cobras 26-11 at the Spectrum, in 2002 they lost 19-12 to the Washington Power at the Capital Centre and in 2012 defeated the Toronto Rock 12-10 at the Air Canada Centre.  

Wings at Mid-season (last 5 seasons)

2012: 4-4

2011: 4-4

2010: 2-6

2009: 3-5

2008: 7-1

Answer

Kevin Huntley was the Stealth’s third pick in the 2008 Entry Draft’s first round. In his only season as a Wing Huntley scored eight goals and added 19 assists playing in all 16 games that season.  He is the son of former Wings coach and GM Dave Huntley.

Next Game

The Wings will return to action on March 16 when they host the Toronto Rock.

One on One....Paul Rabil

Photo property of WingsLax.com

Kevin M. Neibauer sat down with Wings player, Paul Rabil...the background and the history of Rabil is well known, thus far, the Dan Dawson trade doesn't seem so bad after all....so let's chat with Paul...

Q- Was there a lot of pressure on you to step in and contribute right away?

There's always a need/desire for me to contribute on the lacrosse floor. To say that there isn't would be a let-down. I set high expectations for myself, with little bearing on what others think I should do. I listen to my coaches and teammates, and find the best way to contribute to the team goals.

Q-A lot was made of the American team thing. What is your approach to that?

What American team thing? We're all playing the same game, against common opponents. The best team made up of those who want it the most will win.

Q-You are still somewhat new to the indoor game, what are the biggest differences from the outdoor game?

Shooting. As a midfielder that built my game on shooting from the outside, dodging the alleys and being precise on the run with my off hand, well, neither of those things really work indoors. The goalies are very talented, and they fill up almost the entire net. Power doesn't win, but accuracy and deception. Playing fast complicates the game - all things that are beneficial to me in outdoor.

Q-What is your reaction to the fans in Philadelphia? How have they responded to you?

They're great. We share common goals: a desire to win. When we do so, the fans are phenomenal.

Q-Will your role change when Max Seibald and Brendan Mundorf get back?

No. Both players will help generate more opportunity and flare for an already potent attack. Max is one of the fastest players in the game and will generate a lot of transition, and Brendan is one of the best lefties in the game. His presence alone will create great balance in the offensive zone.

Q-The Rochester win at their place, how big was that?

Huge.

Q-The team has been on streaks, two wins, three losses, now three wins...how do you keep the winning streak going?

We have to continue to play for each other, and win at all costs. There's no doubt in this team, even when we were at the bottom. Nobody truly knows what the future will hold for this season, but the players on the floor are committed to hard work.

Q-Chemistry is always a big thing, Is the chemistry of all the new faces starting to come together?

We're working on it. The biggest thing is the selfless mentality of each player. Whatever we can do to score more goals than our opponent is considered a well-fought battle.

Q-The forwards seem to be getting more involved in taking away the transition game of the opponent, was or is that a thing that has been focused on?

We just need to use our athleticism to slow down any counter movements. If we can steal a few balls back, than it's considered a big positive for our D.

We at LaxPhilly.com would like to Thank Paul Rabil and the Philadelphia Wings for their cooperation in this interview.....thanks...Paul   really appreciated...