Schwartz: Rabil Leads Lizards Into MLL Semifinal Clash Against Boston

By Peter Schwartz
» More Columns

During the offseason, the New York Lizards sent shockwaves through the lacrosse world by acquiring midfielder Paul Rabil, arguably the best player on the planet, from the Boston Cannons.  The trade instantly made the Lizards one of the favorites to win the Major League Lacrosse title, and they have a chance to do just that.

Thanks to a 10-4 regular season, the Lizards earned the top overall seed and will host Boston at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday in the MLL semifinals at Shuart Stadium on the campus of Hofstra University. Rabil gets to face his former team, but it's not something that factors into his preparations for the game.

"It doesn't and that's because we got that out of the way with the first game in Boston," said Rabil, who won an MLL title with the Cannons in 2011.

That was on May 3, when the Lizards prevailed 15-14 at Gillette Stadium as Rabil netted a hat trick and two assists in his return to Boston.   Five days later, Rabil tallied two goals and added an assist as the Lizards finished off the regular-season sweep of Boston with a 15-12 win at Hofstra.

Sweeping his former team in the regular season was nice, but for Rabil and the Lizards the stakes are higher this week.

"It's about advancing and doing things right by the team," said Rabil. "For us, it has to do with taking this next step for the Lizards' organization."

That next step is progressing towards the third MLL title in franchise history.  The Lizards got off to a fast 7-0 start, but dropped four of their last seven games.  Rabil had a terrific season, finishing second on the team and fifth in the league with 52 points.

Rabil put up those numbers in just 12 games, as he missed two contests with a foot injury.  But everything that happened during the regular season pales in comparison to what lies ahead, and that is a chance to win a championship.

"We've had a great season," said Rabil.  "Right now it's a very exciting time, as a lot of us are very hungry to get back out there and compete and take these next steps that we want to take towards a championship."

After the trade, Rabil spent a lot of time in the offseason figuring out how he was going to fit in with his new team, both on and off the field.  While he is considered the face of the sport, he was coming to a team full of quality players that was perhaps missing the one ingredient that would put it over the top.

Rabil has lived up to the hype.

"It was a great experience for me," said Rabil of his first regular season in New York. "It's been a very exciting time getting to play with so many talented players on both ends of the field. To be in a leadership position as one of the captains on this team has been a lot of fun."

This Saturday, Rabil hopes to have plenty of fun against his former team, a club that has changed since his departure after last season.

With Rabil on the squad in 2014, the Cannons put a lot of emphasis on transitioning the ball up to the offense and getting the defense subbed out to allow the midfield to do its thing.

But this year, without Rabil, Boston has morphed into an uptempo unit that is trying to score as often as it can.

"It's important that we cover transition and reverse transition, and go about it that way," said Rabil.

The Lizards are hoping that some home cooking will send them to Kennesaw, Georgia for the MLL Championship Game on August 8.  They were 6-1 at Shuart Stadium during the regular season and relish the opportunity to play Saturday's semifinal in front of their home fans.

"It's really important," said Rabil. "It's a great step for the Lizards' organization. But more importantly, (it's great) being home all week, being with your teammates, having our locker room ready."

Despite their struggles during the second half of the season, the Lizards are exactly where they wanted to be when the season started.  With the No. 1 seed, a home playoff game and a healthy squad, the Lizards are ready for a postseason run.

"We're in a situation where we're really confident as far as who we are as a unit," said Rabil. "In the end, we'll play as far as we can and play as smart as we can and see how the game unfolds."

Saturday marks a big day for the Lizards' franchise.  They haven't won an MLL title since 2003 and they haven't hosted a home playoff game since 2010.  The offseason acquisition of Rabil put the Lizards in a position that they haven't enjoyed in a while.

They are the favorites to win, and they have the best player in the world along for the ride. The first step for Rabil is to show the Cannons that they made a big mistake by trading him away.

Tickets are available for Saturday's playoff game.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan.  You can also follow @PaulRabil and @LizardsLacrosse.