“I’m excited,” says Goettelmann. “I’m thinking about it now because it’s so close.”

Goettelmann would like to break the record Saturday in the Lizards final regular season home game. The Long Island native has played his entire 10-year career with the Lizards and hopes his family will be able to witness his achievement in person.

“I’d like to do it next weekend at home, rather than on the road in Toronto,” he says. “I’m from Long Island and I live in Long Island. I live in Garden City right by home. This could quite possibly be my last home game. So I’m thinking about it and I’m excited.”

Goettelmann already holds the MLL record for career games played with 120, establishing himself as the league’s true Iron Man.   Matt Striebel of the Chicago Machine is second with 107 games played in his career.

In week 5 of the 2010 season, he broke the record for the most game-winning goals in a career, when he scored in overtime to defeat the Chicago Machine.  It was the 13th game-winning goal of his career passing Roy Colsey for the all-time honor. However breaking the all-time goals record would be his most momentous achievement. This season he has scored 15 goals, moving ahead of MLL legends Scott Urick and Mark Millon on the all-time list in the process.

“I couldn’t have written a better script for my career,” he says. “I’ve scored a lot of goals on some great goaltenders throughout the 10 years.”

The Lizards have been in an uphill battle all season in the scoring category. The team is currently last in the league for goals scored. Goettelmann’s focus has been in helping the team rather than going for the record.  Only now that he is just 3 goals away, he has begun to think about what he can accomplish.

“Next weekend and during the week, it’s going to be on my mind. Pregame it’s going to be on my mind,” he says. “But I think a lot of my goals last week came from not really dodging or initiating like a lot of my goals. So I’m going to hopefully just let it happen.”

Goettelmann has already thought of a strategy for breaking the record on Saturday.

“I think the key is to get at least 2 and tie it in the first half. Take some pressure off. Then try and get that 1 in the second half.”

Goettelmann gives much of the credit for his career achievements to his teammates. Over his 10 year career, he has played alongside some of the best players in Major League Lacrosse history.

“I started with Paul and Gary Gait and I ended up with Matt Danowski. So I’ve played with a lot of really good players.”

This could be the last chapter to Goettelmann’s illustrious career, who claims may be playing in his final season. If that is the case than Saturday will be his last game in Long Island. There would be no more fitting way for Goettelmann to go out, than to celebrate his greatest individual lacrosse achievement in the very place it all began.

Post-Game – Born in the USA:

Stephen Berger tallied 5 goals in a crucial win for the Lizards this week.

Boston, MA – Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, has announced it’s weekly award winners following this past weekend’s action. Long Island Lizards midfielder Stephen Berger was named the Offensive Player of the Week, Boston Cannons goalie Kip Turner was named the Defensive Player of the Week and Denver Outlaws attackman Connor Martin was named the Rookie of the Week.

Berger took home the offensive award in Long Island after a five goal performance including a last second two pointer for a total of six points. With time winding down and the Lizards leading by one, the Chesapeake Bayhawks pulled their goalie to double the ball, but Berger capitalized and hit the two pointer from out deep on the empty net to seal the 14-11 victory.

The long time Lizard had an outstanding night shooting the ball, tallying his five goals on just eight shots. Berger’s performance was all the more impressive as he helped fill the void left by top scorer Zack Greer who was overseas for the FIL World Championship.

The Long Island victory puts the Lizards at 5-5 and keeps them in control of their own destiny in regards to Championship Weekend. Currently sitting in third place the Lizards are poised to return to the playoffs and could clinch a spot with a victory over the Toronto Nationals next weekend.

The defensive honors this week went to Turner after his standout performance which helped the Cannons clinch the first spot in the 2010 Championship Weekend presented by Warrior. Turner made 16 saves on the night, allowing 10 goals to the Nationals in a full 60 minutes in the cage. Turner stopped one shot after the next, including several shots right on the doorstep of the goal. Many of the Nationals are indoor lacrosse players by trade and were playing like it with quick releases and blistering shots from up close, but Turner remained unfazed.

“Kip played very well on Saturday night as well as the past couple of weeks which is important as we come down the stretch and into the playoffs,” said Boston head coach Bill Daye. “Having a goalie who’s seeing the ball and leading the defense is important for us to have success in the post season.”

It was a night celebrated for Boston’s playoff berth and attackman Matt Poskay breaking the Cannon’s all-time scoring record, but Turner was the unsung hero of the game on the defensive side. The Cannons have gone 5-0 at home and can clinch the first undefeated home schedule in team history with a win on Aug. 7 against the Bayhawks.

Martin was the top rookie this week as he helped lead the way for the Outlaws in a come-from behind 15-11 win over the Chicago Machine. Martin made his Outlaws debut and helped lead the come-back as he finished the night with a hat trick and an assist. Martin was making his debut as a fill in for the lauded Denver attack while top scorers Drew Westervelt and Brendan Mundorf were both over in England playing for Team USA.

“Martin is a great sport, a great kid. I just wanted to give him a shot,” said Denver head coach Brian Reese. “I thought he’s a pretty talented guy. He’s a great guy to have on the team, he pushes everyone else. I think he can play in this league.”

Martin took the road less traveled to MLL as he never played at a top Division I school like most players; instead he played at the club level for Chapman University in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). Martin is the only MCLA field player to ever receive playing time in MLL history. He was extremely successful at Chapman, one of the top club teams in the nation, as he helped lead the team to back to back national championship appearances. Perhaps better known as his YouTube sensation, Con Bro Chill, Martin was drafted in the seventh round by the Outlaws.

“We dreamed of this. This was our destiny,” said Team USA head coach Mike Pressler. “The script was written. We just had to go out there and prove it.”

Team USA’s seventh world title did not come easy. The U.S. seized an 8-4 halftime lead with four unanswered goals in the second quarter. But Canada stormed back, blanking Team USA in the third quarter to tie it at 8. It set up another epic U.S.-Canada, fourth quarter showdown.

Zack Greer gave Canada its first lead of the game after getting topside on U.S. defenseman DJ Driscoll, faking and beating Team USA goalie Brian Dougherty on the doorstep to put the Canadians ahead 9-8 with just under 17 minutes remaining.

Dougherty came up huge with two saves — including a lunging kick save off his left knee on Kevin Crowley — on a man-down possession to keep Team USA within a goal.

Team USA attackman Brendan Mundorf rewarded him by scoring off a quick flip from Ryan Powell with a low, right-handed release – tying the game at 9 with about 12 minutes remaining.

John Grant Jr. answered for Canada, posting up U.S. defenseman Shawn Nadelen, getting topside, rolling back outside and dunking a goal on Dougherty to put the Canadians ahead 10-9 with less than 10 minutes remaining.

That’s when Ned Crotty, not much of a factor for Team USA in the early rounds, got untracked. The team’s youngest player and 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy winner with Duke, Crotty tied it at 10 on a low-to-high riser off a Mike Leveille feed with 8:24 left.

Less than three minutes later, Crotty scored the go-ahead goal on a phenomenal bounce shot as he fell to the ground. The ball flung off the turf and found a space under the crossbar and above the stick of Canadian goalie Chris Sanderson.

Canada turned the ball over with about four minutes remaining and Team USA possessed the ball the rest of the way. Sanderson kept it at a goal by taking a Leveille shot off the lid of his helmet. The U.S. corralled the rebound and called timeout with 2:30 left. Despite pulling Sanderson from the game and doubling the ball with an extra field player, Canada could not regain possession, committing a number of fouls and chasing the likes of Team USA’s Matt Zash and Max Seibald.

After a series of penalties, Leveille scored on an empty net with 1:19 left to seal the victory. Canada could not create the turnover it needed. The game ended with the ball in the stick of Ryan Boyle, a three-time Team USA member, in the corner.

Midfielder Paul Rabil finished with three goals and was named the MVP of the 2010 FIL World Championships. Leveille added three goals. Mundorf and Crotty scored two apiece.

Grant led Canada with three goals and an assist. Greer added two goals.

Dougherty finished with 15 saves, his highest total of the tournament, for Team USA. Sanderson made 10 saves in the loss.

Joining Rabil on the All-World team were Leveille, Seibald, Mundorf and defensemen Ryan McClay and Kyle Sweeney.

FIL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – GOLD MEDAL GAME

USA – 3 – 5 – 0 – 4… 12
CAN – 2 – 2 – 4 – 2… 10

Goals

USA – Rabil 3, Leveille 3, Crotty 2, Mundorf 2, Powell, Striebel
CAN – Grant 3, Greer 2, Billings, Crowley, Huntley, Steenhuis, Williams.

Assists

USA – Crotty, Mundorf, Powell
CAN – Duch, Grant, Huntley, Small.

Saves

USA – Dougherty 15
CAN – Sanderson 10.

Faceoffs

USA – Smith 11-of-22, Peyser 0-of-1;
CAN – Snider 12-of-22.

DeadSpin:

• Japan’s hidden ball trick in the FIL World Games this week.

LacrosseAllStars:

• Best. Check. Ever.  The Rusty Gate executed to perfection.

WallStreetJournal:

• New York’s First Family of Lacrosse.  The Powell Brothers end of an era?

LacrossePlayground:

• New Zealand and Scotland square off pre-game in an odd but intimidating ritual.

GuestOfAGuest:

• The Quintessential Guide to Preppy Sports: Lacrosse.