Goettelmann Gunning For Greatness

7/30/10 2:09 PM

Goettelmann Gunning For Greatness

Lizards Attackman 3 Away from MLL Career Goals Record

By Derek McLean

Long Island Lizards attack Tim Goettelmann has experienced a long and momentous career in Major League Lacrosse. This Saturday he will try and break one of lacrosse’s most coveted records, the MLL mark for career goals which is held by Jesse Hubbard who scored 247 from 2001-2008. Geottelmann, with 245 career goals, needs 3 in his 2 remaining games to break the record this season.

“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 13^th 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.

2010 Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend presented by Warrior
August 21-22, Annapolis, MD
For information and tickets go to www.majorleaguelacrosse.com