Jim Flannery

NLL Needs More Success Stories Like Saskatchewan in Order to Survive

April 16, 2016

Since 2005, the average attendance per game in the National Lacrosse League has dropped from 10,236 to a meagre 8,981, only 11 more per game than the 16-year low the league experienced last season. Years upon years of teams choosing to relocate to smaller venues rather than trying to rebuild in places where there used to be success has put the league in a tailspin, losing momentum steadily, even as…

Roughnecks Upset First-Place Mammoth in Saturday Tilt

March 20, 2016

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The fourth-place Calgary Roughnecks (5-7) came from behind to defeat the first-place Colorado Mammoth (8-3) by a 13-9 final score Saturday night in the Scotiabank Saddledome. The win solidifies Calgary’s claim to the third and final playoff spot in the NLL West Division while Colorado’s lead on the second-place Saskatchewan Rush was reduced to just a half game. The Mammoth got out to an early 4-2 lead in the first…

Mammoth Travel to Vancouver to Battle the Stealth

February 6, 2016

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The first-place Colorado Mammoth (4-1) head north of the border to face the Vancouver Stealth (1-3) tonight in a key West Division tilt. Although Colorado is coming off their first loss of the season—a 12-10 defeat at the hands of the Saskatchewan Rush—they are returning to the location of their biggest win of the season. Two weeks ago the Mammoth crushed the Stealth 14-5 at the Langley Events Centre. Adam…

Roughnecks Win Second in a Row

January 31, 2016

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Two teams that have been struggling to score found their offensive mojo on Saturday night, with the Calgary Roughnecks taking the 15-13 victory over the Vancouver Stealth. The Roughnecks improve to 2-2 on the season while the Stealth drop to 1-3. Calgary got out to an early lead, scoring the first two goals of the game and staking themselves to a 5-3 first-quarter lead. Vancouver would bounce back, however, outscoring…

Undefeated Mammoth Battle Stealth Saturday Night

January 23, 2016

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The Colorado Mammoth (3-0) put their undefeated record on the line tonight as they travel to Vancouver to take on the Stealth (1-1). Both teams are coming off big wins last weekend—Colorado bested the Buffalo Bandits 15-14 in overtime while Vancouver took out the defending champion Saskatchewan Rush 13-11 as a result of a 4-0 fourth quarter outburst. The Mammoth have simply been outgunning opponents so far this year, scoring…

New NLL Commish Wants to Expand the League to 16 Teams

January 11, 2016

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New NLL Commisioner Nick Sakiewicz addressed the media for the first time on Thursday and announced his goal to have the league expand to 16 teams at some point in the future. The National Lacrosse League is the third-highest attended arena sport in North America, according to Sakiewicz. The challenge then will be bringing in new teams that can draw similar or better crowds while maintaining the fan base in current locations….

Defending Champion Rush Take Season Opener 10-8 Over Roughnecks

January 3, 2016

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The Saskatchewan Rush spoiled the Calgary Roughnecks’ home opener on Saturday night, taking a 10-8, come-from-behind victory in front of a crowd of 11,977 fans. The new-look Roughnecks got off to a quick start when defenseman Dan McRae picked up a goal on transition following a forced turnover just 1:21 into the game. And that was the story for much of the first quarter—Calgary’s defense was able to intercept…

Swarm and Mammoth Square Off to Open 2016 NLL Season

January 1, 2016

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The Colorado Mammoth host the Georgia Swarm tonight at 7:30 p.m. MT to kick off the 2016 NLL season. Both teams made some changes during the offseason, so it will be interesting to see how things play out. The Mammoth’s two biggest offseason acquisitions came from the Swarm. Star forward Callum Crawford adds depth and experience to an already-strong offensive unit that includes 90-point men John Grant Jr. and Adam…

2016 NLL Season Preview: Colorado Mammoth

December 28, 2015

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2015 Record: 9-9 (second in West Division/lost in first round of West playoffs) Team Acquisitions: (F) Callum Crawford (F) Jackson Decker (D) Greg Downing (D) Ilija Gajic (D) Jordan Gilles (D) Josh Sullivan (D) Bryce Sweeting (F) Chris Wardle Team Losses: (D) Dan Ball (D) Tyler Codron (IR) (F) Cam Flint (PUP) (D) John Gallant (retired) (D) Ian Hawksbee (D) Colton Porter (D) Bob Snider (F) Alex Turner (F) Drew…

Can Mike Poulin Regain the Starter’s Job in Calgary?

December 5, 2015

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The Goaltender of the Year award in the NLL has been won by Matt Vinc five times in the last six years. The only exception was in 2012 when Mike Poulin of the Calgary Roughnecks took home the trophy. But whereas Vinc was named the best-of-the-best again in 2015, Poulin lost his starting job just a couple weeks into the season due to poor performance. Frankie Scigliano performed admirably in…

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