The Buffalo Bandits have officially released prospect Marty Hill. He was very optimistic about a future with the Bandits and the potential to be playing alongside lacrosse legend John Tavares. Marty played in Major Series Lacrosse for Six Nations, but didn’t seem to have a heavy impact offensively. In 2012 (including their playoff appearance) Hill only had three goals and seven assists. His real breakout season seemed to be in…
Colorado is known to be a left-handed player-heavy roster. John Grant Jr. and Adam Jones are two of the strongest lefties the NLL has to offer. With a one-year contract agreed upon, Drew Westervelt balances out the offensive roster. Drew brings balance to the Mammoth in another way from my perspective. Take a look back to the rocky road that was Colorado’s 2014 season. The first half of the season…
Noggin protection is a HUGE topic throughout athletics currently. In American football (and Canadian), the players are continuing to get bigger, faster and stronger earlier on in their playing days. No matter the type or depth of equipment, players colliding at those rates are bound to take impact injuries. Lacrosse and hockey are a little different. Field lacrosse leaves tons of space to maneuver around opponents, and the open style of…
This article is a follow up to one from last week covering Machine players in the NLL. Many professional lacrosse players participate year round in leagues, so this week I cover the Boston Cannons. Mitch Belisle—When not playing with the Cannons, Mitch is with the Minnesota Swarm where he also practices his defensive skills. This is what makes him so dangerous. For one, playing defense with a shortie teaches athletes…
If you’re ready to step up your game and need gloves, the newest editions of the King series will help you out. If you need arm pads, not so much. GLOVES Let’s just get the obvious out of the way: they look cool. However, what I like about that is this time around, every “aesthetic feature” has a protective purpose. They already come broken in. You could legitimately grab a…
There’s a particular aspect of professional lacrosse I have always noticed, and that is there’s multiple leagues with the same names participating. Numerous athletes play two different styles (indoor and outdoor) at opposing annual frequencies. Even more participate in Canadian leagues. This is the biggest attraction, and yet largest flaw, for lacrosse. For many, including myself, it is very challenging to follow a player across leagues, year round, who they’re…
This was my (Ian Neadle) first time seeing MCLA lacrosse in person. I always considered a downgrade from the NCAA level. I was wrong. The players are smaller and the intensity is lower. However, the referees are not qualified (in my opinion) to call a game with higher intensity such as NCAA (some officials were quite terrible). The heart and will are there, and the players make the most of…
With the 19th overall pick in the 2014 NLL Draft, the Edmonton Rush selected Tyler Melnyk. Coming from Calgary, Alberta, Melnyk grew up around hockey and lacrosse. After attending Presbyterian College alongside his brother, Tyler transferred to Marquette University where he really attracted the NCAA spotlight. In his first season/junior year with Marquette, Melnyk started every game and took advantage of the opportunities; he ended up leading the team in…
Being a goaltender in lacrosse is no easy task. There are specific skill sets required, a higher level of athletic ability, reflexes, and a strong lacrosse IQ. Coaches always told me that the goalie should be the most athletic player on the roster. One of ILWT’s writers, Ryan Conwell, grew up in Liverpool, NY, which is a “suburb” of Syracuse. One of the high school’s is called Baldwinsville, and thanks…
Our nation’s future airmen and sky monitors have also been quite busy this offseason preparing their 2015 roster for NCAA play. However, it may not be in the most traditional of ways. Every college team has offseason training and practices. They usually consist of line drills and basics/stamina exercising. If all the schools do it, it’s not worth mentioning. What is worth highlighting is Air Force’s brotherhood. There’s an obvious…