Rather than looking at follower demographics and statistics, I will analyze the successes/failures of the league through a cultural and historical perspective. NLL Commissioner George Daniel stated the league will attempt new market expansion in the near future, once current teams are strongly established; according to an interview found on Buzzfeed. The current teams are strong and competitive, hosting an array of athletes. Lacrosse is different from other sports in…
Today the Vancouver Stealth signed forward Justin Pychal back to their roster after they cut Josh Hawkins. Hawkins made his NLL debut for the Stealth on Saturday against the Colorado Mammoth, where he played in the place of injured defenseman Kyle Sorensen. Pychal was a rookie for the Stealth last season. Vancouver might also have to look for more defense help as Jeff Moleski suffered an injury as well on…
When a team in the National Lacrosse League goes on the power play, the typical outcome is a goal. In 2013 the power play success rate across the league was 51.4 percent on 712 total attempts; so far this season, the league is at exactly 50 percent success rate on 184 power plays. With such high risks associated with taking penalties, getting into frequent penalty trouble can easily be the…
The back-to-back defending National Lacrosse League champion Rochester Knighthawks (3-0) continued their 2014 dominance as they defeated the Toronto Rock (1-2) 12-8 to remain unbeaten in their first three games, doing so for the first time since 1998. Reigning NLL Goaltender of the Year Matt Vinc was solid in net making 38 saves, but the defense of the Knighthawks was outstanding all night, breaking up passes, blocking shots and forcing…
Highlighting Week 4 of NLL action for the 2014 rookie class were a crop of youngsters making their NLL debuts. Toronto Rock rookies Eric Law, a recent third-round draft pick, and Michael Lum-Walker, a 2012 draft pick who spent last year on the physically unable to perform list, both dressed for their first career NLL games in the Rock’s 12-8 loss to the Rochester Knighthawks. Law notched one assist in…
The Colorado Mammoth went up against the Buffalo Bandits on Saturday January 18, 2014 at The Pepsi Center in Denver. It was Military Appreciation Night at HealthOne Field, the pre-game ceremonies were spectacular, honoring all branches of the military and the Mammoth donned their camouflage jerseys and shorts which were put for auction and the funds being donated to charity. They also had camouflage helmet wraps to complete the military…
At the conclusion of Week 3, some things change, but some things remain the same. Leading the league in points once again is Adam Jones with 29. Close on his heels are Jordan Hall and John Grant Jr. with 28. Adam Jones leads the way in goals as well with 16. Jordan Hall has 15 and Dane Dobbie has 14. Ryan Ward and Shawn Evans share the lead in assists…
The Colorado Mammoth signed veteran forward, Athan Iannucci to a one-year deal on Wednesday January 15, 2014 and released forward Jordan McBride. Was this a smart move on the part of the Mammoth? Iannucci’s record speaks for itself. In the 2007 NLL Entry Draft, he was a First Round Draft pick (8th Overall) by the Philadelphia Wings. In that same year, he was awarded Rookie of the Week Honors in…
The Buffalo Bandits are in the midst of a three game win streak at 3-1. This team is under the new leadership of Troy Cordingley. Buffalo played this past weekend without their superstar John Tavares. Additionally, they’re ranked third in the NLL. It is clear that Cordingley brings a different game perspective to Buffalo than what they have become accustomed to. If I had to pick one major thing that…
The Swarm fell to the Wings Sunday afternoon in St. Paul after narrowly defeating them the previous afternoon in Philadelphia. The Wings started strong and never let up. Penalties also cost the Swarm as five of the Wings’s 15 goals were scored on the power play; the Swarm took seven penalties for a total of 22 minutes. Evan Kirk was again excellent in the net for Philadelphia, making 35 saves…