NLL lacrosse is fully underway in the 2013-2014 season. This weekend has its share of excitement. Here are the game predictions from yours truly, the ILWT staff: (Numbers indicate staff, not final scores) Friday, January 10 Toronto Rock (10) @ Buffalo Bandits (0) Colorado Mammoth (5) @ Calgary Roughnecks (5) Saturday, January 11 Philadelphia Wings (2) @ Rochester Knighthawks (8) Colorado Mammoth (5) @ Edmonton Rush (5) Minnesota Swarm (4) @…
The Calgary Roughnecks host the Colorado Mammoth on Friday, Jan. 10 in their home opener of their 2014 season. The Roughnecks return home this weekend after a disappointing start to the season. They dropped a 16-11 decision to the Toronto Rock last weekend in a game they were never really in after getting behind 7-3 in the first quarter. In the weekly Coaches Media Conference, Calgary head coach Curt Malawsky…
Now the season gets into full swing and your favorite team will certainly be in action at some point this weekend. With the full slate of games, we will find out quickly how the teams are handling the early season success or failures. The opening game for everyone said a lot about where the team was sitting after the preseason tilts they were a part of. The teams are focused…
The Toronto Rock have taken a huge defensive hit in the past two weeks, losing Chris White, Patrick Merrill and Bill Greer. Replacing them on the roster are three players coming off of the practice squad, none of which have played a game in the National Lacrosse League. “To be on the Rock’s roster is a dream come true,” said Dustin Dunn, recently promoted from the practice squad. “I’ve been…
Hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and water polo have the most consistent action with the fewest breaks. They are also the least exposed via ESPN. When was the last time anyone watched lacrosse on ESPN? (NCAA Final Four doesn’t count!) Field lacrosse is a difficult style to cover, due to the ball being so tiny in comparison to bodies, speed of the game, and the distances between cameramen and the action. Indoor…
We’ve had one complete week and five games on the NLL season. It’s too early on in the season to predict trends or outcomes, but here’s a look at the early league leaders. Leading in points, we have Adam Jones of the Colorado Mammoth and Garrett Billings of the Toronto Rock. Each has 10 points thus far. Jones’s points come from 7 goals and 3 assists where Billings has…
The Colorado Mammoth are in bit of a quandary right now. Veteran goaltender Tye Belanger #31—who is typically a very strong goalie, can see the ball well and is consistent in higher save percentages—has been lacking in the first two Mammoth games. Against the Edmonton Rush on December 28, 2013, he played a total of 41:12 minutes. During his time on the floor, there were 26 shots on goal, 15…
Please note: the holiday season delayed the start of this column for 2014, but as they say, better late than never. These quotes are from the conference call after Opening Weekend. On Wednesdays, Doug Fritts, National Lacrosse League VP of Broadcast Services & Communications, leads the NLL Coaches & Media Conference Call and each week I will highlight three topics from it that I think stood out. On the…
Starting the season 0-1 isnʼt the end of the world. It is in fact a long season at 18 games with the NLL extending the schedule from last yearʼs 16 regular season games. The franchise has a new look with with a new home and plenty of new faces. Gone are Athan Iannucci and Dean Hill, two members of the offense who were released preseason. Opting to go with former practice roster…
Winning face offs seems to be one of those skills that you either have or you don’t. Most guys don’t. Typically the responsibility for taking draws falls to one or two players on any given team. In the 2013 NLL season, 12 players took 100 or more face offs. Half of those players had a success rate between 40 percent and 60 percent, with two below 40 percent and four…