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…
It was an exciting week two in the National Lacrosse League over the weekend, starting with the odds on favourite Calgary Roughnecks losing 16-11 in a lopsided affair versus the Toronto Rock and finishing with a nail biter that saw the Colorado Mammoth edge the Vancouver Stealth 13-12. The Rock had several standout players in their home opener on Friday. Garrett Billings was the set up man of the weekend,…
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…
A small schedule this past week with only two games being played, so not many changes this week. But this weekend we have six games as the NLL will be in full swing. Power Rankings Week 3 (1) 1—Rochester Knighthawks (1-0) The Knighthawks were idle this past week. They host Philadelphia on Saturday night, which is sure to be a great game. (2) 2—Edmonton Rush (1-0) Idle this past…
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…
The two-time defending World Champion Rochester Knighthawks have re-signed veteran defenseman Scott Self to a three-year contract good through the 2016 season. Self, 34, was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex “Kedoh” Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. He is in his 14th season in the National Lacrosse League after winning his first championship with the Knighthawks last…