Perhaps the hottest new teams in the NLL, the San Diego Seals have made a serious splash in the lacrosse world through many facets. So much so, it seems as if lacrosse is here to stay in California this time. Billionaire owner Joseph Tsai has done a great job of attracting the right people to be involved with his club. A former Yale Bulldog himself, he has more than an…
ILWT Feature: The Transition Game, Explained
Every team sport has a similar system. To the amateur fan, it’s just the neutral play, where no one quite has the advantage. But people that understand the game acknowledge that this is one of the most crucial areas of lacrosse. I’m talking about the transition game. But why is transitional play so crucial in box lacrosse? What makes transition players so critical to a team’s long-term success? What even makes…
NLL: Wings are back, but fall to Bandits 17-15
After a four year hiatus, the Philadelphia Wings took the floor once again at Wells Fargo Center to put on a show for 11,023 rowdy fans. Unfortunately, after 60 hard-fought minutes, the visiting Buffalo Bandits ruined the party by edging the Wings 17-15. Prior to the opening faceoff five banners were raised to the rafters. The numbers of Tom “Hollywood” Marachek (42), Jake Bergey (66) and Dallas Eliuk (35) took their…
NLL Preview: Saskatchewan Rush
What does a franchise do to top winning its third championship in four years? That’s the question for the Saskatchewan Rush going into this season. General Manager/Head Coach Derek Keenan has continued to make moves designed to keep the Rush at the top of the standings for this year and beyond. Offseason recap Keenan has always been a defence-first guy and the offseason moves made by the Rush continued to…
NLL: 16-12 win for Swarm in home opener
The Georgia Swarm opened up their season at home against the visiting New England Black Wolves on Saturday night. Georgia would use some big offensive runs to help them secure a 16-12 win to get the season started. Georgia got the party started at 5:15 as Shayne Jackson gave them a 1-0 lead. On their very next possession Chad Tutton gave them a 2-0 lead over the Black Wolves. Tyler…
NLL: Warriors spoil Roughnecks’ party
Coming in is as the heavy underdog and down by five in the fourth quarter, the Vancouver Warriors put their hardhats on and went to work on NLL opening night. When the dust settled, it was veteran captain Matt Beers scoring four minutes into overtime to complete the improbable comeback and push the Warriors over the Roughnecks by a score of 14-13. “I was so gassed. I had played three…
NLL Preview: Buffalo Bandits
Teams in the National Lacrosse League have spent the offseason getting ready for the upcoming season, and come Saturday, December 15th, fans will get chance to see how much that hard work pays off. No team has had to work harder than the Buffalo Bandits. Coming off a disappointing 8-10 record last season, the Bandits needed to improve their roster. For them, it meant getting faster and stronger in between…
NLL Preview: Philadelphia Wings
Today the Philadelphia Wings make their return after a four year absence. The last time the sounds of “Sucks”, “It’s All Your Fault”, “W-I-N-G-S. WINGS” echoed in the Wells Fargo Center was April 26, 2014 in a 13-12 loss to the Colorado Mammoth. That season they were 6-12 (2-7) at home. This new brand of Wings Lacrosse will bring players like Kiel Matisz, Brett Hickey, Vaughn Harris, Jordan Hall, Josh…
NLL Preview: Vancouver Warriors
There was a new name, a new location, and now there are new faces. The Vancouver Warriors hope all this new will translate into a new legion of warriors. Aaron Bold will be in goal with Eric Penney as back him. Goalie Andrew Gallant will start the season recovering from an injury. Fans know Aaron Bold’s had a lot of transitions over the last few years, but he brings a…
NLL Preview: Rochester Knighthawks
The Rochester Knighthawks were pretty pleased with their 2018 season, coming out of a scarily tight Eastern Division in second place before advancing to the NLL Finals where they fell in three games to the Rush. Despite the good finish, it was a season-long fight with every other team in the East, a fight which has now gotten bigger with the addition of the Philadelphia Wings. The ‘Hawks are entering…