As we head into Week 2 of the NLL season, we have a jammed packed weekend of lacrosse action. Here are the 10 stories to look out for.
Friday Night: Philadelphia Wings v Buffalo Bandits
1. With many new additions to the team, will the Wings have another opener like 2012, or will a team comprised of 17 Americans write a different ending?
2. Paul Rabil.. Will he quiet the critics? Will he back up the talk of how much he wanted to come to Philly?
3. JT & Cosmo. How much is left in the legs of Johnny Tavares as he starts his 22nd year, and now he is the captain? Will Cosmo get off on the right foot this season, or will the Bandits have another revolving door in net?
Saturday Night: Minnesota Swarm vs Buffalo Bandits.
4. How will Minnesota’s 4 first round picks do in there first official NLL game? Brock Sorensen has been injured while head coach Joe Sullivan has been raving about defenseman Alex Crepisnek.
Toronto Rock vs Calgary Roughnecks
5. Can Garrett Billings and Nick Rose continue their hot summer play in the cold of Calgary? Both had amazing summers, but this is Rose’s first ever full NLL season
6. Will this night be the first step this well balanced Calgary team takes to winning the 2013 Champions Cup? They might have the deepest roster in the league and a new coach, so expectations are very high for them in 2013.
Washington Stealth vs Colorado Mammoth
7. Can the Stealth build on last weeks win and ruin the Mammoth’s home opener? Washington’s offense showed spurts and they scored when it mattered late in the game. Can Colorado’s goalies contain them?
8. Can John Grant Jr start a repeat of his 2012 MVP season? Many are looking at Billings for a potential MVP year, but Grant had a great summer season in MLL and MSL as well.
9. Goaltending! Has Levis and Roik fixed the errors they had in the pre-season? They both struggled against Calgary, but will these issues be fixed in the regular season?
Sunday Afternoon: Toronto Rock vs Edmonton Rush
10. Can Mark Matthews live up to the hype put on him by the lacrosse experts? He sure had a good pre season but this will be his first NLL regular season game.
