Two young players stand out to me when looking at the Buffalo Bandits going into their 2014 Preseason Training Camps: Nick Diachenko and Mitch Wilde.
A quick background bio shows us the following:Mitch Wilde comes out of Robert Morris University and was selected by the MSL Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks in their 2012 draft. He was a second round 15thselection as a defender. While in college attendance, he played 26 career NCAA games and accumulated 9 total points (4 goals and 5 assists). With the Kodiaks, he served in 19 games following an absence by another one of the Kodiak’s defenders. He posted 5 goals and 6 assists.
Mitch Wilde stands 6’1” which is to the advantage of his rough and smart style of Nick Diachenko enters the NLL for the first time this season as the 14thdraft selection in the 4thcareer goals (35 goals and 4 assists his senior year) and many awards. Also standing in at defense, Diachenko has a decorated lacrosse resume to uphold his value.
Personally, there is not much about Mitch Wilde that truly stands out to me. As a defender, his statistics seem to focus more on offense than defense. There are barely any records of his defensive abilities (i.e. loose balls, penalties, etc.). Spectators should not know what to expect, because there’s not much to go off of. However, his size and lacrosse IQ could be what Cordingley sees in the young NLL entry. In reshaping his team, Cordingley has been making transactions of fast, accurate forwards and sizeable, smart defenders. In that sense, Wilde fits right in. He should be able to rack up multiple board checks, and halt many opponent offenses.
More exciting to watch (of the two) will probably be Nick Diachenko. A midfielder becoming a transition player with many achievements, he obviously has the abilities the Bandits are looking to fulfill. Diachenko is fast, accurate and decisive, making him a good source of on-field communication and able to create multiple shot opportunities.
Going into training camps, here’s what I feel Buffalo should focus on in respect to these two players:Playing at the University of Delaware, he posted 67 Make Wilde wild. Put him in on defense and see how his size and smarts impact the team. Let him go crazy to fully demonstrate his abilities, then work from there at harnessing him into the Bandits’ defensive schemes. My own opinion is to not expect much from Wilde. He may make the finalized roster, but I doubt he’ll start.
More attention should be given to Diachenko, who I feel will have an immediate impact as a rookie. Diachenko has the potential to create a lot of opportunities and communication on the field. I’d like to see Buffalo put him in a practice scrimmage and give him full control to see how he handles it. I’m willing to bet he (Diachenko) could have impacts on faceoffs, which is an area Buffalo could afford to improve in. The team has specific players with faceoff strengths, but no coach enjoys being limited to just those players in case of injury, retirement or other factors.
Maybe Cordingley will give him extra hits to get him used to hits into boards rather than on an open field. Every NLL follower knows those first indoor checks can be quite awakening for a new/young player who comes from the outdoor style of play.All in all, the Buffalo Bandits have a solid amount of work to accomplish in these training camps between all the offseason acquisitions and young talent coming to the team. I look forward to ILWT’s coverage of their camps, and see how the camps are structured and progressive.
