Showing posts with label NLL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NLL. Show all posts

Monday, December 13, 2010

NLL Scrimmages Continue

The NLL continues its scrimmages season as the season fast approaches. With the season less than four weeks away, several teams in the National Lacrosse League prepare.


The Colorado Mammoth were defeated in their final pre-season game to the Washington Stealth, 15-13. Ned Crotty was able to score the hat-trick along with two assists on the night. Rhys Duch, Luke Wiles and Jeff Zywicki each had two goals. Kory Kowalyk also record four goals for the Stealth.

The Mammoth surrendered ten out of twelve goals after holding a 3-1 first quarter lead. The Mammoth were able to cut the lead to one late, but could not jump ahead. Matt King started in net for the Mammoth, and exited it the game for Curtis Palidwor and Rob Blasdell.

"Tonight was good for us," said Washington coach Chris Hall following the scrimmage. "It gave the guys an opportunity to get more comfortable with one another and gave the coaches the chance to see the new guys in a game situation. We have a better sense of what we need to work on before the season gets underway."

"The players put forth a great effort," said Mammoth Head Coach Bob Hamley. "It was much better than last week."


In other pre-season news, the Buffalo Bandits defeated the Philadelphia Wings 10-6. Chris Corebeil and Rusty Kruger had two goals apiece for the Bandits. There was no scoring in the first, though Buffalo jumped out 2-0 in the second. The Wings took the lead with four straight goals, But after a few goals, one from Kruger, Buffalo had a power play opportunity. Jay Thorimbert scored on the PP, giving Buffalo the lead back.

The Wings were able to tie it one more time before the Bandits pulled away.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Training Camp News

A lot to talk about in the world of lacrosse yesterday. First off, the Washington Stealth signed transition player Paul Rabil to a three year extension. “Paul is truly developing into a fantastic indoor lacrosse player,” said Stealth Head Coach Chris Hall. “He’s an explosive player and virtually impossible to handle one-on-one. He really adds another dimension to our team and in just his third NLL season, he is on the verge of becoming one of the best in the game.”

Meanwhile the Calgary Roughnecks are having their problems. Hours after learning they will not hold training camp due to disciplinary behavior, they announced camp was back on in Calgary. Here is the statement from the Roughnecks: " Yesterday an alleged incident was brought to the attention of the Calgary Roughnecks organization that may have occurred during last weekend’s training camp. The conduct alleged was not of a criminal nature but would have violated team policy and expectations. In order to emphasize to the team that their behavior is expected to represent the Roughnecks properly at all times, management determined that the proportionate response was to cancel training camp this weekend.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that cancellation of camp would be a disproportionate response to the conduct that may have actually occurred. As a result training camp has been reinstated for this weekend.
Upon the conclusion of the continuing investigation, the one player involved will be appropriately disciplined if found to be at fault. The Roughnecks will not tolerate objectionable conduct by players, staff or management."

Meanwhile, top Roughnecks player Curtis Manning will miss the entire 2011 season. The reason behind this is he will be attending a medical school. The Roughnecks will also be without Rob Van Beek, who is pursuing a career as a firefighter.

One final transaction in the NLL world; The Rochester Knighthawks traded Matt Danowski to the Philadelphia Wings for a conditional draft pick. Danowski dressed for just one game with Rochester last season, after playing nine for the Mammoth the year before.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Training Camp Update

The Boston Blazers, who started up training camp over the weekend, have signed goaltender Anthony Cosmo to a two year deal. Cosmo, a three-time NLL All-Star and the 2007 NLL Goaltender of the Year, has been one of the best goaltenders in the NLL since breaking in with Toronto. "With the signings of Dan Dawson, Josh Sanderson, Casey Powell, and now Cosmo we have a core of veterans who know what it takes to win in the NLL," said Doug Reffue, Blazers President and General Manager. "Having this nucleus of players all signed for two years places us in a great position. Now it's up to them to learn how to play as a unit and teach our younger players what it takes to compete for a Champions Cup."
Two veteran defenesmen also retired from the NLL yesterday. Regy Thorpe of the Rochester Knighthawks "I understand that the team is getting bigger, faster and stronger," said Thorpe. "I think it's the best for the organization and my family that I officially retire. Who knows what the future will hold." Thorpe is known as one of the best athletes in Rochester sports history.
Meanwhile Bruce Alexander who retired with the Rush had this to say. "Lacrosse has given me the opportunity to make many lifelong friends, ultimately I have played as long as I have because of the guys, the coaches, and the first class organizations I was able to play for," said Alexander. "I will keep lots of great memories close to my heart and look forward to seeing the game continue to grow and the quality of play improve." Alexander played for seven different teams in his eleven year career. The teams he played for were Syracuse, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Portland, Vancouver and Edmonton.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

NLL Experiments This Pre-season

If you watched the pre-season game between Colorado and Toronto, you may have noticed something different. The National Lacrosse League will use orange lacrosse balls over the course of the pre-season for experimental reasons. The orange ball experiment was issued by the NLL Competition Committee. The experiment reason is that the orange balls may help fans follow the action better than the traditional white balls. “The Competition Committee is always exploring new ways to improve the game for the fans and the players”, said Brian Lemon, NLL Vice President of Operations. “We are experimenting with the orange lacrosse ball to find out if it’s easier for our fans to see and follow than the white ball. We’ll also monitor how the players adapt to it as well"
The NLL is also testing out another potential rule change. The league has also scaled back where players’ sticks will be positioned during face-offs. The reasoning there was to increase play speed coming out of the face-off. During all preseason face offs, the referees require the two opposing players in the face off circle to begin in a set position with the heads of their sticks eight inches apart. This would presumably help the flow of the game with more fast break opportunities.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

NLL Goaltenders; The Best, The Worst, and Matt Vinc

The NLL has had some very good goaltenders over the years. Start with Dallas Eluik, who may be the best of all time. After that you look at Bob Watson, who is the current goaltender of the Toronto Rock. Currently, you would also talk about Anthony Cosmo, Matt Vinc, and Pat O'toole. But who is the best goaltender iin lacrosse? The worst? Who can lead his team to the Champions Cup?
#13 on our list of goaltenders is Andrew Leyshon of the Colorado Mammoth.Last in goals against average last season, he was the reason Colorado wanted Matt Vinc. In his career, he has a GAA of 13.05. Last season his mostly backed up Chris Levis, but he was not exactly a goaltender of the year either. He also previously backed up Curtis Palidwor, who returns to Colorado. Leyshon's future is unclear right now, with Palidwor returned and Matt King now on the Colorado roster. But one thing is for certain; He is not a starting goaltender.
#12 Mike Thompson of the Buffalo BanditsThompson came into the league in 2001 and then took a six year absence. In 2007, he returned to a 12.08 goals against average in all 16 games. In 2008 and 2009 he had some better seasons, and in 2010 he did a terrific job playing while Ken Montour was out. Unfortunately, that may be all that he is. A backup.
#11 Aaron Bold of the Rochester KnighthawksAaron Bold is probably the best backup goaltender in the league. Last season in Rochester, he had a 11.12 GAA in 16 games and 313 minutes. He had an offseason in 2009 with a GAA over 15, but he was also injured and played only seven games. In the years before that, he average a goals against average of under 11, with minutes around 145 per season.
#10 Matt King of the Colorado MammothKing played most of his career in Calgary before being traded to the Colorado Mammoth. He started off in Calgary, and then was traded to the Anaheim Storm. After they dispersed, King played backup goaltender for the Portland Lumberjaxx, backing up Aaron Bold and Dwight Maetche. In 2008, The Edmonton Rush acquired King to be their starting goaltender. But they traded him to Calgary late in the season. Since the move to Calgary, King has had GAA os 10.38 and 11.27. Now he looks to replace Vinc in Colorado.
#9 Nick Patterson of the Minnesota SwarmPatterson started his career with the Vancouver Ravens as a backup goaltender. He was traded to Minnesota in 2005, and had a GAA of 15.51. He was later made the Swarm's starting goaltender, where he put up better numbers to lower his career GAA to 12.90.
#8 Tyler Richards of the Washington StealthRichards was drafted in the fourth round of the 2007 NLL entry draft. He found himself in their in 2009 as a backup goaltender, where he had a GAA of 10.48. The Stealth made him their starter in 2010, where he helped get them to the Champions Cup. Richards also has a playoff record of 4-1, his loss coming in the 2009 loss in the Western Conference Championship to the Calgary Roughnecks.
#7 Ken Montour of the Buffalo BanditsMontour missed some of the 2010 season due to injury, but when in there he had a GAA under 11. Before that season, Montour has been the Bandits starting goaltender in 2009 and 2008. In 2009, Montour had a GAA of 9.57.
#6 Matt Disher of the Edmonton RushDisher was drafted in 1999 by the Buffalo Bandits and became their backup goaltender. In his first four seasons, his lowest GAA was 14.00. After being traded to Anaheim and then Minnesota, Disher turned his game around, excusing the 17 GAA in 2007. In his move to Edmonton, he had a career low in GAA and then Portland and Edmonton again. He helped Edmonton get to the Western Conference finals last season.
#5 Brandon Miller of the Philadelphia WingsMiller began his career in Albany/San Jose backing up Rob Blasdell and Anthony Cosmo. He was later traded to Chicago where he became the starting goaltender. Miller was successful in San Jose before moving to Chicago, with GAAs of 12.06, 10.46, and 11.45. After being traded to Philadelphia, Miller's success returned, though the Wings missed the playoffs.
#4 Bob Watson of the Toronto Rock
Read about Watson here.
#3 Pat O'toole of the Rochester Knighthawks
Read about O'toole here.
#2 Anthony Cosmo of the Boston Blazers
Read about Cosmo here.
#1 Matt Vinc of the Rochester Knighthawks
Read about Vinc here.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Player Preview: Anthony Cosmo

The Blazers come into this NLL season with three superstar players. Josh Sanderson, Casey Powell, and Dan Dawson. When we talk about the season, it's mostly those players we talk about. But while the Blazers have had a terrific offseason improving their team, there is one more player in the superstar discussion. Anthony Cosmo.
Cosmo was acquired by the Blazers when they selected him first overall in the Chicago Shamrox dispersal. Since that day, they have gotten one of the league's best and consistent goaltenders. But Cosmo had a career before Boston. Let's take a look at it, and then what to expect in 2011.
Cosmo's lacrosse career started with the Mississauga Tomahawks of the Junior A Ontario Lacrosse Association. He later moved on to the Burnaby Lakers Junior A team, where he won a Minto Cup with fellow future-NLLers Kaleb Toth and Cam Sedgewick.
Cosmo made his NLL debut in 2001 with the Toronto Rock. He played in Toronto for four seasons, mostly as a backup to Bob Watson. In his five games of his rookie season, Cosmo had a Goals Against Average of 8.63.
In the mid-summer of 2004, Toronto traded Cosmo to the San Jose Stealth, where he became the primary goaltender. In his first year in San Jose, Cosmo had a rough time with a 12.28 GAA. But after that season he took off, With a GAA under 11 every season in San Jose. In 2005 and 2006 Cosmo was selected to the Western Conference All-Star team. In 2007, Cosmo was named goaltender of the year with a 10.22 GAA and a 79.15 save%.
After 2008, San Jose traded Cosmo to the Chicago Shamrox for Mike Roik. The Shamrox never played that season, and Cosmo was selected first overall by the Boston Blazers in the dispersal draft. Cosmo has had the same success in Boston as he did in San Jose. In 2010, Cosmo had a career best 9.20 GAA, but lost out on Goaltender of the Year to Matt Vinc of the Orlando Titans.
Cosmo looks to enjoy success again with the Blazers in the 2011 season. Though all the talk about Boston's new big three, Cosmo is their most important piece. If he can continue play like he has over the past two seasons in Boston, maybe they can reach their goal of the Champions Cup.

For this story and more, watch The Internet Sport Show, Lacrosse on Tuesday at Youtube.com.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Lax Links Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Holidays from The Lacrosse Blog.

Merrick Thompson to miss season-NLL Insider

Veltman steps down- NLL Insider

Rock continue camp- NLL Insider

Paul Rabil hangs with football coaching legend - NESN

Enjoy you holiday weekend.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Training Camp Update

As the NLL season creeps closer, more teams are coming to agreements with their players. The Boston Blazers signed Casey Powell and Dan Dawson to two year deals today, locking up two of their new big three. The Blazers have all three of the last three MVPs in Dawson, Powell, and Josh Sanderson. “Dan is one of the most electrifying players in our league,” team president and general manager Doug Reffue said in a release by the team. “With his leadership and offensive presence as well as the addition of all-stars like Casey and Josh, we will be a major challenge for every team this year. Anything short of a Champions Cup would be a major disappointment.”
John Tavares will return to the Buffalo Bandits for one last season. He says he feels old, but wants one more season as a Bandit. “I asked my wife to put my bag in my car because it looked really heavy, since I’m too old. Once I get my stick in my hand, then it’ll be nice to be back. Now it’s like, ‘oh man,’ line after line and driving two hours to get here can be a pain, but it’s nice to be able to do it.” Buffalo looks to be another improved team in the east with additions such as Tracey Kelusky, Scott Self, Brenden Thenhaus, Travis Irving and Ben McCoullogh.
The Toronto Rock have already had an interesting training camp after the retirement of Steve Dietrich. With him out, the Rock have four backup goaltender candidates with Zack Boychuk, Gee Nash, Pat Campbell and Matt Flindell.
Over in Colorado, rookies Ned Crotty and Ben Daives have impressed. They look to add to a much improved offensive Colorado Mammoth team. They look to join John Grant, Ilija and Alex Gajic, and Jamie Shewchuk as the Mammoth offense.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Lax Links- 11/19

Here are your Friday Lax Links!

Gavin Prount re-signs- NLL Insider

Knighthawks sign second round pick- Knighthawks.net

Rock begin training camp- NLL Insider

Stealth sign Duch- NLL.com

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Team USA Indoor Team Selected

Team USA for the Indoor Lacrosse Championships in 2011 have been announced. The games will be held in Prague, Czech Republic.
"The chance to represent the United States at this elite level is the ultimate honor in lacrosse," said USIL President and GM Graham D'Alvia. "I am honored and look forward to the opportunity to further develop this team that will represent our great country in this sport, both on and off the turf."

Roster-

F - Kevin Buchanan - Minnesota Swarm (Ohio State)
F - Brian Langtry - Colorado Mammoth (Hofstra)
F - Bill McGlone - Philadelphia Wings (Maryland)
F - Brendan Mundorf - Philadelphia Wings (UMBC)
F - Casey Powell - Boston Blazers (Syracuse)
F - Paul Rabil - Washington Stealth (Johns Hopkins)
F - Drew Westervelt - Philadelphia Wings (UMBC)

T - Greg Downing - Boston Blazers (Fairfield)
T - Kyle Hartzell - Washington Stealth (Salisbury)
T - Chris Schiller - Rochester Knighthawks (Penn State)
T - Max Seibald - Philadelphia Wings (Cornell)
T - Matt Zash - Rochester Knighthawks (Duke)

D - Mitch Belisle - Boston Blazers (Cornell)
D - Scott Ditzell - Rochester Knighthawks (Syracuse)
D - Eric Martin - Washington Stealth (Salisbury)
D - John Orsen - Boston Blazers (Hofstra)
D - Jack Reid - Boston Blazers (UMass)

G - Erik Miller (Salisbury)


Reserve List

F - Sean Morris - Boston Blazers (UMass)
F - Chris Panos (Hofstra)

T - Matt Alrich - Edmonton Rush (Delaware)
T - Jon Christmas - Philadelphia Wings (Virginia)
T - Pat Heim - Philadelphia Wings (Penn State)
T - Ryan Hotaling - Boston Blazers (Nazareth)
T - Jarett Park - Colorado Mammoth (Syracuse)
T - Brett Queener - Boston Blazers (Albany)
T - Greg Rogowski - Boston Blazers (Merrimack)

D - Josh Funk - Minnesota Swarm (Ohio State)
D - Anthony Kelly (Ohio State)
D - Brett Manney - Washington Stealth (Delaware)
D - Steve Panarelli - Philadelphia Wings (Syracuse)
D - Joe Smith - Buffalo Bandits (Towson)

G - Ginny Capicchioni (Sacred Heart)
G - Mickey Hover - Philadelphia Wings (Montgomery)

Five players from the Reserve List will be named to the World Team roster in February.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Lax Links- 11/17

Here are your Lax Links for Wednesday afternoon.

Our first glimpse of Grant in a non-Rochester jersey- NLL Insider

Rock confirm free agent and rookie camp players- NLL Insider

US indoor lacrosse announces roster- NLL Insider

Matt Vinc interview- NLL Insider

Mammoth re-sign Gajics- NLL.com

Paul Rabil interview- Inside Lacrosse

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Nightly Lax Links

Lax Links for your Tuesday evening.

Bruce Alexander retires- NLL Insider

Craig Point is ready for 2011- Knighthawks.net

NHL following in NLL's footsteps?- TSN.ca

Rush re-sign key player- NLL.com

Jamieson has a lot of work to do- Examiner.com

Thursday, November 4, 2010

NLL Defensive Preview

In the month of October we previewed some of the goal scorers of the NLL. We looked at who would lead, be in last, and score the most. But offense is not the only part of lacrosse. No, you also need a good defense...

NLL Preview- DefenseThese days, lacrosse is more of a game of scoring goals. I mean, the name of the game is scoring more goals than the other team. But you need something else. You need a good defense to stop other teams from scoring. You need to play physical, pick up loose balls, and do not allow top offensive players to penetrate. So, who is the best defensive player in lacrosse? Who has the best defensive team?

Who will lead? In NLL history, the best to play the game of defense is Brodie Merrill of the Edmonton Rush. He was second in the league in loose balls, behind only Geoff Snider. Now, Merrill is not a defenseman, but that does not automatically disqualify you. Merrill is a transition player, allowing him to play defense and offense.
Last year in loose balls, the top three were Snider, Merrill and Steve Toll. Those three will probably continue similar numbers, as three of the best defenders in the game.

Best defensive team? Well having Merrill automatically makes you one of the best, so let's but Edmonton up there. Boston has a good chance to be a good defensive team, even after losing Paul Dawson. They acquired John Orsen, Scott Campbell, and are hoping Kyle Rubisch signs with them soon.

Lead the league? Who will lead the league in loose balls? That is the stat I am going to use here, as there are no real defensive stats to defy a player. As I said above, Snider and Merrill are almost sure bets, and I am also going to drop in Orsen.

Top 5?
Top five defensive players in the game: Brodie Merrill, Geoff Snider, Steve Toll, Eric Martin, Greg Peyser. After Merrill and Snider it's a toss up. If you have any ideas of who you would like to see there, tell me in the comments.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Nightly Lax Links- 11/3

Lax Links for your November 3rd afternoon...

Who won the Matt Vinc deal?- NLL Insider

Blasdell signs with Colorado- NLL Insider

Swarm resign Sullivan- NLL.com

Who is the all time faceoff leader?- NLL.com

Monday, November 1, 2010

Games of the Year- #13

This is going to seem like an odd game but it just stood out to me as one of the most exciting games in the NLL this season.
It was a regular season game between the Boston Blazers and Colorado Mammoth. There was a brawl, goalies ejected, and a game with playoff implications coming down to the final seconds. So here is your number 13 game of the year.
This was the first ever meeting between the Blazers and Mammoth,but they played like they had known each other for a long time.
It was a low scoring game, with no one scoring until ten minutes into the first quarter. Boston did a terrific job defending Colorado, who had averaged 12 goals per game in their last three.
Boston ended up with a 2-0 lead after the first quarter, after goals from Daryl Veltman and Jamie Rooney.
Colorado made it 2-1 seconds into the second, but Dan Dawson scored 28 seconds after that.
The controversy began when Alex Gajic shot hit the post, then deflected behind Anthony Cosmo's leg and the ball spun on the goal line before Boston picked up the loose ball.
However, Colorado coach Bob Hamley threw the challenge flag and the officials ruled the play a good goal.
However, the officials reviewed the play again at halftime and stripped the Mammoth of their second goal, making it 3-1 Boston at halftime.
The third quarter was a high scoring one, with the score at 6-4 Boston going into the final frame.
The Mammoth got lucky when Boston goalie Anthony Cosmo was thrown out of the game for having enlarged pads. So Boston had to go with their backup goaltender,Nick Rose. The Mammoth took advantage of their momentum and starting shooting several shots on net. Colorado tied the game at six before Dan Dawson again worked his magic to take the lead for the Blazers.
Rich Catton tied it again for Colorado, but after a Dan Dawson and Jon Harnett goal the playoffs hope for Colorado were over.

Media coverage:
NLL.com

Box Score:
PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
44 Cosmo, Anthony G 0 0 0 0 0 12 0/0
66 Rose, Nick G 0 1 0 0 0 0 0/0
2 Dawson, Paul D 0 0 0 0 6 2 0/0
6 Dawson, Dan F 5 3 12 13 4 0 0/0
8 Downing, Greg T 0 1 1 1 4 0 0/0
9 Bining, Gary F 0 0 4 5 2 0 0/0
12 Durno, Jon D 0 0 0 0 3 4 0/0
16 Veltman, Daryl F 1 2 7 11 4 0 0/0
18 Reid, Jack D 0 0 0 0 3 2 0/0
20 Hotaling, Ryan T 0 1 1 6 8 0 10/21
23 Queener, Brett T 0 3 0 1 3 0 0/0
26 Kirk, Mike D 0 0 0 0 5 0 0/0
27 Giles, Mat F 1 2 6 6 4 0 0/0
33 Harnett, Jon D 1 0 1 1 4 0 0/0
37 Cotter, Nick F 0 1 9 9 3 2 0/0
85 Belisle, Mitch D 0 0 0 0 7 2 0/0
90 Rooney, Jamie F 1 0 4 6 6 2 0/0
97 Ross, Kyle T 0 0 1 2 2 2 0/0
TEAM 9 46 61 68 28 10/21

PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
30 Levis, Chris G 0 0 0 0 1 0 0/0
41 Leyshon, Andrew G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0
1 Prossner, Jed F 2 1 12 15 6 0 0/0
6 Langtry, Brian F 0 2 8 14 5 0 0/0
8 Carlson, Nick T 0 0 0 0 2 2 0/0
9 Gajic, Ilija F 0 0 6 12 4 4 0/0
10 Gajic, Alex F 1 0 8 8 2 2 0/0
11 Gallant, John D 0 0 0 0 4 0 0/0
17 Richardson, Brad D 0 1 0 0 5 0 11/21
18 Malawsky, Derek F 0 2 4 4 2 2 0/0
20 Murray, Bruce D 0 0 0 0 1 0 0/0
24 McFadyen, Ryan D 0 0 1 1 3 0 0/0
27 Smith, Cliff T 1 0 1 1 7 0 0/0
28 Ethington, Tom D 0 0 0 0 5 0 0/0
36 McKay, Chris D 0 2 0 0 7 4 0/0
48 Catton, Rich D 1 0 1 1 2 0 0/0
85 Shewchuk, Jamie F 2 0 9 14 6 0 0/0
91 Conway, Cory F 0 0 2 3 2 0 0/0
TEAM 7 52 73 64 14 11/21

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Reaction to Matt Vinc trade

The Matt Vinc trade sure was interesting. Colorado trades their #1 overall pick when Casey Powell went right behind, that is what I don't get. Yeah, Vinc turned into John Grant and Mac Allen, but I mean, Casey Powell!
Colorado went and got Matt King from Calgary afterwords. There are rumors in Rochester that Vinc or Pat O'toole could be traded now, so keep an eye on those stories. Here is some reaction to yesterday.

Lacrosse Magazine talks about all the deals the Mammoth made yesterday.

Jody Gage says John Grant will always be a Knighthawk- NLLInsider

Grant happy to be in Denver- NLLInsider

What do fans think of this deal?

NLL.com talks about the blockbuster

Remember, tomorrow is the #14 game!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Lax Links- 10/22

Lax Links for Friday.

Blazers sign Teat- NLL Insider

20 questions with Rory Smith- NLL Insider

Cody Jaimeson ready for Knighthawks season- NLL Insider

The Internet Sport Show talks lacrosse every Tuesday- YouTube

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

NLL Season Preview- October

The NLL is still months away, but a lot has happened this offseason to shape the season already. Every month we will have an NLL preview, talking about different aspects that will matter this season.

NLL Preview- Scoring
A lot of prime offensive players switched teams this offseason. Including last season's MVP Casey Powell. The Boston Blazers offense has been well documented this offseason, acquiring Powell and Josh Sanderson from the Calgary Roughnecks.
But those were not the only players to switch teams. Geoff Snider was traded to Calgary, and Jeff Zwycki left the Washington Stealth. And with Colin Doyle being traded last offseason, this looks to be the norm in the NLL.

Who will lead?In the east, I think Boston. I've talked about them a lot so far already, so how about the west. If Calgary didn;t trace everybody, I would have said them, but I am going to go with Washington for now, the defending champs. Paul Rabil leads that team obviously, so I believe as of right now Washington will lead the West in scoring.

Who is in the cellar?Philadelphia. They lost Snider, which really hurts their offense. I don't see them even making the playoffs as of right now. In the west, I'm going with Colorado, though I do see them making the playoffs with Vinc. I think Minnesota will score more, but I do not believe they are good enough to make the playoffs this season.

Lead the league?I think Josh Sanderson will lead the league again. With playmaker Casey Powell playing with him, I can see a repeat for Sanderson.

Top 5?My top 5 point getters this season, in no order, would be Sanderson, Powell, Lewis Ratcliff, Colin Doyle, and Callum Crawford. Honorable mention: Paul Rabil

Monday, October 18, 2010

Top 15 Lax Games of the Year... Plus Lax Links

Starting this week, we will be counting down the top 15 college and pro lacrosse games of the year. If you have any recommendations, please post them in the comments.
We will also have a player feature on Matt Benesch and have an NLL season preview. For now, Lax Links.

Who is Ben Davies?- NLL Insider

Seven questions until college lacrosse- Lacrosse Magazine

Rush get new lease- NLL.com

Stealth add new coaches- NLL.com

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Player Preview: Casey Powell

Casey Powell is arguably the best player in lacrosse. He is the reigning NLL MVP, and was acquired by the Boston Blazers in the Orlando Titans dispersal. Powell finished only 14th in scoring, but he is going to be playing side by side with the man who finished first, Josh Sanderson.
Powell is coming into a great situation in Boston, playing with two former MVPs in Sanderson and Dan Dawson. How will this affect Powell's numbers? It should in ways both good and bad. His point totals will go up, but his goal totals may go down. He will be double covered more than Sanderson or Dawson, but his assist numbers will go through the roofs playing with a finisher like Sanderson. But how did this all begin for Powell? How did he become the best player in the NLL?
Let's take a first look at his MLL career. In 2001 he was drafted by the Long Island Lizards, and led the Lizards to the first ever MLL championship. He led them to a championship again in 2003, and was then sent to the Rochester Rattlers in a blockbuster deal. In 2005, Powell was named offensive player of the week three times in the final four weeks of the season.
Powell was named MLL offensive player of the year in 2007. Powell is considered the best player in MLL history.
In the NLL, Powell has also had a storied career. Powell was drafted by the Rochester Knighthawks in 1998, and was traded to Buffalo two years later. He never reported, and was then traded to the Anaheim Storm where he made his mark. Powell was selected by the Portland LumberJaxx in the Storm dispersal, but elected again not to play. Powell was later traded to the New York Titans, and eventually Boston when the Orlando Titans dispersed.
His career year points wise in the NLL was 2008 when he scored 86 points. Something tells me he might overtake that mark this season in Boston.