NLL Insider

NLL Girls

Dance Team Pick’ems: Week 6

Hazzah. Dance team picks are back this wee as the members build on their impressive leads. Our ladies had an average of 5-3 last week, with Minnesota’s victory over Rochester the big monkey wrench of the week. Allison continues her impressive streak after sticking with her Swarm. She sit with the best average with a combined 14-6 record.

This weekend, there’s just a handful of game to choose from, including two involving San Jose. Lets see what our dance team members have to say.

And here’s what the Dance Team members said:

READ MORE »

NLL Insider

NLL Insider Picks: Week Six

Kojima made a big move last week with an impressive 6-2 finish; he only missed on his San Jose picks, and he’s right back in the saddle with the Stealth stealing the Titans’ thunder on Eli Manning Appreciation Night in the Garden.

Lauren Ward continues to set the pace at 13-8, and three games separate first and last place. That won’t change much this week as the Insiders unanimously agreed on two games. (Which ones? find out after the jump.)

The lines:
Thursday
SJ (-3.5) @ NY
Saturday
POR @ EDM (-1.5)
MIN (-1.5) @ SJ

And the Insider Picks: READ MORE »

Inside the Numbers

Too many eggs in one (or two) basket(s)? Does it matter?

A lot is being made of New York relying on their man-up and Portland leaning on the likes of Dan Dawson and Derek Malawsky for most of both team’s scoring. Coincidently those two teams are a combined 1-5 so far this year.

Hearing that would lead most to the conclusion that relying on either just your power player for goals or just one or two guys for a bulk of your scoring is not a good thing, unless you like being 1-5. Even without looking at the Titan’s or Jax’s records though, I would guess most of you would still probably have thought any other team woulda found themselves in a similar situation.

Well, unless you’re the Philly Wings. READ MORE »

The Beat

Rob Blasdell is a goalie with a goal

blasdell

Help take a team to the championship game and you’d think your job is pretty secure.

Not so for goalie Rob Blasdell, but the job security thing was kinda out of his control.

The veteran keeper was a big part of the Arizona Sting’s advancement to last year’s Champion’s Cup game, but the Rochester Knighthawks kept Blasdell from hoisting that Cup. Well-publicized labor issues last fall nearly cancelled the season but even after it was restored, the Sting announced it was suspending operations for a season.

Enter the Wings. The NLL dispersal draft put Blasdell in Philadelphia and the Wings are off to a 3-0 start, rocking Philadelphia with championship visions that box fans in that city have been so hungry for.

“They’ve welcomed me with open arms. They’re a first-class organization for sure. They want to win and as a guy in my position, you can’t ask for more,” Blasdell told The Orillia Packet and Times of Ontario.

• Minnesota’s Pollock is Player of the Week: NLL.com
• Roughnecks acquire Sellers from Rush: TSN.ca
• Rush in a must-win situation: Edmonton Journal
• NYC welcomes Mayor’s Cup lacrosse challenge: NYC.gov

Q&A

Q&A with Nick Patterson

Off to a 3-0 start as the undisputed number one goaltender of the Minnesota Swarm, Nick Patterson has plenty to brag about. But Nick Patterson doesn’t really do that. Instead, the former all-pro discusses goalie fights, being underrated, and a save he made in Calgary.

In most team sports, goalies are kind of considered to be the weirdest guys out there. Does that hold true for lacrosse goalies?
I’ve met some weird goalies before in hockey and lacrosse, so yeah lacrosse goalies can definitely be weird. A lot of people think we’re weird just because we stand in front of the ball. I think that’s why a lot of people think we’re a different breed.

What are some of your quirks?
I have a few superstitions here and there. The main one is that after I get my gear on for warm-up and stuff I stay out of the dressing room until the end of the game. That’s probably the big one. I just wait in the hallway or by the bench or whatever. Maybe sometimes I’ll wear the same clothes under my gear each week.
READ MORE »

Fantasy Insider

Fantasy Fix: Dealing with Loss

In case you can’t tell from the title, my team suffered its first loss of the season, as I’m sure plenty of others did as well.

But don’t get all frowny and teary eyed just yet. It’s only Week 3 of fantasy, and there’s plenty that can be done to ensure that this travesty doesn’t happen to you ever again.

First and foremost, if you’re not scavenging the waiver wire each week, you’re not doing yourself any favors. It’s super easy, and hardly anyone else in your league is probably doing it.

If you don’t want to invest a ton of time searching through every teams’ weekly stat totals, all you have to do is click the See Free Agent Scoring Lists button once you click into the Free Agents link on your team page.

From there, all you do is set the players that you’d like to dump in the order that you want to kick them to the curb, and do the same for the players you heart most. After Monday’s Free Agent Draft, “Unsigned” players are available for your drop of hat desires.

READ MORE »

The Beat

Weekly Preview

Here’s a recap of today’s NLL media conference call that hyped up this week’s set of games. Just three are on the slate:

Thursday, January 31
San Jose at New York

Saturday, February 2
Portland at Edmonton
Minnesota at San Jose

READ MORE »

The Life

The Gift of Self Confidence

When I was younger I looked to lacrosse and sports in general as a way to define myself and build my self confidence. Somewhere in the back of my mind I believed that beating my opponent meant I was better than them. It’s an immature motivation, but powerful just the same.

Success in lacrosse can fuel the ego. And for some that is why they play. Like an offensive player so focused on scoring goals and personal success that they become less concerned with what’s good for the team. Fortunately as I got older, team success took precedence over personal accolades and I experienced the unshakable confidence that comes from dedicating yourself to the common good.

READ MORE »

Inside the Numbers

The Money Ballers

Jake Bergey and Jason Wulder keep throwing up those money goals game-after-game this season. Two old school vets that most around the league probably didn’t think twice about as potential difference makers heading into the year. Well, start giving these two some serious thought again, cuz they’re (in my best Dick Vitale voice) money baby (that was such an uncool reference and equally uncool when screamed out loud, but hey, that’s how I roll)!! READ MORE »

The Beat

Back to New York

Mundorf

Offense hasn’t been a weak point for the Titans in this young season, but it hasn’t been a powerhouse, either.

New York is hoping the return of Brendan Mundorf can change that.

The forward out of UMBC had a solid rookie season in New York last season with 23 goals and 21 assists, along with 50 loose balls in 14 games. The Titans announced Mundorf, the team’s first-round draft choice (11th overall), is back with the team for this season.

The left-hander signed a one-year contract and forward Hunter Lochte was released to make room for Mundorf on the roster.

• LumberJax challenge kids to read: PortlandJax.com
• Knighthawks raise $823 for local charities: Knighthawks.net

Q&A

Q&A with Minnesota Rookie, Craig Point

Craig Point is one of the league’s top players. He’s also a great guy with a focus on his family. In this Q&A, Craig talks about the person behind the gear and his largest lacrosse influence.

As the No. 3 overall selection in the 2007 NLL Entry Draft, Point’s lacrosse accomplishments have been well documented. He led Onondaga Community College (OCC) to its first ever National Championship and helped capture the Minto Cup with the Six Nations in 2007. Point also led the Iroquois Nationals in scoring at the last World Indoors.

The right-handed forward from Ohsweken, Ontario, has looked really solid thus far in the pro league as well. Playing within Minnesota’s team-offense, Point’s fit in right away and has been a key contributor to the Swarm’s quick start. 

The 22-year-old tallied eight points in his first ever NLL game, and now sits third on the team in points scored with six goals and 14 points.

Minnesota sits atop the East Division standings in a tie with Philadelphia who are also 3-0 to start the season. READ MORE »

Back in the Day

Kickin’ it 1974 style

You remember 1974, right? Yeah, right. Most of you reading this weren’t even born yet, but believe it or not, fellas were playing lacrosse back then.

And get this: They did it without off-set heads, shafts that were made of (gasp!) wood, and shorts so tight that it’s a complete mystery as to how anyone even moved in those things.

With all praise to the internet, we are blessed with this clip of the 1974 Philadelphia Wings, who were led by John Grant Sr. This 20-second video shows Grant Sr. playing against the Rochester Griffins and if you want to know a little more about the NLL back then, click on the “read more” tag after you watch this video.

READ MORE »

The Ballers

Build up to my 1st Game

I didn’t think I’d be nervous. I played in big games before. All week, I told myself it was like anything else. But it wasn’t.

This was my first NLL game.

It was something I had been waiting a long time for and the moment was almost here. It was time to take the floor.  Waking up that day it seemed like any other day. We went to shoot-around and film before the game and I felt good. My shot was on, my stick was throwing great and I felt calm and collected. I even got a chance to talk to the Insider’s own Brian Shannhan before the game and talked a little about this and that.

READ MORE »

NLL Insider

In focus

Josh Sims

Just because the TV coverage this season is limited doesn’t mean your appetite for lacrosse is.

No worries.  We’ve got your back here and thanks to Assistant Art Director Keely Knopp, your eyes don’t have to starve from a lack of lacrosse action. Knopp put together a package of photos from games this past weekend.

There’s the San Jose-Colorado game, which has a most righteous shot of Josh Sims diving the crease for a shot, courtesy of Dave Gottenborg’s camera. The Minnesota-Rochester game is up there, too, along with the New York-Toronto game. We’ve also got the Calgary-San Jose game.

To see the photos, you can either click here, or click on the big blue button that’s over to the right of this very sentence. Enjoy.

The Buzz

Merrill or a package of players?

This week’s column is brought to you courtesy of Saturday’s Roughnecks/Lumberjax game.

The lopsided 13-6 Calgary win gave me plenty of things to talk about.

The first was the opportunity to revisit a debate that raged 2 1/2 years ago when Portland won the expansion lottery and received the coveted first-overall pick.

READ MORE »

NLL Insider

Top 20 NLL Player Ranking: Week Five

The Colorado Mammoth’s somewhat quiet undefeated 4-0 run hasn’t been talked about much while the rest of the league is drooling over the likes of Minnesota and Philly doing the same, but really, no team has looked as dominant as Colorado so far this year. And a big reason for that? Gavin Prout.

Prout continues to run the ship in Denver, setting up both the tying and then OT winner against Portland and then throwing down one of this year’s sickest single game performances against San Jose, which included a stunner from behind the Stealth cage!! So while most of our previously hyped top draws are all kinda hot-and-cold right now, Prout has been the definition of consistent while he leads a Mammoth club that looks like anything outside of a Champ Cup crown will be considered a failure in 2008. READ MORE »

NLL Girls

NLL Girl of the Week

megan

I spy a Spy Girl.

Megan, captain of the San Jose Stealth’s Spy Girls, admits she wasn’t very familiar with lacrosse when she tried out for the dance team, but is that really what’s important here? She’s the reason I’ll be humming “I wish they all could be California girls” for the rest of today.

All joking aside, Megan’s dancing abilities are just part of the reason she’s the NLL Girl of the Week this week. Besides cheering on the 1-2 Stealth, she’s a full-time student at San Jose State and works four jobs. Still, she finds time to volunteer for Make A Wish and a local shelter for women and children.

Be sure to check out her profile.

The Beat

Unfair playoff system?

knighthawks

The Rochester Knighthawks are facing an uphill battle to qualify for the NLL playoffs, and Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle columnist Bob Matthews says the Knighthawks aren’t being helped by an unfair playoff system.

Granted, a 1-3 start to the season isn’t very becoming of a defending champion. Still, the Knighthawks have their work cut out if they want to be a playoff team for the 14th consecutive season. 

With the top four teams from each conference making the playoffs, ” … the Eastern Conference has seven teams (each team has a 57 percent chance to make the playoffs) and the Western Conference has only five teams (each team has an 80 percent chance to make it),” writes Matthews.

Let the debate begin, but don’t leave out Rochester’s 30% success rate on the power play as one of the bigger reasons the Knighthawks aren’t winning games.

• This time, Tavares witnesses NLL record: Mississauga News
• Busy NLL weekend is all summed up right here: NLL.com

Inside the Huddle

Man-Short, or Man-Down Defenses

Last week I talked about the macro systems that most teams use in today’s NLL. This week I’m going to begin discussing some of the micro systems that operate within the overlaid macro system templates.

Let’s start with the man-short defense (called the “short man” by most Canadian box players) or man-down defense (called MDD by most American field players). Players and coaches in the hybrid NLL use either terminology.

READ MORE »

NLL Insider

Armchair QB: Week Five

Checking out the league team-by-team at what they’re doin’ well and what they’re not lookin’ so hot in. Going in order of Shanny’s Power Rankings, which got a mild shakeup this week.

Colorado Mammoth (4-0)
The Mammoth have been as close to perfect as you can get. They kicked San Jose around the court, punkin’ their lunch money and then handing out one of the year’s most one sided beatings to date. Even in games when they fall asleep for a bit like they did against Portland, the Mammoth still managed to comeback and take it in OT. These guys are playing championship caliber ball just four games in. Not once this year have they closed up shop and got run over. Bottom line, they’re damn good and obviously need no tinkering during their week off. Think Bob McMahon is influencing this team more than people thought he would. READ MORE »