NLL Insider

NLL Insider

NLL Playoffs: What They’ll Need To Do To Win

Couple days away from the first round of this year’s post-season kick-off.

No Rock. No K’Hawks. Instead Philly and New York thought they’d crash the party.

We’ll also be seein’ a number of prime time players not makin’ the trip this weekend, definitely affecting their crews chances of going past the division semis.

Checkout what teams are lookin’ like heading into what will no doubt be one helluva NLL post-season, after the jump… READ MORE »

NLL Insider

NLL Playoff Predictions and Cliches

It’s playoff time.  The time of year that players, coaches and media alike start throwing around clichés as if they had invented them themselves. 

In reading the various NLL Insider articles and making my own predictions, a few come to mind.  I am a big believer that during the National Lacrosse League regular season, it is typically the team that wants it more on any given night that walks away victorious.  When I say “wants it more” I mean the team that shows up focused, ready to work and willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team.

When the playoffs roll around, there are often a couple teams on the fringe that really don’t believe they have a shot at the Cup.  When the going gets tough, they will bow out and start their summer vacation early.  I was on a team once where a marquee player had a golf trip planned during the later stages of the playoffs.  Do you really think he was focused on winning it all?

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Ontario Junior A

Update to the Kent Squire-Hill story

As we were first to report yesterday, Kent Owen Hill–the man reportedly charged in the death of Tashina General–has been confirmed to be Six Nations Arrows transition player Kent Squire-Hill. Hill has been charged with second degree murder in connection with the death.

In light of these developments, Arrows head coach Regy Thorpe spoke with the Hamilton Spectator. While Thorpe describes Hill as a “wonderful man on and off the field” he stresses that the thoughts and prayers of the Arrows are first and foremost with the family of Tashina General.

On January 23, 2008 General’s mother notified police that her daughter had not returned home overnight after leaving for work the day previous. Her remains were discovered Friday, April 25 in an area near Chiefswood Road and Indian Townline. According to police, cause of death was strangulation.

Hill is said to have appeared in Brantford court yesterday for a remand hearing after he was reportedly arrested in North Bay and brought back to Six Nations. Hill is the alleged ex-boyfriend of General though the paternity of General’s unborn baby is as yet unconfirmed.

In addition to his junior career with the Six Nations Arrows which includes four league titles and one Minto Cup, Hill was a member of the 2006 and 2007 Iroquois Nationals, was named the 2007 Midfielder of the Year for the National Champion Onondaga Community College, and was expected to play for Syracuse University this fall.

Rookie Report

Insider’s NLL All-Rookie Team

Last week I dropped some names for possible NLL All-Rookie Team. This week I’ve included the feedback of other Insiders and together, by default, we’ve come up with an All-Rookie squad.

Your official NLL All-Rookie team will be comprised of the top 6 Rookie of the Year vote getters, 1 goaltender maximum. There is no required breakdown but there’s usually a good cross-section of positions.

Official NLL balloting is conducted this week and closed before the first playoff game. All awards will be announced shortly, leading up to the championship game.

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Rookie Report

NLL Insider picks for Rookie of the Year

We dropped an NLL All-Rookie team selection on you today so, of course, we also had to provide a vote for a Rookie of the Year (ROTY).

Overwhelmingly, but not unanimously, the Insider vote for the 2008 ROTY went to the No. 1 overall selection of the 2007 NLL Entry Draft, Jordan Hall.

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The Beat

Rush know what they want

There was a 4-1 stretch to the season that looked mighty good to the Edmonton Rush this season. Scared a few other teams out West, too.

Problem was, that 4-1 stretch was sandwiched between an 0-6 start and an 0-5 finish. Not good, at all. It all added up to a 4-12 finish for the club, and as disappointing as that finish is, the club is already feeling good about 2009. Rush owner Bruce Urban told the Edmonton Journal he’s got complete trust in what sort of moves his coach/general manager Bob Hamley plans to do this offseason, and that includes three first-round draft choices. “Bob’s a great judge of talent,” Urban told the Journal. “He’s analyzed what we’ve got, he’s analyzed what we need to get going. He’s not just winging it.”

Of course, there’s still a bit of time before most of us start thinking draft, but Hamley’s already got his head wrapped around it. He tells the Journal he’s essentially happy with the defense he’s got, but would like to lure Andrew Turner out of retirement. Who wouldn’t? So if Hamley is able to add Turner to his defense and get the gunslingers he wants in his offense, there could be a nice rush for Rush playoff tickets come this time next season.

• Knighthawks sale seeks OK: Rochester D&C
• Vote today for Megan or Chantal: NLLInsider.com
• NLL playoff schedule: NLL.com

NLL Insider

Jim Veltman: One More Time

There was so much written about Jim Veltman the last week that I had a difficult time trying to think of something to say about him that wasn’t said already  (many times).

Everybody knows of his humanitarian work, his leadership skills, and his relationship with the fans. In fact, I think that part of the reason fans are so endeared to him is that his humble quiet demeanor is so unlike the “jock” stereotype.

READ MORE »

The Beat

Who’s going to win this weekend . . .

It’s not easy to pick winners in the NLL.

Especially this season.

The best you can do is take all the knowledge you have of the league, combine it with logic, reasoning and gut intuition to make an educated guess. Picking the score is even tougher, but it’s just a ballpark guess and adds to the fun.

My NLLInsider colleague and friend Brian Shanahan took a lot of heat for many of his picks this season when they turned out wrong. However, given the fact he’s the most knowledgeable guy I know when it comes to this league, it shows how tough being a prognosticator is. If he predicts games wrong, those panning his picks on message boards wouldn’t stand a snowballs chance in, well, you get the picture.

With that in mind, he’s my two cents on this weekend’s opening round of the playoffs.

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Inside the Numbers

Does D really win Championships?

It’s funny that a post popped up on the boards today about D winning Cups, cuz it’s an adage I was giving some serious thought to last week.

Does defense really win Cups?

It’s a line I’m sure everyone has heard a million and one times. But is it true? READ MORE »

Ontario Junior A

Six Nations Arrows star Kent Squire-Hill reportedly charged in death of woman

On the morning of the memorial service for Tashina General comes the news that 20 year-old Six Nations Arrows lacrosse player Kent Squire-Hill has reportedly been charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death.

21 year-old General was about five months pregnant when she disappeared on January 22, 2008. Hill reported dropping General off in the vicinity of her workplace, Village Pizza, around noon that day. According to the Hamilton Spectator, General never arrived at work. In the weeks that followed, Six Nations police were informed that General had been seen in the community but those reports remain unconfirmed.

The body was discovered by a police dog in an area off Chiefswood Road near Indian Line on the Six Nations reserve. An exact date of death has yet to be determined but preliminary tests indicate that General had been deceased for weeks or even months prior to the discovery of her body. According to police, General died of strangulation.

• Police charge ex-boyfriend in woman’s death: Hamilton Spectator

Note: while the accused is identified in the Spec article as Kent Owen Hill, NLLinsider has confirmed with a source close to the accused that Kent Owen Hill and Kent Squire-Hill are the same person.

Inside the Numbers

NLL Edition: The Money Ballers

Well, the final numbers came in, and…

Athan Iannucci killed it.

Nooch won our first ever Money Ballers this year, and it wasn’t even close. READ MORE »

The Beat

NLL’s non-playoff clubs have plenty of reasons for optimism in 2009

There are 8 National Lacrosse League teams that can barely wait to get at it this weekend.

Those not so lucky to be among the 8 have to wait a full 8 months or so to get back on the floor and you can bet they’re champing at the bit. You don’t need to be a lacrosse genius to figure this out, which is probably why it’s so clear to me. Just look at the list of non-playoff teams. The defending champion Rochester Knighthawks are out of the playoffs for the first time since their inception in 1995, thanks in large part to 5 one-goal losses. The Toronto Rock are another non-playoff team, but they’re already talking of ways to revitalize the offense that let them down this season.

Out West, the Edmonton Rush got out of the gate with 5 straight losses, but a new coach who wasn’t shy to pull the trigger on trades and deals restored confidence in the club. The Rush even made a serious run for a playoff spot down the stretch before fading, but Bob Hamley’s got that team set up with some solid draft picks for the next two seasons.

And in Chicago, the Shamrox won 5 of their final 8 games, getting a big spark from the arrival of goalie Matt Roik, who thought his season was over until he got “the call” early in March. Throw in the offfense of Cody Jacobs and Brad Self, and the Shammies were able to pull of some eye-popping wins over the likes of Rochester, Philadelphia and Toronto down the stretch.

Yeah, it’s a long wait to get back on the floor for these clubs, but there’s no reason to think they all won’t be back in 2009 with a vengeance, eager to get in on the postseason party that kicks off this weekend with the 2008 playoff teams.

• Roughnecks eye Mammoth upset: Calgary Herald
• Megan vs. Chantal: Who is your pick? NLLInsider.com

NLL Girls

NLL Girl of the Week, Round 2: It’s Megan vs. Chantal

Last week, we told ya that we were taking a break from our first-round matchups to let the NLL Girls of the Week selection process catch up with us. Well, it looks like we’re caught up.

The National Lacrosse League let me know that our forray into the second round was right on schedule because, as it turns out, all the selections for the season are finished. So what’s that mean? It means we’re in the process of creating our Final Four. And with Crystal’s close win over Nikki last week, it looks like the Titans have playoff reps playing lacrosse and cheering for it. Not a bad year for the franchise, eh?

This week’s matchup, our 10th of the season, puts San Jose’s Megan up against Toronto’s Chantal. Backing up just a wee bit, it was tough not to notice the vote total of last week’s matchup, and since it came in at a precious 311, we’ve included a bonus video tribute to one of our favorite bands of all time … something you can see after the jump.

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You know the drill by now. Take a look at the pics provided, cast your vote and make haste. Poll closes at midnight on Sunday.

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NLL Insider

Some Random Thoughts as the NLL Regular Season Comes to an End

As usual, the NLL’s regular season has brought us a fair share of excitement, surprise, outstanding performances, parity, and ups and downs. Now that the regular season schedule is complete, I thought I’d share some thoughts and observations about this weekend’s games, playoff expectations and a former great player.

Let’s start with the Minnesota/Chicago home and home. In my weekly picks I got the split right here but had the wrong nights. Apparently, home floor advantage meant nothing between these two as they each won in the other’s building. The Shamrox finish the season on a pretty good note looking forward (at least from a competitive stance), even though they won’t see postseason action. They went 5-3 in their last 8 and beat some tough divisional opponents along the way. The Roik acquisition played huge dividends and once the Rox were healthy they showed they can play with anyone in the league.

The Swarm finished a franchise-best 10-6. That opening season sweep of the Rock went a long way to help achieve the record. In their last 8, they’re a more reflective 4-4. Their goals for (GF) and goals against (GA) are a mere 3 apart. This is a team that can beat you anytime but can also be beaten. Thing is, that looks to be the theme of this year’s playoffs so the Swarm is solidly in the hunt.

READ MORE »

Shanny's Power Rankings

Shanny’s Power Rankings: Week 18

Last week I said it was possible, but unlikely, that five teams in the East would end tied at 9-7.

Well, that didn’t happen but it’s just as surprising that four teams finished at 10-6. And yes, the unthinkable happened: The defending champs, the Rocherster Knighthawks are out of the playoff picture. Don’t point to their loss on Saturday as the reason they are out. They played great lacrosse down the stretch and a number of coaches recently told me that despite their record, they wouldn’t be surprised if the Knighthawks had won out the rest of their games all the way to another championship.

Instead, the Knighthawks will be watching because of lackluster efforts mid-season when they lost games against the Edmonton Rush and the Chicago Shamrox.

But that’s enough talk of Rochester. We are starting the new season next week and if it’s anything like the regular season, we’re in for a great ride.

READ MORE »

The Beat

Veltman closes NLL career with loss

So much of lacrosse is played on the fly. You rarely get more than a spilt second to make your decision and more often than not, you’ve got to live with the consequence of your decision, good or bad.

Yet there were no surprises, really, at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday. Well, there may have been some eyebrows raised at how well the Toronto Rock played against the Philadelphia Wings in the regular-season finale for the National Lacrosse League. But in the end, it all wrapped up true to form for the 2008 season, and the Wings defeated the Rock 15-14 in what was the final game for Jim Veltman of the Rock.

There was plenty of pomp and circumstance for Veltman, whose teammates all wore No. 32 jerseys during warmpups. Yet it didn’t look good early as the Wings built an 8-2 lead in the first half before the Rock rallied to make a game of it in front of more than 10,000 fans. And as the final seconds ticked away, the Toronto fans stood and chanted “Thank you Jim, Thank you Jim.” In the moments that followed, Veltman’s teammates stepped back from the traditional lap around the floor, letting Veltman take a solo trip.

“It felt like you’re at you’re own funeral,” Veltman said afterward to the Canadian Press. “I don’t know if that’s kind of morbid or what but, you know, it’s sort of like everybody is giving these accolades and … the nice thing is you’re alive to experience it and to feel it.”

And so the playing career of Jim Veltman has come to pass, but it’s not like he’s dropping out of sight. He plans to be on the bench as an assistant coach for the Rock next season. He’ll be part of a staff that’s got lots of work to do to fix the season that went awry, but there’s no doubt he’ll be up to the challenge.

Kinda lost in this shuffle is how well the Wings played in the victory, but we figure Philly fans will understand. Gotta give some final love to the respected Veltman and besides, Philly’s gonna get some ink later this week as it prepares for a playoff showdown with Buffalo.

• No fairy tale ending for Rock: The Star
• It was wrong, all wrong: National Post
• Another look at Scoop: The Star
• Veltman’s final scoop: TorontoSun.com
• A final look at the regular season numbers: NLL.com

The Beat

NLL playoff schedule

After a wild weekend of elimination action the division finals are set and here’s a look at the schedule:

Saturday, May 10

New York Titans at Buffalo Bandits, 7:30 PM EST

Portland Lumberjax at Calgary Roughnecks, 9:30 PM EST

The winners of this weekend’s match-ups will advance to the Champion’s Cup, which will be held the weekend of May 16-18.

First round results:
14-12 Buffalo over Philadelphia
11-8 New York over Minnesota
15-13 Calgary over Colorado
18-16 Portland over San Jose

The Beat

Speaking of heroes

• Rock legend’s scooping up his final game: Toronto Star
• Bidding adieu times two: Toronto Sun
• John Fernandez should not have been playing lacrosse Saturday: Associated Press

The Beat

Titans in, Knighthawks out with 12-11 New York win

For the first time, the New York Titans are on their way to the playoffs. And for the first time, the Rochester Knighthawks aren’t.

With a strong second half and an emptynet goal from Jarret Park with 33 seconds remaining that would prove to be the 12-11 winner, the Titans punched their ticket to the postseason with a third place finish.

Brendan Mundorf snapped in four goals and one assist while Pat Maddalena had five helpers and in addition to his game-winner Park added an assist and scooped 15 looseballs. Goaltender Matt Vinc made 30 stops.

For the Knighthawks, Shawn Williams had three goals and four assists, Scott Evans two and four, and Shawn Evans two and three.

• Knighthawks miss playoffs by one goal: RochesterHomepage
• Knighthawks eliminated: 13wham
• Titans end Knighthawks’ run: R News

The Beat

Buffalo Bandits and Minnesota Swarm earn home-floor advantage

With last night’s 14-10 win over the Portland Lumberjax, the Buffalo Bandits have secured not only the Eastern division title but also home-floor advantage for the duration of the playoffs.

The Bandits were led by John Tavares with four goals and four assists, with three of those goals coming in natural hat-trick form to turn a 9-9 tie into a 12-9 advantage for Buffalo. Brett Bucktooth, Cory Bomberry and Roger Vyse had four points each. Mike Thompson made 46 saves in the win. Rookie Pete Jacobs led the Jax with four goals.

• Bandits top Lumberjax: wkbw.com

The Minnesota Swarm secured themselves a home game in the playoffs on the strength of a 12-11 win over the Chicago Shamrox.

Ryan Ward scored four for the Swarm while Sean Pollock added two goals and three assists and Rory McDade pitched in one and four. Nick Patterson stopped 42 of 53. For the Shamrox Mat Giles had four goals, Brad Self one goal and four assists, and Jason Clark one and three.