NLL Insider

“I’m loving the league,” said National Lacrosse League (NLL) rookie star Jordan Hall, of the New York Titans. “I love playing in this league. It’s a lot of fun and I get excited for it every weekend.”

“It’s fast. I think it’s a lot faster than (WLA) ball back home.”

“There’s that pretty funny story you guys did on Mitch Belisle going ‘this is awesome’, but I kind of feel the same way,” added Hall.

Hall and Belisle actually live right near each other.

“City blocks are pretty tight… In Vancouver, it’d be like living three streets away, if that.”

“All the guys that are here try to get nights going were we all go out together,” commented Hall, who noted last night was one of those nights. “I think it helps the team bond.”

This weekend though is a huge game for the New York Titans and the focus is on the floor. Essentially, if the Titans win, they are into the post-season.

“(Titans’ COO) Tim Kelly keeps making jokes that every weekend is a ‘do-or-die’ weekend,” added Hall. “This really is a do-or-die weekend… I think everyone on our team is treating it like a playoff game.”

“We beat Rochester last time (by a score of 14-11 on Feb. 23) but they have such a dangerous team,” added Hall. “Vino kind of got hot last time against them, and he’s stayed hot. So I’m hoping he can get hot earlier or just keep it going.”

The Titans are 8-2 over their last 10 games.

“I think at the beginning of the year we’d get down… That’s changed through the year,” commented Hall on their recent success. “We just have a little bit more confidence. We’ve been through games where teams have been on runs and we’ve come back and won.”

They’ll need a complete game this Saturday when Rochester visits. The Rochester Knighthawks are on their own little tear, winners of their last three games. And they need a win to make the post-season.

“It’s been pretty good,” said Rochester rookie Mat McLeod on the season thus far. “I don’t think I could have started my career off on a better team. The guys have just been great to all of the rookies and it’s definitely been an awesome year.”

“We had a little bit of a dry-spell there. But we’ve been picking it up lately and playing awesome. The confidence in the room has been great… If we hopefully pick up a win on the weekend, it would be a great start to the playoffs.”

“It’s going to be an intense game,” added McLeod on Saturday’s match-up. “Both teams are fighters so it’s going to be a good game.”

“I don’t think you change anything. I think you just go into it playing like it’s just another game… We just have to go out there and play the way we’ve been playing these last couple of games,” stated McLeod – in a veteran like fashion.

Both teams will be hoping for their rookies and all of their players to compete with that type of poise under pressure.

The winner of Saturday’s Rochester-New York game will punch their ticket to the NLL post-season.

New York (9-6) could also sneak into the playoffs with a loss to Rochester (8-7), if Philadelphia (9-6) loses to Toronto (7-8) on Sunday afternoon. A Rochester loss and their season is done.

Weekly NLL preview shortly.

* Second year franchise New York is trying to make the playoffs after going 4-12 in their inaugural year. Rochester captured the NLL Champion’s Cup in 2007.

* Tickets to watch the NLL game live at Madison Square Garden start at just $15.

An All-America at Simon Fraser and a decorated Jr. A player for Coquitlam, Kojima began covering lacrosse in 2003 and started working for Inside Lacrosse in 2007. Email him at steve.kojima@nllinsider.com or go to www.laxfuj.com .

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