NLL Insider

Couple rumours making the rounds today just a few hours before week 18 officially kicks off in Minnesota.

One true, the other bogus.

The first has New York Titans forward Casey Powell sitting out this weekend’s beyond important clash against the Rochester Knighthawks on Saturday night.

Powell, who missed the third and fourth periods against Philadelphia last week due to being extremely dehydrated, is supposed to be 100% for this weekend’s tilt as per New York Head Coach Adam Mueller earlier this week.

New York’s leading scorer and MVP hopeful had a massive showing in the Titans’ previous game against Rochester this season, scoring a hat trick and collecting six assists in his team’s 14-11 win against the Knighthawks.

*** 

And then in this week’s other rumour, NLL Insider has confirmed that Toronto Rock forward and third leading scorer, Ryan Benesch, will once again be a healthy scratch for the Rock, his second straight week on the shelf.

It’s unclear as to why the Rock have put Benesch on the sidelines again, especially considering Benesch had a decent showing in his last game against the Chicago Shamrox, posting two goals and three assists.

In fact, Benesch was the team’s leading scorer the last time the Rock played the Philadelphia Wings, Toronto’s opponent this weekend, finishing the game with a hat trick and offense leading eight loose balls. The Rock lost that game 11-9, entering the fourth period with only four goals.

That loss to the Wings occurred during the same weekend that the team began an 0-4 slide that has seen them fall from potential East Division winners to one of only three teams in the league that have been officially axed from this year’s post-season. Coincidentally, it was the same weekend that saw the Rock fire Offensive Coach, Greg Van Sickle, in a bizarre late season dismissal.

It’s unclear who will be starting in place of Benesch, but the two new inclusions in last weekend’s lineup against the Calgary Roughnecks, who dumped the Rock in OT, were forwards Matt Taylor and Mike MacLeod, one of which also would have replaced vet Jamie Taylor.

The two new forwards combined for a goal and an assist in the season defining loss to the Roughnecks, well behind Benesch’s 3.57 points per game average this season.

Although obviously unconfirmed, rumours of Benesch being dealt this off-season are heating up the online forums and a number of sources close to the Rock told NLL Insider today that they’d be surprised if Benesch remained with the team in 2009.

With much of this weekend’s Rock game centered around Jim Veltman and the celebration of the legend’s final game in the NLL, the Rock’s off floor actions have once again grabbed the headlines heading into the final week of the regular season.

Rate This Story:

(4 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

 Loading ...