NLL Insider

Athan Iannucci is always a scoring threat for the Wings (Martin Allinson)

With 50 goals looking to be replaced via the losses of Jake Bergey, Jamie Rooney and Jason Crosbie, coupled with league scoring champ Athan Iannucci likely on the shelf for the first bit of ‘09, the Wings will definitely have some growing pains to start the year, a vastly different scenario after starting last winter 6-0.

Can the Wings regroup quickly enough before they get buried in a stacked Eastern Division? Who will step-up on O to keep the previously high scoring Wings at the top of the league’s charts?

Find out  the answer to those question and others after the jump, straight from the pages of Inside Lacrosse’s NLL Preview issue, on newstands now.

The Inside Lacrosse Magazine Breakdown

This story appears in the January issue of Inside Lacrosse magazine. Click Here to see what's inside/order your copy.

Depth

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Relied almost exclusively on Athan Iannucci for scoring in ’08 but have also lost Jason Crosbie, Jamie Rooney and Jake Bergey heading into 2009.

Balance

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Wings have a decent mix of Canadian veterans and a host of young Americans wanting to make a serious go of pro indoor ball.

Chemistry

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Defensively, the Wings are tighter than almost anyone else in the NLL, but with Crosbie and Bergey gone, will they still click up front?

Transition

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Not only is their press fast, it’s tough as hell. You’ll never catch the license plate on Geoff Snider, Rob Van Beek or Taylor Wray.

SHANNY’S TAKE

They had the league’s best offense last season, but the Wings will have to pay more attention to defense. Athan Iannucci had knee surgery in July, and coach Dave Huntley hopes to have last year’s MVP and leading goal-scorer at 50% by February. The Wings will fight for a playoff spot, but it’s not a sure thing.

SCOUTING REPORT

“An early return to the playing field for Iannucci is best for everyone in Philly. But a game or two without him might help the rest of the offense remember that they’re allowed to shoot, too…They need better set-ups; too many wild shots turn into fast break opportunities for opponents…Teams may be catching on and neutralizing Snider’s fast break off the face-off by conceding possession…They’ve got the legs to take control of the transition game and really keep the tempo up. The Wings have better conditioning than a lot of the teams and can go hard until that final whistle.”

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