NLL Insider

No one’s reputation has improved more than Casey Powell’s has over the last two winters.

After leaving the pro indoor game for a couple seasons, coincidentally coinciding with a head-shot courtesy of then Toronto Rock defender Pat Coyle, Powell was called every name in the book by box lacrosse purists.

They called him soft, weak, a wimp, a baby and worst of all, an American field laxer!! Yeah, they went there, and they did it time-and-time again, dragging Powell’s NLL rep through the thickest mud they could find.

After 2008, even Powell’s harshest critic isn’t left with much negative amo to rifle at him after the season he dropped on the league last year.

During a coaches and media conference call, just before the ‘08 playoffs kicked off, the league’s 12 head honchos were asked who they felt were worthy candidates for the MVP nod in both the East and Wast Divisions. Although Athan Iannucci was everyone’s obvious fave, the name mentioned second most was easily Casey Powell’s.

Powell’s final season numbers over the last two years have buried anything he’d ever done with either Rochester or Anaheim in years past.

The Syracuse legend has averaged close to six points per game over the last couple winters, a whole three point increase over his first four years in the league. Not only has his rep for taking those dirty shots improved in most fan’s minds, his stats have also gotten that much better too. Trust it that one had a lot to do with the other when looking at Powell’s improved indoor game.

The best part is, in last year’s Inside Lacrosse NLL preview issue, Powell told writer Mark Medina, “I like the indoor game more than field lacrosse. It’s more intense. You can run but you can’t hide back there. You have to be at your best.”

With the 2009 NLL season about to kick-off in the matter of days, which will include an opener with Powell’s Titans and the Toronto Rock in Florida, Powell remains unsigned, with rumours that he may not be playing this year if a deal can’t be worked out (See Bob Chavez’s report with New York Head Coach Ed Comeau on the matter).

Can the Titans hang in a stacked East without Powell in the lineup? It’s a scenario not too many New York fans probably wanna test drive.

Interesting fact: Previous to being drafted in the 1998 Entry Draft, Powell spent a summer with the Toronto Beaches in the OLA Junior A loop. After playing eight games for the team during the regular season, Powell would go onto lead the Beaches in scoring with 16 points in their opening round loss to the Peterborough Lakers, who were led by the likes of John Grant, Tracey Kelusky and western import, Kyle Goundrey. Also taken in the first round of the 1998 pro indoor draft were Kaleb Toth, Rory Graham, Chris Sanderson, Brad MacArthur, Jamie Hanford and Matt Disher. Previous to Gary Gait’s return to the NLL this past off-season, Powell was the only first overall draft pick pre-1998 that was still in the NLL. Check out the other first overall grabs, previous to the ‘98 season, below…

1997 – Matt Shearer, Loyola College/Whitby
1996 - Tom Langton, Towson State
1995 - Brian Piccola, Johns Hopkins
1994 - Cam Bomberry, Nazareth College/Six Nations
1993 – John Webster, North Carolina
1992 - Jim Buczek, North Carolina
1991 - Darris Kilgour, Nazareth College/St. Catharines
1990 – Gary Gait, Syracuse/Victoria
1989 – Brandon Kelly, Johns Hopkins
1988 - Dave Desko, Syracuse

Does Powell belong in the NLL Insider Top 50? Hit the boards and let us know what your Top 50 looks like heading into the 2009 NLL season…

#50 Matt Roik, San Jose Stealth
#49 Jon Sullivan, Minnesota Swarm
#48 Billy Dee Smith, Buffalo Bandits
#47 Steve Toll, Rochester Knighthawks
#46 Jarett Park, New York Titans
#45 Bruce Murray, Colorado Mammoth
#44 Shawn Evans, Rochester Knighthawks
#43 Peter Lough, Toronto Rock
#42 Matt Vinc, New York Titans
#41 Jeff Shattler, Calgary Roughnecks
#40 Craig Point, Minnesota Swarm
#39 Scott Ranger, Calgary Roughnecks
#38 Brian Langtry, Colorado Mammoth
#37 Sean Pollock, Minnesota Swarm
#36 Jake Bergey, Boston Blazers
#35 Pat O’Toole, Rochester Knighthawks
#34 Kyle Sweeney, Philadelphia Wings
#33 Luke Wiles, Toronto Rock
#32 Ryan Boyle, New York Titans
#31 Chris White, Buffalo Bandits
#30 Jordan Hall, New York Titans
#29 Shawn Nadelen, Philadelphia Wings
#28 Cam Woods, Toronto Rock
#27 Mike Accursi, Buffalo Bandits
#26 Dan Carey, Colorado Mammoth
#25 Pat Maddalena, New York Titans
#24 Andy Secore, Edmonton Rush
#23 Ryan Ward, Minnesota Swarm
#22 Tracey Kelusky, Calgary Roughnecks
#21 Josh Sanderson, Calgary Roughnecks
#20 Shawn Williams, Rochester Knighthawks
#19 Blaine Manning, Toronto Rock
#18 Nick Patterson, Minnesota Swarm
#17 Eric Martin, San Jose Stealth
#16 Scott Evans, Rochester Knighthawks
#15 Scott Self, Edmonton Rush
#14 Anthony Cosmo, Boston Blazers
#13 Geoff Snider, Philadelphia Wings
#12 Lewis Ratcliff, Toronto Rock
#11 Ryan Cousins, Minnesota Swarm
#10 Brodie Merrill, Portland Lumberjax
#09 Bob Watson, Toronto Rock
#08 Gavin Prout, Colorado Mammoth
#07 Mark Steenhuis, Buffalo Bandits
#06 Casey Powell, New York Titans

Hit this link for NLL Insider’s Top 50 archive and keep checkin’ back every week as we countdown the top 50 best in the pro game, with #1 being named just before the NLL season kicks off.

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