NLL Insider

Coming into this season, Dan Dawson had already established himself as one of the NLL’s most dominant forwards. At 6-5, 225 pounds, Dawson’s size and athletic ability create a difficult draw for any defender. Last year was his fourth straight 80-plus point season, and he finished the season leading Portland to the Champion’s Cup final with 31 points in three playoff games.

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Besides Dawson, the expansion Blazers’ offense consists of rookies Daryl Veltman, Gary Bining, Sean Morris and Nick Cotter, sophomore Matt Lyons and third-year players Brenden Thenhaus and Jason Bloom — the non-rookies combined for just 34 points last season but had 128 through 16 games in ’09.

“In my mind, Dan’s proven that he’s the most impactful player in the game,” says Blazers GM/coach Tom Ryan. “He’s the ultimate team guy and makes the players around him better. … He can create scoring opportunities on his own and he forces defenses to slide.”

Oftentimes you’ll also see Dawson pull the ball out 5-on-5 and in powerplay situations to settle the team. And his 104 points through underlines his role as Boston’s QB.

“Everybody looks up to him and respects him,” says Veltman. “He’s really taken on the team, the offense and kind of put us on his shoulders. … He’s been a key to our success.”

Dawson gives the credit right back.

“You’re only as good as your teammates and coaches,” he says. “Our chemistry has been great. … These guys play with a lot of emotion and they want to prove to everybody they belong in this league. They’ve just stepped in and done a fantastic job.”

Just 27-years-old himself, Dawson adds that Boston’s young offensive core has tremendous potential. The 68th pick in the 2001 NLL Entry Draft couldn’t be a better example. He calls that draft day both an honor and a wake-up call, saying he was instantly determined “to be a somebody in this league.”

It only took one full season and Dawson was an impact pro player: his six-point rookie effort with Columbus preceded a 52-point outing in ’03. Four years later he topped 100 with Arizona.

Ryan says Dawson has a superior work ethic and that he demands the same commitment from his teammates.

“I really try and work harder than everyone in the league,“ says Dawson, who not only works on his physical game but in recent years has also focused more on the mental aspect of sports psychology. “Just to be tapped into the inner focus is key. If you’re not mentally strong, your game is only half as good as it can be.”

Dawson says he’s still learning and always striving to improve. But clearly, the Ontario native is not only one of the league’s most dangerous offensive threats but one of its best leaders. He has led his teams to the last three NLL Champion’s Cup finals, and he’s poised to take an expansion franchise that many predicted would finish last overall into the playoffs.

Considering what he did last year for a Portland team that no one expected to make the final, it’s a good bet he could pull some even crazier stunts this postseason.

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