NLL Insider

NLL, The Beat

NLL Links: Mammoth to hold Cassidy Memorial Tournament

The Colorado Mammoth announced yesterday that they would be combining with the Genesis Lacrosse Club to host the Colin Cassidy Memorial Lacrosse Tournament on Saturday, September 12th at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in suburban Denver. The event is in memory of Cassidy, a two-year-old who passed away in June in Vail.

“Kroenke Sports Enterprises and the entire lacrosse community were saddened last month to hear of the tragic passing of Colin Cassidy,” said Bill Hall, assistant general manager of the Colorado Mammoth. “Colin’s father, Chris, has been an instrumental member of the Colorado lacrosse community for years, while his mother, Sara, has been influential in the creation of public policy that benefits local businesses in her work at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. This lacrosse tournament is a way to honor Colin’s memory and bring the entire Colorado lacrosse community together to show its support for the Cassidy family.”

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NLL

Philadelphia and Edmonton swap vets Dan Teat and Derek Malawsky

Derek Malawsky back with coach Derek Keenan, now in Edmonton. (Photo: Matt J. Wiater)

The Philadelphia Wings have sent Portland Lumberjax dispersal draft pickup Derek Malawsky back West to the Edmonton Rush, who moved Dan Teat to the Wings to seal today’s swap.

Teat had a reinvigorated season with the Rush in ‘09, leading the team in scoring and spiking his ‘08 points total by an impressive 18 ticks on the scoresheet, landing him a spot in this past winter’s All-Star Game held in Colorado. READ MORE »

Major Series Lacrosse

Video: Geoff Snider KO’s Brooklin Redmen’s Tyler Worden, breaks ankle

Geoff Snider is not making many friends in the Whitby area this summer. (Photo: Chris Sherrer)

Monday night saw one of this year’s biggest KO’s, winter or summer, Peterborough’s Geoff Snider letting off a bomb in Tyler Worden’s mug, much to the dislike of some in the barn. (Note: Worden busted his ankle right at the end of the throw down, nasty looking stuff)

The Lakers took the game 12-9, winning their series against the Redmen 3-1, now looking at a series against the Six Nations Chiefs, the MSL’s second seed heading into the post-season. The Chiefs led the season series 2-1, but the Lakers took the last one in an OT thriller. Check out Monday’s dust-up and knock-down after the jump. READ MORE »

The Ballers

NLL Insider 20Q: Rob Van Beek

Philadelphia Wings and Langley Thunder two-way baller, Rob Van Beek

During the NLL Insider 20Q’s so far this summer, we’ve been trying to get in touch with guys that are not only currently in the NLL (although, got a big name non NLLer potentially on deck that defintiely deserves some ink), but are having a big impact on games over the past couple months too.

One ball player that definitely fits the bill is Philadelphia Wings and Langley Thunder tranny stud, Rob Van Beek, who’s been a real sparkplug for a young and exciting Thunder team that have been grabbing headlines all summer.

Find out what UFC champ Van Beek, who helped ignite a near riot last week against the New Westminster Salmonbellies when he hit an out of the crease Matt Roik, thinks might look good on the boxla court, and what easy to make fave he wants in his belly before game time. READ MORE »

The Beat

Lacrosse Links: MLL Playoff Picture Clearing Up

Denver clinched the No. 1 seed, Toronto and Boston are in and the remaining three teams are battling for the last spot, and check out breakdowns and scouting reports of each team.

As the MLL season approaches its climax, InsideLacrosse.com brought Quint Kessenich and John Jiloty onto the IL Podcast to talk about matchups and the future of the league.

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NLL

Knighthawks name Grant franchise player

Doubts can be put to rest, Knighthawks fan. The National Lacrosse League team in Rochester designated John Grant Jr. as its franchise player, meaning he’s off the free agent market and will be with the team for the 2010 season. Grant missed last season because of injury, but his comeback bid kicked off earlier this month with three games with the Peterborough Lakers of Major Series Lacrosse. The Knighthawks also tendered qualifying offers to Shawn Evans, Jamie Rooney and Dean Hill.

Major Series Lacrosse

Jamieson named MSL’s MVP, Rookie of the Year and scoring champ

You can’t be surprised, but we’ll let ya know anyway. Cody Jamieson, the stellar Six Nations rookie, has been named the winner of the Jim Murphy Award as the league’s MVP, the Gene Dopp Award as outstanding rookie and the Buck McDonald Award as the league’s top scorer with 48 goals and 48 assists for 96 points. It’s the first time in MSL history anyone’s won all three awards in the same season, according to The Peterborough Examiner. Peterborough’s Mac Allen got the Merv McKenzie Award as MSL’s top defensive player, edging Sid Smith of Six Nations in the voting. Brampton’s Anthony Cosmo and Pat Campbell get the Harry Lumley Award as top goaltenders and the Six Nations coaching staff of Darris Kilgour, Ron  Henry and Chuck Brown are the MSL Coaches of the Year.

MSL Notebook

Experience of Peterborough too much for Brooklin, plus the links

Onward it is for the Peterborough Lakers, whose 12-9 victory Monday night over the Brooklin Redmen was the clincher for the Lakers in their best-of-five Major Series Lacrosse quarterfinal playoff series. It’s not a huge surprise that the Lakers won this series, 3-1. Some may even argue that the Lakers should have won, given the talent on their roster. But that doesn’t mean we can’t take a look at the Brooklin roster, a collection of young fellas who did anything but roll over against their heavily-favored opponent. By all accounts, the Redmen have a bright future in store for them. READ MORE »

Futures Report

NLL Entry Draft: Hello My Name Is… Erik Sage

Victoria Jr. Shamrocks defender Erik Sage

Ten years from now, when the ‘09 National Lacrosse League entry draft is looked back on, yeah names like Zack Greer, Sid Smith, Garrett Billings and maybe Cody Jamieson will easily come to mind, but there will likely also be a recurring theme garnered from this year’s draft too.

The theme? Good, quality, aggressive, shutdown D guys from Western Canada.

There’s a pool of upwards of about ten plus (maybe more) guys in the BCJALL that have shown they might have the chops to make the jump to the big show.

Last week we checked in with Coquitlam’s Brandon Turner, this week, Victoria Shamrocks’ multi-dimensional defender, Erik Sage. READ MORE »

B.C. Junior A, Road to the Minto Cup

BCJALL: Burnaby forces deciding Game 5 vs Coquitlam, New West advances to Final

On the brink of elimination, the Burnaby Lakers pulled out two must-win games to force a deciding Game 5 versus top-ranked Coquitlam this Wednesday, July 29. The match, scheduled to start at 8:00pm PST, can be seen from the Coquitlam Sports Centre or online at the junioradanacs.com.

The winner of Wednesday’s game will meet the New Westminster Salmonbellies in the B.C. Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse League (BCJALL) final. The ‘Bellies closed out their series against last year’s BCJALL champion Victoria Shamrocks with a convincing 16-7 victory on Sunday.
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