NLL Insider

Geoff Snider (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

We’re moving into the upper echelon of the Top 50 today, the Philadelphia Wings Geoff Snider, Orlando Titans Jordan Hall and Boston Blazers backstop Anthony Cosmo making up spots nine through eleven.

11 (13) Geoff Snider, Philadelphia Wings
After an early season penalty filled start to ‘09, many questioned if the league’s face-off and fight king was doing more harm than good to the Philadelphia Wings lineup.

During an avoidable 13-11 loss to the then yet to win Boston Blazers (Boston spanked them the next night too, Snider with four minor calls against him), Snider’s impact was really called into question when he got nixed for a series of unsportsmanlike conduct calls that had him camped out for 13 minutes in the bin.

Also losing Athan Iannucci in that loss to the Blazers, the Wings season was in turmoil, and many felt that Snider’s actions were more selfish than beneficial. Philadelphia was just 2-5 to start the year, and Snider was already at close to 40 total minutes in the box.

Over the Wings’s next two, Snider’s play was beyond clutch both at the draw and elsewhere on the rug. Philly ran off two straight W’s, and the Fight Club champ had spent just a measly two minutes in the bin, a late minor call at the end of the win over Edmonton.

It was actually in that Edmonton game that Snider fractured his tracheal (windpipe), but continued playing until the final buzzer. He was sidelined for the next month, and although the team lucked out with only two games over that span, they were both loses, many changing their tune about what the former Burnaby Jr. Laker actually brought to the table.

With Snider pushing this year to spend even less time in the penalty box, keeping his gloves on more than ever before, what kind of affect will that have on the Wings? Does having Snider on the court mean more than the message he sends the opposition when he dismantles someone with his paws?

Below, check out how the Wings have done when Snider has less than five minutes in penalties, and how they do when Snider is trapped in a cell for five minutes or more.

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Jordan Hall, Orlando Titans

10 (30) Jordan Hall, Orlando Titans
Jordan Hall has quietly had one of this past year’s best overall seasons playing at virtually every possible level of lacrosse a single ball player could have in ‘09.

He was a beyond important piece of the Titans championship run, ditto for his gigs in Toronto (MLL) and New Westminster (WLA), hitting up three finals in a single season, all while still only 25-years old. Still a young pup in the pros, Hall is playing with a maturity well beyond his years.

After getting pooched for the NLL’s rookie of the year nod in ‘08, Hall’s definition of shopmore slump saw him ramping up almost all his offensive numbers, including maintaining a shooting percentage almost any prime time player in the game would envy.

Although his offensive prowess seems to have taken priority over his very able two-way game with the Titans, Hall is easily one of the most complete, do-anything ball players in the game today, an ability to play in virtually any role in virtually any scenario on the rug outside of manning the cage.

Not only did Jordan Hall spend the last year proving that voters likely made a mistake when casting their ROY votes two years ago, he also used it to officially arrive as one of the premier players on the planet.

Anthony Cosmo, Boston Blazers

9 (14) Anthony Cosmo, Boston Blazers
Considered by many as the game’s pound-for-pound best tender, Anthony Cosmo spent his ‘09 making a pro expansion team an instant contender and collecting his third Mann Cup, back-to-back nods with Brampton.

Cosmo played more minutes with the Blazers last year than any other season before ‘09, but still maintained his best ever GAA (10.14) since becoming a pro starter after being dealt by Toronto.

He followed up his impressive pro season, where he was named Second Team All-Pro (same with Hall above), with that Mann in Brampton, hodling down a razor thing 5.78GAA with the Excels during the regular season, landing the MSL’s Harry Lumley Award (lowest combined goals against) with teammate Pat Campebll. No goalie during the summer months came close to Cosmos’ goals against average, the likes of Tyler Richards, Kenny Montour, Derek Collins and Matt Roik putting up decent stats, but not Cosmo-decent.

The last piece of Cosmo’s puzzle appears to be getting his hands on the NLL’s Champion’s Cup as a starter, the lone missing bullet on his loaded resume of accomplishments. Without a playoff win since ‘07, can Cosmo lead the Blazers to the pro promised lands?

Check out Coz’s highlights from last season below, courtesy of the Blazers…

# (last year)
9   (14) Anthony Cosmo, Boston Blazers
10 (30) Jordan Hall, Orlando Titans
11 (13) Geoff Snider, Philadelphia Wings
12 (20) Shawn Williams, Rochester Knighthawks
13 (22) Tracey Kelusky, Calgary Roughnecks
14 (48) Billy Dee Smith, Buffalo Bandits
15 (35) Pat O’Toole, Rochester Knighthawks
16 (12) Lewis Ratcliff, Washington Stealth
17 (8)  Gavin Prout, Edmonton Rush
18 (NR) Andrew McBride, Calgary Roughnecks
19 (NR) Rhys Duch, Washington Stealth
20 (31) Chris White, Buffalo Bandits
21 (42) Matt Vinc, Orlando Titans
22 (25) Pat Maddalena, Orlando Titans
23 (NR) Jeff Moleski, Calgary Roughnecks
24 (34) Kyle Sweeney, Philadelphia Wings
25 (15) Scott Self, Minnesota Swarm
26 (NR) Dan Teat, Philadelphia Wings
27 (5)  Jeff Zywicki, Washington Stealth
28 (38) Brian Langtry, Colorado Mammoth
29 (44) Shawn Evans, Rochester Knighthawks
30 (41) Jeff Shattler, Calgary Roughnecks
31 (NR) Dane Dobbie, Calgary Roughnecks
32 (NR) Merrick Thomson, Philadelphia Wings
33 (NR) Daryl Veltman, Boston Blazers
34 (NR) Ian Hawksbee, Edmonton Rush
35 (NR) Phil Sanderson, Toronto Rock
36 (11) Ryan Cousins, Minnesota Swarm
37 (NR) Tyler Codron, Toronto Rock
38 (33) Luke Wiles, Washington Stealth
39 (47) Steve Toll, Rochester Knighthawks
40 (19) Blaine Manning, Toronto Rock
41 (37) Sean Pollock, Minnesota Swarm
42 (NR) Mike Carnegie, Calgary Roughnecks
43 (NR) Scott Stewart, Edmonton Rush
44 (NR) Kaleb Toth, Calgary Roughnecks
45 (NR) Matt Disher, Edmonton Rush
46 (23) Ryan Ward, Edmonton Rush
47 (NR) Kyle Ross, Boston Blazers
48 (NR) Matt King, Calgary Roughnecks
49 (NR) Mac Allen, Rochester Knighthawks
50 (NR) Nick Inch, Minnesota Swarm

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