NLL Insider

Inside Lacrosse Classics, Inside Lacrosse Magazine, NCAA, NLL, Toronto Rock

Inside Lacrosse Magazine Archives: Garrett Billings Recruit Profile

Garrett Billings (photo by Jeff Vinnick, 2005)

Garrett Billings didn’t disappoint in his first National Lacrosse League season this past winter. The sixth overall pick out of Virginia made the NLL’s All-Rookie team after leading all first-year players in assists (50) and points (83) for the Toronto Rock. He tied for 11th in goals and ninth in points league-wide.

The British Columbia native came out of Burnaby as a pretty hyped-up recruit back in 2005, deemed an X-Factor by Inside Lacrosse Magazine, the same honor given to Zack Greer the year before. Billings finished his Cavaliers career No. 6 in career goals (125) and 10th in points (206) at UVa.

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Inside Lacrosse Classics, Inside Lacrosse Magazine, NLL

Inside Lacrosse Magazine Archives: Behind-the-Scenes at the 2006 NLL All-Star Game

During the 2006 NLL season, myself and former Inside Lacrosse Magazine writer/editor Mike Keegan had the pleasure of taking a sweet trip to Toronto for the 2006 NLL All-Star Game at Air Canada Centre.

The hook was we were going to get full access to both teams for the All-Star Game, hanging out in the locker rooms, on the benches, at the after-parties. Wherever the players went, we went. Given that it was just an all-star game, the players were looser and even more honest and insightful than they usually are. It was an awesome trip, and led to this March 2006 Inside Lacrosse Magazine story. (To purchase a copy of this magazine, which includes a host of behind-the-scenes photos, click here.)

The game included current NLL stars like Mark Steenhuis, Colin Doyle, John Tavares, John Grant Jr, Gavin Prout, Kaleb Toth, Lewis Ratcliff and Tracey Kelusky and legends like Jim Veltman, Glenn Clark and Jake Bergey. My favorite moment was probably when Mike and I were trudging to the airport Sunday morning, and two players roll up in a cab to the hotel, dressed in their suits from the night before. They spot us; we spot them — and all they could do was flash huge Cheshire Cat grins. Well done, boys…

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Inside Lacrosse Classics, Inside Lacrosse Magazine, NLL

Inside Lacrosse Magazine Archives: Welcome to the NLL Moments

IL's 2/08 cover

Whether they’ve grown up with box lacrosse or not, the National Lacrosse League can be quite an adjustment for rookies. Multiply that by 10 for Americans coming from NCAA field lacrosse.

With more and more American-born players joining the NLL ranks every season, there are plenty of hilarious Welcome to the NLL moments as these guys learn the ropes indoors.

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2010 FIL World Championships, Edmonton Rush, Inside Lacrosse Classics, Inside Lacrosse Magazine, Team Canada

Inside Lacrosse Magazine Archives: Brodie Merrill, the Best Player in the World

Few players have ever impacted a game like Brodie Merrill. The Georgetown graduate, Orangeville, Ont., native, Hill Academy coach and Team Canada, Toronto Nationals and Edmonton Rush defender truly is one of the world’s most dynamic players. Back in January of 2007, Inside Lacrosse Magazine declared him the Best Player in the World.

That proclamation will again be put to the test in a week, when Merrill leads Team Canada as it tries to hold on to the gold medal it won in 2006. The FIL World Championships kick off on July 15 in Manchester, England. Team Canada plays the U.S. on July 17, and that game will feature the always highly anticipated matchup of Merrill covering Team USA’s Paul Rabil, the reigning MLL MVP.

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Inside Lacrosse Classics, Inside Lacrosse Magazine, NCAA

Inside Lacrosse Magazine Archives: Hofstra’s Jamie Lincoln and Jay Card join forces

Hofstra’s season didn’t finish they way it hoped after starting the season 4-1 and climbing into the national Top 5. The Pride fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament 11-8 at Maryland.

But there’s plenty of reason for optimism on Long Island, thanks to the return next season of junior attackmen Jamie Lincoln and Jay Card. The two Canadians combined for more than 100 points this spring, both earning honorable mention All-American honors. They clicked from the get-go, so there should only be more success for the two in 2011.

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Inside Lacrosse Classics, Inside Lacrosse Magazine, Minnesota Swarm, NCAA, NLL

Inside Lacrosse Magazine Archives: Zack Greer at Bryant

Zack Greer has had quite a run as one of lacrosse’s best goal-scorers. First at Duke, then at Bryant and now with the MLL’s Long Island Lizards and NLL’s Minnesota Swarm. And next month he heads to England with Team Canada for the FIL World Championships.

When he made the decision to take his fifth NCAA season at Bryant, many lacrosse fans were a bit surprised. Why would he go to a program new to DI, which wasn’t even eligible for the playoffs, when he could seemingly go wherever he wanted and compete for the national title that eluded him during his record-setting Duke career?

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Inside Lacrosse Classics, Inside Lacrosse Magazine, NLL, Orlando Titans

Inside Lacrosse Magazine Archives: In Salute of Casey Powell

Inside Lacrosse Magazine's January 2008 issue

Casey Powell made history last month when he became the first American to win National Lacrosse League MVP honors. The Orlando Titan won the Reebok MVP award this year after posting 80 points and 53 looseballs for the playoff-qualifying Titans.

He has clearly become one of the NLL’s best players period, despite having little box lacrosse experience prior to leaving Syracuse in 1998 as one of the NCAA’s all-time greats.

Since then, he’s continued to be a dominant player year in and year out — regardless of the medium. READ MORE »

Boston Blazers, Buffalo Bandits, Inside Lacrosse Magazine, Inside the Numbers, NLL

Inside Lacrosse May 2010 Issue: NLL-NBA Crossover: Boston’s Dan Dawson and Buffalo’s Mark Steenhuis

As part of Inside Lacrosse’s May 2010 issue, Terry Foy and Paul Tutka took a look at some of the best in the business as they enter playoffs season – for both the NLL and their NBA counterparts. To read all of the comparisons, you’ll have to pick up a copy of the issue, but here’s a teaser with two guys entering this crucial weekends with work to be done, Boston’s Dan Dawson and Buffalo’s Mark Steenhuis. READ MORE »

Inside Lacrosse Magazine

Jordan Hall talks about the Orlando Titans, Snider vs. Smith, Team Canada, and his own evolution in box and field lacrosse

Jordan Hall sits down with Inside Lacrosse for February's issue. (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

Inside Lacrosse’s February issue features Orlando Titans two-way offensive stud Jordan Hall (recently cracking NLL Insider’s ten best in our annual Top 50), IL’s John Jiloty sitting down with Hall earlier this week to chat about everything from getting set-up in Orlando as the Titans lay their roots down in Florida, fan reaction to Week 1’s fight night at Amway Arena (One mother apparently telling Titans staff, “This game is disgusting and so are you.” Awesome.), more on the Geoff Snider vs. Rory Smith war, and his thoughts on Team Canada heading into this summer’s World Championships in Manchester, England. Click here to check out Inside Lacrosse’s podcast featuring Jordan Hall.

Inside Lacrosse Magazine

Inside Lacrosse January Issue: NLL Rookie Report

As part of the Inside Lacrosse NLL Preview issue, the crew at NLLInsider.com broke down eight questions for the 2010 season and provided a look at who will be the league’s top rookies and second-year players.
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