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Knighthawks pursue Joe Walters

As if the Gary Gait buzz weren’t enough in Rochester, there’s talk now that the Knighthawks are hoping to sign hometown hero Joe Walters for the coming National Lacrosse League season.

Walters, who played his high school ball at nearby Irondequoit High, was a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist at Maryland and is a current member of the U.S. National team. The left-hander with the slick shot helped lead the Rochester Rattlers to their first Major League Lacrosse title this past summer. “I think he’d fit in very well on our team and in his hometown,” Knighthawks general manager Regy Thorpe told the Democrat and Chronicle. More than one team is apparently chasing Walters, who is a free agent after being a second-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bandits in 2007. He opted not to play, even after rights were traded to the Philadelphia Wings. Stay tuned to NLLInsider.com and we’ll keep ya posted on this development.

• Single-game Blazers tickets on sale Saturday: BlazersLacrosse.com
• Speaking of the Blazers, who are they? Examiner.com

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Fan Poll: Next years sophomore studs and duds

With all the talk of what Craig Point will do next year and the history lesson we had last weekend, looking at the best and worst ever sophomore years in the NLL, this week we asked you guys which of last year’s pretty impressive rookie class would keep treading water and which ones would flounder a bit.

Jordan Hall seems to be the odds on favorite to continue taking his game to the next level, especially after his impressive play for the Mann finalist New Westminster Salmonbellies this past summer.

Anyways, after the jump, we broke down last year’s rookie class and what they might be capable of this winter. Also make sure to hit up this link, to see how this week’s poll shook-out. READ MORE »

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Brett Queener: out of the net and into Boston’s free agent camp

There are considerable odds stacked against almost anyone who wants to make a go of it in the National Lacrosse League — Merrills and Zywickis and Sniders aside. So why not give an American field player a chance at a transition spot? Especially one who just won an NLL championship with the Rochester Rattlers. As the goaltender.

Ladies and gentlemen, Brett Queener.

“I’ve wanted to play indoor since I was a young kid. I used to have season tickets to the Rochester Knighthawks in their first year,” he says. “I like to say I’ve played American indoor. My hometown has box lacrosse and I grew up playing it but the style of game is obviously not the same. I think I have a high lacrosse IQ and I think I’m going to be able to pick it up.” READ MORE »

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Jim Veltman and family bring lacrosse way up North

This item was originally posted on the Toronto Rock website a few weeks ago, but as the saying sort of goes, no good deed should go unnoticed.

Jim Veltman and his wife Teresa have written up an account of their family’s summer trip to Attawapiskat, a First Nation community way up by James Bay. They were there to bring lacrosse equipment and instruction to a place that can only be reached by plane in the summer. This was how they celebrated Jim’s retirement.

Thanks in part to the $12,000 raised at Jim’s final Rock game, the Veltmans ran a three day camp with three sessions per day for different age groups, giving 50 Attawapiskat youth a hands-on introduction to lacrosse, providing equipment for many more, and helping to prove that Northern Ontario lacrosse isn’t limited to the Sault Ste. Marie police blotter.

• For anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, the Boston Blazers have relaunched their website: blazerslacrosse.com
• For anyone in Colorado who’s itching to get the lacrosse season started, you’ll be able to buy tickets to the pre-season match-up with the Stealth starting tomorrow afternoon: coloradomammoth.com

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Championship Lacrosse : Czech Style…

October is the quietest month of the year for North American Box lacrosse but in the Czech Republic the Lacrosse is front and center with the National Box Lacrosse League at their season’s climax. READ MORE »

NLL Top 50

NLL Insider Top 50: Sean Pollock #37

Although some may initially think back to his alleged early season off-floor dustup with Toronto Rock Head Coach Glenn Clark when they reflect on Sean Pollock’s impact on the game in 2008, if that’s all they remember about the Minnesota Swarm forward, then they obviously weren’t paying enough attention to what Pollock brought to the table last year.

The fiery red head mighta sent Toronto fans into a tirade after getting tossed in the team’s opening game at the ACC last year, but it was everything Pollock did past that that made 2008 a pretty memorable one for him. READ MORE »

The Life

He Just Did What?

So there I sat, staring deep into my computer screen, working on finding the right words for my first magazine piece, when I started thinking about the greatest goal I have ever seen. Then, it crossed my mind that I’m sure other fans of the NLL could probably drum up memories of their favourite goals just as easily. Having always wanted to write a book about lacrosse and the players and fans personal experiences, I realized that gathering those memories is the first step.

The stories don’t have to be ground breaking, they don’t even have to be the greatest tales of all time, what I want is to paint a verbal picture of that moment that holds a special place in your heart; that always puts a smile on your face when you think about it.

READ MORE »

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Voice of the Fan: The American Impact in 2009

This month Inside Lacrosse is checkin’ in with readers and getting their take on what this year’s influx of Americans on the NLL will do to the league.

Will the name guys like Paul Rabil, Kevin Huntley and Matt Danowski be able to cut-it in pro indoor ball?

Will a team like San Jose win over more field fans with high profile NCAA studs on their roster?

How will the NLL’s newest American franchise, the Boston Blazers, do in their first year back into the bigs?

Will an American franchise keep the streak going and win a fourth consecutive Champion’s Cup this winter.

If you’ve got an opinion on anything American related heading into the 2009 season, hit up IL’s Voice of the Fan and find your way into a future issue of Inside Lacrosse.

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It’s official: Gait’s a Knighthawk

Well, it’s official. Gary Gait is a Rochester Knighthawk.

Our own Paul Tutka broke the news more than two weeks ago and yesterday, it became official as the Knighthawks announced they’ve signed Gait to a two-year contract. Of course, the Knighthawks are all giddy about the news and Gait’s even happier to be suitin’ up again. The great thing about all this, however, is the debate that’s rockin’ the message boards. Can Gait recapture the form we’ve come to expect from the six-time National Lacrosse League MVP? Is he washed up? Is this a publicity stunt? Some fans out there even have the ‘nads to suggest Gait’s coming back only because Athan Iannucci broke the scoring record last season and Gait’s out to reclaim it.

Whatever’s going on under that lid of yours, the fact is Gait’s back and it’s got people talking — and excited — about the 2009 season.

• Swarm’s Achenbach to help kids carve pumpkins: MNSwarm.com
• Blazers to host free agent tryout camp: OurSportsCentral.com

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Dan Stroup still officially a free agent

Although the Portland Lumberjax have been in talks with recently released Edmonton Rush vet forward Dan Stroup, it appears Stroup’s status is still up in the air and the former multiple Cup winner is still officially considered a unrostered free agent as of Thursday afternoon.

NLL Insider confirmed with Portland GM and head coach Derek Keenan earlier in the week that the Jax were planning on bringing Stroup aboard and a deal was imminent, since then however, the NLL has yet to receive anything official and has confirmed with NLL Insider that Stroup is still very much a free agent at this point, with the ability to sign elsewhere.

Keenan did confirm with NLL Insider this morning that a deal involving Stroup was pending.

It is unknown if any other teams are interested in Stroup’s services at this point, but if they are, Stroup is still technically on the market.