IL Indoor

Every week this season at NLLinsider.com we’re going to be putting our heads together to argue and exchange threats over email in order to bring to you the All-NLLinsider Team of the Week. Quite simply, the All-NLLinsider Team will consist of the six best players to step foot on the floor every weekend. 3 F, 1 T, 1 D, 1 G, all awesome. For a look at whose week one efforts made the cut for the first All-NLLinsider Team, read on.

forward: casey powell

How do you argue against the inclusion of Casey Powell on the inaugural Team of the Week? The short answer is that you don’t. The long answer is that you don’t unless you’re ridiculous.

Having just signed with the Titans on Friday, Powell took no time at all to find his step Saturday night, slamming in his first of six just 33 seconds into the game. When he wasn’t scoring from way out he was muscling his way in, crashing up the middle and polluting the crease area, making life a little ugly for Bob Watson and the sprawling defense in front of him. Though New York fell just short of the win — losing 15-14 in the final minute of regulation — Powell played an integral part in introducing Florida to the most exciting game going this weekend. With his six goals and four helpers totaling up ten points, Powell practically notched a point for every fan in attendance.

forward: mark steenhuis

Yes, he’s technically a transition player, but when a guy spends the majority of a game on offense and has eight points (4g 4a) to show for it, let’s call a spade a spade.

It’s not just the sheer volume of points he put up in this past weekend’s 15-11 win, but also the timing of them. Bandits down by one after the first ten minutes of the game? No problem. Need to blow the game wide open? There he is. Keep the momentum swinging in the Bandits’ favor? Unassisted. Wily and inventive, with his sleek moves and big mouth Steenhuis routinely guarantees that all eyes and ears are on him and even while dodging angry checks or finding himself on the floor, you’d be hard-pressed to find a player who looks like he’s having a better time out there than number nine, and opening weekend was no exception. This is the kind of player who makes kids want to pick up a stick.

forward: Blaine Manning

Sure, Lewis Ratcliff may have had a couple more points, and Jason Crosbie may have taken more abuse than a kid with a Battlestar Galactica lunchbox, but when it came down to the final minute of the Rock-Titans match-up, it was Blaine Manning streaking up the floor for the behind-the-head score that gave the Rock a win in a one-goal game and ensured Bob Watson’s heroics didn’t go unrewarded.

In addition to the GWG, amongst Manning’s four goals and two assists were two powerplay markers and the Rock’s opening goal of the game. As steady as they come and a proven leader on the floor and off, Manning looks to be off to yet another impressive start.

Transition: Tom Montour

That the Buffalo Bandits took a look at their roster and decided they had room for one more transition player was impressive. That he cracked their loaded line-up in the opening game of the season, even more so. That he dominated the middle of the floor nearly every time he stepped off the bench, controlling the tempo and swatting down Philly passes like they were mosquitoes in the Muskokas, adding one goal on a breakaway, assisting twice, and establishing himself as a top transition threat? Ladies and gentlemen: Tom Montour.

Defense: Clay Hill

Just in case anyone out there was starting to worry that there wasn’t enough Buffalo on the first All-NLLinsider team.

Let’s face the facts: disregarding that big bright gleam coming off of Drew Westervelt’s halo, the Philly offense didn’t look so hot. But before we go heaping criticism on them, let’s give credit where credit’s due: the Buffalo defense played a sharp, smart game and Clay Hill was a big part of the press that had the Wings offense sputtering, either taking wild shots or none at all, instead opting for never-ending passing plays, even on the man-up. In addition to his smothering play in front of his own net, Hill got involved on the offensive end of things, putting up three points on three helpers.

goal: kevin croswell

In the interest of honesty, the goaltender selection was the most difficult part of the process this week. It would be hard enough to pass over Bob Watson on one of his average weeks, but on one where he almost single-handedly held his team together in the early-goings, turning away three or four shots at a time from the likes of Casey Powell and Mike McLellan before making a gasp-inducing save in the final minute of the game with the score tied 14-14? Well. Congratulations Kevin Croswell.

The numbers alone make their case for Croswell: 42 saves on 49 shots for a save percentage of 85.7% and an 11-7 win. Factor in that he’s normally considered the number two goalie behind Nick Patterson getting the first win of his career and doing so without 2008 Defender of the Year Ryan Cousins in front of him — not to mention Jon Sullivan or Travis Hill — and the goaltender debate seems to fade away a little. That he recovered seamlessly from a heavy first quarter and one badly bobbled goal later in the game kind of makes you wonder where Croswell’s been sneaking his practice in, because on Saturday night he definitely did not look like a young goalie making his first start in the National Lacrosse League.

Dissenting opinions are the spice of life, so go ahead and hit the boards to tell us why Sean Pollock, Scott Stewart, Greg Peyser, Kevin Ross or Riley Kemp should have made the cut.

Rate This Story:

(+61 rating, 13 votes)

 Loading ...