IL Indoor

John Grant, Jr. showed he was all the way back from injury with a 12-point game in Colorado's 16-15 overtime win in Philadelphia. (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

Maybe it’s just a coincidence, or maybe there’s a theme developing in IL Indoor’s National Lacrosse League Game of the Year Showdown. The fans seem to like it when the Rock lose. Calgary’s Week 1 comeback over Toronto won the balloting among the first five weeks of the season then, last week, the Stealth’s win over 2011 champs took top spot. Thirty per cent of voters opted for the Washington win, putting it 4% ahead of Minnesota’s marathon overtime victory over the Rush. You have a chance to continue the trend: another Rock loss won a Game of the Week poll during the span of weeks 10 through 13, which are on the voting block this week in the third quarter segment as we get closer to determining your Game of the Year. Make the jump to make your voice heard.

Week 10’s top game was the Colorado Mammoth making do without John Grant, Jr. as he sat out with what turned out to be a broken sternum. Adam Jones did his best Junior impersonation with three goals and four assists to lead the Mammoth to a 13-11 win over Washington.

A trio of Bandits went for seven points and a fourth for eight as Buffalo broke out of an offensive dry spell in a big way in Week 11. Chad Culp scored two goals and six assists, Luke Wiles went 5/2, John Tavares and Mark Steenhuis each posted 4/3 as the Bandits crushed the Rock 21-14 despite trailing 11-8 at the half.

Then Grant returned for Week 12’s home-and-home series between Colorado and Philadelphia. He quelled concerns about whether he’d be as effective as before his injury with six goals in a home loss, but you really liked the return engagement in Philly. Junior rang up a dozen (3g, 9a) and Jones was the overtime hero with his fourth goal (along with five helpers) in a 16-15 Mammoth victory.

In Week 13 you chose another overtime game and it was a dandy by Evan Kirk. Minnesota trailed Edmonton 8-4 when Tyler Carlson was pulled 9:40 into the second period. The Swarm would score only four more goals, but that was enough to get them to the extra frame because Kirk was literally unbeatable. He stopped all 25  of the shots he faced in regulation time. Aaron Wilson finally ended the run of perfection in overtime for a 9-8 Rush win.

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