IL Indoor

Behind the Scenes, Grassroots, International, The Life

German box lacrosse league joins the burgeoning European movement

Just a couple of days ago we told you about the brand spanking new Finnish Box Lacrosse League. Now, there’s more news out of Europe. Canadian ex-pat Jamie Plunkett is involved in the genesis of another league, this time in his adopted home country of Germany, where he’s been instrumental in the development of the  Deutschland Adler Lacrosse Club. The Adler web site has announced the creation of the Deutsche Indoor Lacrosse Liga. The new league will run during the summer months of July and August, with a couple of league game days and then a championship tournament. The Adler release mentions four teams that have already expressed interest in playing and the league welcomes more. And don’t panic if you get to the site and see German; just scroll halfway down the page for the English version of the announcement.

Behind the Scenes, Calgary Roughnecks, IL Indoor, National Lacrosse League

IL Indoor Awards: Shawn Evans runs away with Most Valuable Player award

Shawn Evans is the IL Indoor 2013 National Lacrosse League MVP. (Photo: Calgary Roughnecks)

Coming into 2013, Shawn Evans had been a very good player in the National Lacrosse League for 7 seasons. This year, there is no question he stepped up to be a great one. Evans matched his career high in goals (from 2007 and 2012) with 32. The most visible difference, in terms of numbers, was that he also produced the second-most prolific assist season in NLL history. His 80 helpers gave him a staggering total of 112 points. The fact that the difference in his scoring total came in the form of assists is no surprise to anyone who watched Evans play this year. He was the catalyst for a dynamic Calgary Roughnecks offence that led the league in goals for. And what’s scary is, even though he’s now an 8-year veteran, Evans is only 27 years old; he may just be getting started. READ MORE »

Behind the Scenes, IL Indoor, NLL Entry Draft, National Lacrosse League

NLL Mock Draft 1.0: An early read on the top prospects

Logan Schuss is the odds-on favourite to be taken first overall in the 2013 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft.

The 2013 National Lacrosse League season is in the books and it’s only about four months till the league’s teams will gather for the annual distribution of talent known as the NLL Entry Draft. Nothing is set in stone at this point, but it’s always a fun exercise to start figuring how the draft will play out. Today, IL Indoor presents our first mock of the first round of the 2013 draft. It will feature the top candidates to go early this September as well as some dark horses who could be in consideration for high picks. Will a big scoring lefty will go first overall again? Could this be the year that a goalie goes in the first round for the first time in a while? And just how many athletic transition players’ names will be called among the first nine picks? Get the answers to those questions and more after the jump. READ MORE »

Behind the Scenes, Grassroots, International

Et tu, Turku? Box lacrosse is off and running in Finland

The Turku Titans, looking very cool in their circa 1907 Ottawa Senators-looking jerseys, are one of four teams in the Finnish Box Lacrosse League. (Photo: Robin Stitzing)

Box lacrosse has been making inroads and winning fans in outposts around the world, as evidenced by the growth of interest in Europe. The Czech Republic and Germany are noted hot spots, thanks largely to the Ales Hrebesky tournament and the Deutschland Adler Lacrosse Club, respectively. One of the latest signs of the games increasing popularity is the creation of the Finnish Box Lacrosse League. It’s no surprise that Jamie Plunkett and Brian Tyacke were there even before the league got going. In fact, as Samuli Harala writes in a report on the Adler web site, without the pair of passionate boxla promoters the league wouldn’t exist.

But now it does, with four teams taking part last Saturday, May 4 in Turku in the first of three one-day tournaments that will comprise the regular season. The finale will be held in June, just before the field lacrosse season kicks off. Harala reports that local hockey and floorball (I don’t know either–presumably it’s a Euro thing) players are keen to give the game a go, suggesting a bright future for box lacrosse in Finland.

Behind the Scenes, Edmonton Rush, National Lacrosse League

Rush sign GM/Head Coach Derek Keenan to two-year contract

The Edmonton Rush announced today that General Manager and Head Coach Derek Keenan signed a two year agreement.  Keenan enters his fifth year as General Manager and Head Coach for the team .

“We have full confidence in the direction Derek Keenan is taking this team, this past season was another strong campaign that provided a good look into the exciting potential of the club”  states Owner and Governor Bruce Urban.

“Keenan is the finest coach in pro lacrosse at pre game preparation for his players,  if this team executes the game plan night in and night out,  get ready for some winning seasons.” READ MORE »

Behind the Scenes, Minnesota Swarm, National Lacrosse League, The Buzz

Video: Concert to Roller Girls to Swarm in just over 2 minutes

Who doesn’t love a good changeover time-lapse video? Here’s a fun one from Minnesota, where we see the XCel Energy Center go from a concert to the Roller Girls layout to the Hive, ready for the Swarm to take the floor. Particularly apt in this case since the workers really do resemble a swarm buzzing rapidly about.

Behind the Scenes, Buffalo Bandits, MSL, National Lacrosse League, Peterborough Lakers, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B, The Life

Kyle Clancy returns to lacrosse from neck injury, playing with Norwood James Gang

Kyle Clancy (second from left) with his Peterborough Lakers rookie of the year award in 2010.

Three years ago, Kyle Clancy scored 21 points in 6 games in his rookie year with the Buffalo Bandits. That summer he was the Peterborough Lakers rookie of the year and third leading scorer and he won a Mann Cup with the team.

Two years ago, Clancy stepped in when John Tavares was unable to start a game in the National Lacrosse League playoffs and scored 4 goals and an assist. He followed that up with a solid and reasonably productive summer with the Lakers, notching 13 goals and 23 assists in 16 games.

Last year, he was out of lacrosse with a chipped vertebrae in his neck after rolling his vehicle in bad weather. So getting back on a lacrosse floor is a big step for Clancy, and he’s enjoying his return to the game. For now, that is happening with the Norwood James Gang of the Ontario Senior B league. He has scored 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points, helping the James Gang to a perfect 3-0 start to their season. READ MORE »

Behind the Scenes, Minnesota Swarm, National Lacrosse League

Video: Josh Gillam on Showtime at the Downtowner

Ah, Showtime at the Downtowner. Once again we are treated to the dulcet tones of Callum Crawford as he hosts the final episode this season of his fireside chats. This time his guest is Josh Gillam, once again a late-season addition to the Swarm lineup after his winter playing hockey in Germany. Watch to find out Gillam’s answer to the critical lacrosse or hockey question and see the twists and turns of Crawford’s and Gillam’s on-again off-again friendship.

Behind the Scenes, Calgary Roughnecks, Minnesota Swarm, National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks, Washington Stealth

Handling the Pressure

Elite athletes perform at their best under moderate activation levels. For a big game it is more likely that a player is over aroused or too excited. In reaction to a stressful or life threatening event, our bodies produce epinephrine (a.k.a. adrenaline) to help us fight or flee. This is called the stress response. This can be helpful if you are jumped on the street, but if you are trying to win a playoff game, the adrenaline can work against you. When athletes are too fired up bad things often happen. It can cause one to be overaggressive and commit unnecessary penalties. It can interfere with the fine motor functioning needed to score goals. And last but not least it can affect our brain and interfere with decision-making. This is true for coaches as well. READ MORE »

Behind the Scenes, National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks, Washington Stealth

Boxla Beat: Kyle Sorensen and Matt Vinc

They say defence wins championships. Well, with this weekend’s National Lacrosse League championship game fast approaching, I’m joined on Boxla Beat by two of the practitioners of the fine art of defence in the game, albeit at different positions. Kyle Sorensen is the captain of the Washington Stealth and has been a leader wherever he plays. He’s also one of the best defenders in the game, combining athleticism and skill with an almost preternatural sense of what is going to happen next. A little further back from the defensive players you’ll find the man who was just named the best goalie in the NLL for the third time. Matt Vinc was the MVP of Canada’s gold medal win at the 2011 world championships and could easily have earned the same honour in last year’s Knighthawks’ title victory. He’s also insightful about the game and makes for a great guest, as does Sorensen. Enjoy both conversations brought to you by Marianne Beacon Bowen therapy and J&M Automotive.