Hard to believe a National Lacrosse League season has come and gone. But if you’re a Rochester Knighthawks fan, you have few complaints. And just in case you’ve already got the shakes of withdrawal, here’s a video highlight package of Rochester’s 11-10 win over Washington in the 2013 Champion’s Cup game.
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 »
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 »
In the course of voting for postseason awards, there are some National Lacrosse League decisions that are difficult and some that are not difficult. This year, the vote for Goalie of the Year was one of those decisions that was not difficult. Not at all. On the surface, there were maybe 3 or 4 very deserving candidates for this award, voted on by 10 of our ILIndoor staffers. But when it got right down to it, there really were just 1 or 2. And considering the voting was done before the playoffs, the emergence of Matt Vinc in the top spot justified the votes for 8 of us, who gave Vinc a first-place vote. But it’s hardly an indictment of the 2 who didn’t, because those 2 votes went to Washington’s Tyler Richards and since both of those goalies helped guide their team into this year’s Champion’s Cup, it was tough to argue anyone was wrong with their first ballot. READ MORE »
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 »
Every National Lacrosse League team has them. Guys who contribute in lots of little ways that largely escape notice. We at IL Indoor can be just as guilty of overlooking the unsung heroes as anyone. But who doesn’t love the underdog? The player who isn’t the big scoring star or the stud defender getting the attention. The guy who does his job quietly and effectively and helps his team win without needing a ton of external recognition. Today is the day when the Unsung Heroes take centre stage as we award the IL Indoor Unsung Hero of the Year award. Proof that there are plenty of them around is evident in the fact that 21 players received votes, including 8 garnering first-place accolades.
And at the top of the pile is the unassuming sniper of the Toronto Rock, Kasey Beirnes. The 32-year-old righty has 10 20-goal and three 30-goal seasons in his 11 full NLL seasons. That kind of consistency can often go unnoticed, especially when you spend your career playing with luminaries like Colin Doyle, Josh Sanderson and Garrett Billings. But talk to members of the Rock–both players and coaches–and they’ll tell you how important are the contributions of Beirnes to the team’s success. READ MORE »
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
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 »
Dan and Paul Dawson are brothers. They’re Rochester Knighthawks. And for the first time, they’re National Lacrosse League champions. Both arrived via trade before the season and Dan admits his start was slow. But it wasn’t a physical thing, it was a mindset more than anything. “It was tough at the start,” Dan told InsideHalton.com. “I was a little laid back at the beginning. They were the defending champions so I thought I would try to fit in where they need me. But that’s not me. I was too passive and it hurt the team.” Dan had just 1 goal and 9 assists in the first month before he took a more assertive role before turning it up a notch and finishing the season with 75 points — and his first NLL title. Paul did his work as a defenseman but got in on the act up top when he scored the winning goal against Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs. “The stars aligned for me,” he said. “Playing my former team — I don’t put that many balls in the net but I had a chance and I made the most of it. It’s nice to contribute at that end as well because as a D guy, you don’t get noticed much out there.”
Geoff Snider used to be known as the National Lacrosse League’s best faceoff man and one of its best fighters. He’s still the former, but despite leading the league in penalty minutes this year, he only fought twice in 2013. Coincidentally, that is now also the same number of times in a row he’s been named IL Indoor’s Transition Player of the Year after earning the award in a close vote over Jesse Gamble of the Toronto Rock. Snider received five first-place votes to three for Gamble in a contest between contrasting styles (the other first-place votes went one each to Brodie Merrill and Jordan MacIntosh). READ MORE »
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
Inside Lacrosse TSN News Feed NLL.comIL Indoor is proudly powered by WordPress Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). Theme by Bob, social icons from Komodo Media.
an ePlayer affiliate site
© 2012 American City Business Journals. All rights reserved. Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 3/14/12) and Privacy Policy (updated 3/14/12).
Your California Privacy Rights.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of American City Business Journals.
