IL Indoor

IL Indoor, National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks

Dawson brothers Dan and Paul celebrate their first National Lacrosse League title

Paul, left, and Dan, right, Dawson celebrate their first NLL title with their father, Joe, on hand. (Photo: Ward Laforme Jr.)

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.”

IL Indoor, National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks

Video: Knighthawks celebrate Cup

In case you missed it, here it is again. And if you’re a Rochester Knighthawks fan and didn’t miss it, maybe you want to see it again. It’s the Rochester Knighthawks accepting the National Lacrosse League’s Champion’s Cup for the second straight season.

IL Indoor, National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks, Washington Stealth

NLL Champion’s Cup: What they’re saying

NLL boss George Daniel, left, presented Rochester's Cody Jamieson with his second straight Champion's Cup MVP award after Saturday night's game. (Photo: Ward Laforme Jr.)

The ILIndoor message board is humming with activity, not unlike Saturday’s National Lacrosse League championship. OK, so maybe it’s not THAT intense in the world of cyber, but the Rochester Knighthawks’ 11-10 win over the Washington Stealth on Saturday night delivered plenty to talk about. And while fans are trading thoughts on the game, players from both sides had plenty to say afterward, both celebratory and remorseful. Let’s take a look at some of the memorable quotes from players and coaches. READ MORE »

National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks, Washington Stealth

Rochester Knighthawks win back to back National Lacrosse League championships

The Rochester Knighthawks enjoy the fruits of their labour, the 2013 NLL Champions Cup title. (Photo: Ward LaForme, Jr.)

It was the first Champions Cup win for two stellar veterans and the second straight MVP performance for one young Knighthawk who has already established himself as one of the best in the business. Dan Dawson and Scott Self finally got to taste a National Lacrosse League championship and Cody Jamieson scored a hat trick and a pair of assists as the Rochester Knighthawks held on for an 11-10 win in a thrilling title game at the Langley Events Centre before a sold-out crowd of over 5,200.

It was deja vu all over again for the Stealth, who saw Tyler Richards bar the door in the second half, allowing only one goal after the intermission. Just like in 2011 against the Toronto Rock, that was one goal too many as the Stealth couldn’t quite get the equalizer despite several chances late in the game, all of which were turned aside by Matt Vinc in the Rochester net. READ MORE »

IL Indoor, National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks, Washington Stealth

NLL Champion’s Cup Live Blog: Rochester defends title with 11-10 win over Stealth

Final score is 11-10. Shots even at 49-49. It was a great game, and thanks for following the action here on IL Indoor. Congratulations to the Knighthawks and their fans for the big win.

Matt Vinc makes the save and the Rochester Knighthawks are the 2013 National Lacrosse League champions!

Scott Self brings the ball out and is double teamed by two Stealth defenders. The Stealth get the ball back, kick it out to Ratcliff for a desperate shot!

Timeout Knighthawks. 14.6 remaining. With possession, barring some miracle, the Knighthawks should secure the win and complete the rare back-to-back championship. READ MORE »

National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks, Washington Stealth

Knighthawks have found their groove, Stealth taking location shift in stride

It all comes down to one game as Rhys Duch and the Stealth take on Matt Vinc and the Knighthawks for the Champions Cup tonight. (Photo: Richard Olson)

It’s championship day in the National Lacrosse League and the two Champions Cup contenders are in some ways a study in contrasts. The Rochester Knighthawks came into the season as defending champs and were a popular pick to repeat thanks to their defence and goaltending, and thanks to an offence that featured a mix of talented youngsters and savvy vets, including the addition of the great Casey Powell and Dan Dawson. Well, the former is gone to Colorado but the latter is front and centre in Rochester’s pursuit of a title after what yet another veteran righty forward, Mike Accursi, aptly called a roller coaster ride of a season in a championship game preview on the Hawks’ web site.

While Rochester started the season with high expectations that weren’t fulfilled until the playoffs, the Stealth came into 2013 as the only team to have missed the playoffs last year and full of question marks with an infusion of rookies but started the season with a bang. They won the NLL season opener against Rochester and went 3-1 in the first quarter, then never really looked back en route to a three-way tie for first in the West and a playoff run that has them in their third title tilt in four years. READ MORE »

IL Indoor, National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks, Staff Pick 'Em, Washington Stealth

NLL Champion’s Cup Staff Picks

The Rochester Knighthawks travel west to defend their title against the Washington Stealth (Photo: Richard Olson)

The 2013 National Lacrosse League season is going to end just as it started – the Rochester Knighthawks will travel west to take on the Washington Stealth.

The Knighthawks and Stealth both finished the year second in their respective divisions.  League wide, the Stealth is the third seed while the Knighthawks are fifth.  Rochester and Washington have met twice this season; each team winning on their home turf.  Washington took the first – and the only game in week one – 13-12. In week five, Rochester won 7-6 in this season’s lowest-scoring game. READ MORE »

IL Indoor, Inside Lacrosse, National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks, The Ballers, The Buzz, The Life, Washington Stealth

It’s the Champion’s Cup edition of the Off the Crossebar Podcast

We’re a few hours away from crowning a 2013 Champion’s Cup winner and it couldn’t be any closer of a matchup between the Rochester Knighthawks and the Washington Stealth. It’s a rare full circle meeting as these two teams squared off in the season opener (a 13-12 win for the Stealth) and will now cap one of the best National Lacrosse League seasons in recent memory.

This week on the Off the Crossebar Podcast , we talked to the two head coaches who will be dueling in the mental chess match in hopes of doing all the right things in leading their team to the holy grail of professional lacrosse. Mike Hasen is looking for his second league title in as many years while Chris Hall is looking to add his third championship as the Stealth make their third trip in four years. Both men are incredible lacrosse minds and are very focused on the task at hand but both are quick to tip their hats to the other team on their successes. READ MORE »

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 »

Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Edmonton Rush, IL Indoor, National Lacrosse League, Rochester Knighthawks, Toronto Rock, Washington Stealth

IL Indoor Awards: Shawn Evans is named Offensive Player of the Year

Shawn Evans (left) is the unanimous winner of IL Indoor's Offensive Player of the Year. (Photo: Brad Watson)

It’s hard to reach unanimity when you have 10 people voting for awards based on largely subjective criteria. But unanimity is just what IL Indoor’s staffers wound up with when it came to the voting on the National Lacrosse League’s Offensive Player of the Year. Shawn Evans just had that good of a season and that big of an impact.

His 112 points was the fifth-most in NLL history. His 80 assists is one of the all-time great set-up seasons as well.Evans is so impressive because he is so difficult to stop. He’s small, but it’s nearly impossible to pound him out of his game with big defenders; he’ll just hit somebody in the mesh with a flip pass as you’re knocking him to the ground. If you leave him room to shoot, he’ll bury a bounce shot or rip a low to high under the cross-bar. Let him come out from behind the net and he has the best spinning release in the game. READ MORE »