Polar Bear Edition

While much of the north east has been blanketed in cold weather of late, lacrosse season has slowly come to life with a couple of important early season games already in the books. These include Delaware’s upset win over Bucknell and Detroit’s win over Michigan in its inaugural game in Division I. Duke’s Coach Danowski also picked up his 300th career win this week. The women’s schedule is still barely underway but on the men’s side of the ledger, players like Schuss, Houtby, Matisz, Buchanan, Magnan, Leung, Jackson and Keane are showing terrific early season form.  Here’s my recap of the week that was in NCAA lacrosse.

Delaware upsets Bucknell while Ohio State is off to a great start

No.19 Delaware followed up its win over Detroit with an 11 to 10 overtime win over No. 12 Bucknell. Dan Keane (Elora) had a hat trick including the game winner for the Blue Hens. Ohio State has started the season strong with two convincing wins this week. In the first, an 11 to 6 win over Detroit, Logun Schuss (Delta) scored 4 goals and added 2 assists while grabbing 5 GB’s while Jesse King (Victoria) and Brock Sorenson (Peterborough) also added hat tricks each. A few days later, the Buckeyes downed Mercer 15 to 8 with Sorenson scoring a hat trick, Schuss a goal and an assist and Reegan Comeault (Pitt Meadows) adding a pair. Robert Morris won a close one over Bellarmine 9 to 8 with Kyle Matisz (Stoney Creek) scoring 3 goals, 2 assists and grabbing 3 GB’s and a CT in the victory. Rookie Luc Magnan (Pine Falls) grabbed 4 GB’s and Jake Hayes (Calgary) had a hat trick while Kyle Buchanan (Nepean) had a goal, 2 assists and 5 GB’s. Karsen Leung (Victoria) led Bellarmine with 3 goals and an assist, 2 GB’s and a CT. Cameron Mann (Hamilton) picked up 3 goals and an assist in Jacksonville’s 12-10 loss to Towson.

What’s going on in Division II men’s lacrosse this year?

Division II lacrosse had a few lopsided wins to start the year but in this edition of “Canadians in the NCAA” we are going to focus on the year ahead. This means we will look at either “teams to watch” with a decidedly Canadian flavor or individual players that should have a high impact in 2012.  Here are five teams we think look particularly interesting in the season ahead.

Limestone – Enters the year ranked #3 in the USILA Coaches Poll and this team is loaded with guys that can score including Shayne Jackson (Bowmanville), Riley Loewen (Burnaby), Jeremy Serraglio (Coquitlam) and Tyler Baker (Peterborough). These four scored a combined 128 goals in 2011. 

Pfeiffer – Pfeiffer starts the year ranked 10^th in the USILA poll. There are 10 Canadians on the Pfeiffer team this year and while many are young, players like James Sheppard (St John), Robert Hope (Peterborough) and Tom Buckley (Edmonton) all put up big numbers in 2011 and should be even stronger this year. However, Pfeiffer also has four freshmen from up north and thus this team is one to watch not just for 2012 but how it evolves into 2013 and 2014.  

Mercyhurst – Given its proximity to the Can/US border, Mercyhurst has always had a significant Canadian connection and 2012 is no different. The defending NCAA Div II champs and pre-season #1 ranked team in Division II lacrosse welcome back Kyle Kallay (Orangeville) who scored 35 goals last year along with Brady Heseltine (Elora) and Zac Reid (St Catharines), both of whom should see more field time this year. Rookies Eric Wales (Burlington) and Ryan McCrory (Whitby) could become impact players as the season progresses.

Lindenwood – New to Division II this year, Lindenwood has nine Canadians on its roster. Jordan McKay (Winnipeg) should lead the team in scoring in 2012 while Sophomore Carter McCracken (Lakefield) will be busy playing midfield and some attack on man-up situations. Two new faces in the Lindenwood roster this year include Graeme Hossack (Port Perry), a freshman who will start at LSM and Joe Roy (West Whitby), a 6”8” medical red shirt freshman who will start at attack.

Lake Erie – Has two strong Canadian returnees in Keegan Bal (Coquitlam) and Trevor Tarte (Amherstburg) and three rookies coming in from Western Canada including Reagan Harding (Saskatoon), MacGregor Johnston (Nanaimo) and Adam Bakular-Evans (Courtenay). Lake Erie Coach Greg Stocks is a Mercyhurst Alum and hails from Nanaimo and is quietly building a quality program in Painesville, Ohio. This program and coach is worth keeping an eye on. 

Players to watch in Men’s Division II action in 2012

Shayne Jackson – The only player in Division II to be nominated for the Tewaaraton last year was Shayne Jackson. Jackson is a great part of Limestone’s offensive chemistry because he is a superb set-up man. Jackson can score if he has too but he might be the best passer in Division II lacrosse and a great compliment to all the off-ball finishers at Limestone.

Chris Cudmore – Cudmore (Whitby) is an excellent LSM and perennial all-star. Mars Hill has seen a number of its stars graduate this past year but with Cudmore controlling the middle, Mars Hill won’t slip that far and might even surprise a few pundits.

Mike Melnychenko – Melnychenko (St Catharines) scored 50 goals as a rookie and should be a horse for Chestnut Hill this year. That said, he won’t sneak up on anyone this year and will receive a lot of attention from top defenders.

Riley Loewen – Scored 54 goals last year and will probably exceed that number in 2012. Unlike some teams with only one goal scorer, Loewen is the best sharpshooter on a team that is loaded with talent and as such, Loewen will be left alone on the off-ball side from time to time. This means he’s going to have another big year.

Jordan McKay – Is Lindenwood’s top gun and should lead the team in scoring again this year. McKay scored 36 goals last year in 17 games and while the competition will be tougher this year, McKay is a year stronger and smarter.

The number of Canadian women playing Division II lacrosse is up 90% this year

The number of Canadian women jumps from 10 in 2011 to 19 in 2012 which is a 90% increase. The addition of Catawba and Lindenwood to Division II lacrosse helps the numbers but regardless, the growth in the number of women playing lacrosse in the NCAA is a big story. Looking into 2012, there are several players and teams that will be of interest

Limestone – Like the men, Limestone is ranked #3 in the preseason polls. Sarah Oor (Uxbridge) is a big part of the team’s success having scored 25 goals and 29 assists last year in helping lead Limestone to a . Samantha Cock (Terra Cotta) should see more action.

Lindenwood – There are four Canadians playing for Lindenwood and this team could surprise in its debut in Division II. Justine Groothuis (Kitchener) is the star here while rookies Lindsey Palmer (Whitby), Jordyn Constance (Calgary) and Meghan Chase (Sherwood Park) will all vie for playing time.

Catawba – Also new to Division II lacrosse, Catawba has three Canadians on their roster that know how to play the game. Catawba’s schedule is tough but Kim McConnery (Welland), Juliana Conte (Hampton) and Jessica Leroux (Ajax) can handle it. Season one – bring it on!

Players to watch In Division II Women’s Lacrosse

Sarah Oor – Is the best Canadian player in Division II lacrosse and should follow up her strong rookie season with another big year in 2012.

Jill Dixon – Dixon (Fenwick) had a good season last year with Notre Dame of Ohio scoring 8 goals and 7 assists in 14 games. Expect those numbers to go up in 2012.

Justine Groothuis – Is the top scorer with Lindenwood and could be one of the top scorers in Div II lacrosse this year. Sadly, Groothuis is a senior so we are probably only going to have one season to watch her play.

Games upcoming

There is not a lot of lacrosse going on close to the Canada/US border this weekend. Best bet is to head to Syracuse where they are playing a double header. In the first game, Syracuse hosts Albany at 2PM and then at 5PM Siena plays Hobart.

Final thoughts

While most of Canada’s top lacrosse players come from Southern Ontario and the BC Lower Mainland, top caliber players do from time to time emerge in other parts of Canada. Those of you who have carefully read the preceding text closely will note two players from Manitoba who have had and will continue to have a significant impact on their team’s success in 2012. They are of course Robert Morris’ Luc Magnan who is a beast of a talent and who is starting in Division I on defense and Jordan McKay who will almost certainly lead Lindenwood in scoring this year. And they of course are not alone. Alberta and Saskatchewan are already loaded with field lacrosse talent while the sport is growing by leaps and bounds in Quebec and Nova Scotia.  Nice to see Canada’s national sport go national!

Yours in lacrosse – JP Donville

Here we go for another year!

It is once again that magical time of the year and that of course means it is lacrosse season. While lacrosse is played all year round in different jurisdictions, it will always be a spring sport to me and spring is just around the corner. And of course, for those of us who just can’t wait until spring has arrived there will always be those teams that for a variety of reasons start their season early.  As in past years, the first edition of “Canadians in the NCAA” focuses on Division I. In this respect there has only been one game played on the men’s side and two on women’s but even with this limited schedule players like Keane, Adams, Diachenko, Matthews and Masterton are already making their marks. So here we go for another year!  

Shillinglaw wins his 300^th!

Before we talk about the one game that was played this week in men’s Division I play between Delaware and Detroit, let’s first congratulate Delaware Coach Bob Shillinglaw on achieving his 300^th career win on Saturday.  Shillinglaw has won a number of accolades over the years including two “Coach of the Year” honors and has played an important role in the development of some of Canada’s finest lacrosse players including John Grant Jr, Jordan Hall and Curtis Dickson.  Hall describes Coach Shillinglaw as “a dedicated coach who loves lacrosse and cares about his players”. Congrats coach, from all your friends up north!

As for the game, # 19 ranked Delaware defeated Detroit 19 to 6 although it is worth noting that the game was tied at halftime. For Delaware, Dan Keane (Elora) had a good start to the year with 4 goals while Nick Diachenko (Courtice) had a goal and an assist.  Replying for Detroit, Shayne Adams (St Catharines) led the team in scoring with 3 goals while Joel Matthews (St Catharines) had a goal and an assist, Tom Masterson (London) had a pair of helpers and Jordan Houtby (St Catharines) snagged 5 GB’s and 4 CT’s.

Players, coaches and teams to watch in 2012

Every season starts with a number of themes but in this blog we try to focus on themes that are of specific interest to Canadians. The first area of interest is teams that employ a large number of Canadians in their offence and/or box lacrosse influences in their schemes. For those who love the Canadian flavor of the game, here are a few teams to watch in 2012.

Denver – The Mark Matthews (Oshawa) show, with supporting artists Cam Flint (Georgetown) and Jeremy Noble (Orangeville) is playing at a theater near you. However, this year this group is more mature and will be joined by Canadian box lacrosse phenom Wes Berg (New Westminster). Win or lose, Denver is going to be a lot of fun to watch, and my guess is they are going to win a lot more times than they are going to lose.

Ohio State – The Buckeye’s already have Logun Schuss (Delta) in their line-up but what makes this team really exciting is the addition of a superb rookie trio in Reegan Comeault (Pitt Meadows), Turner Evans (Peterborough) and Jesse King (Victoria). Throw in a tough guy like Brock Sorenson (Peterborough) just to keep these guys grounded and you have the makings of one really exciting lacrosse team. This group is young so 2012 may not be their year, but watch out. The Buckeyes are for real!

Detroit – It’s unlikely that Detroit will win an NCAA championship but the four Canucks on this team bring stick skills, grit, determination and attitude. If the likes of Shayne Adams, Jordan Houtby, Tom Masterson and Joel Matthews can stay healthy than Detroit just might make it into the year-end tournament.

Robert Morris – Yes, there have been a few important stars to graduate but the depth of Canadian sharpshooters on the Colonials is still amazing. Kyle Buchanan (Nepean), Kiel Matisz (Stoney Creek), Jake Hayes (Calgary), Tyler Digby (New Westminster) and Kevin Brownell (Burlington) are all back and will play more this year and Dave Morton (Orangeville) is healthy again.  Freshman Jacob Ruest (Cornwall) is a future star and Matt Worlidge (Burlington) will eventually contend for a starting position when he heals.

St Josephs – They never won a game last year, but they have a new coach and he is from Edmonton.  His name is Taylor Wray and he joins Canisius’ Randy Mearns as only the second Canadian coach in Division I lacrosse. And while Wray doesn’t have any Canadians playing for him right now, he has hired Kevin Crowley as an assistant coach. So imagine this. A guy from Edmonton and a kid from New Westminster take over a winless lacrosse team that is based in coach “friendly” Philadelphia.  Sounds like a movie! Sounds like a movie I would like to watch. Good luck T-Wray and Crow!

Canadian players to watch in Division I in 2012 – The big guns

Every year, players who have had good NCAA seasons really step up and become the poster children for Canadians in the NCAA. Here are a few players you will be hearing a lot about in 2012.

Mark Matthews/Denver – Matthews scored 46 goals as a junior and is expected to lead Denver back to NCAA Final 4. Matthews is tall enough and strong enough to handle the double team but both he and his supporting cast are older and stronger than they were last year. It’s going to be fun watching Matthews and Company light it up.

Jason Noble/Cornell – Brodie Merrill set the standard for Canadian LSM’s and it is only fitting that one of his students would come along and be the next standard bearer. A great leader in the dressing room, his quiet demeanor understates his intensity. His 4:40 sprint times combined with great vision and hands tell you in part why he is so good.

Jordan Houtby/Detroit – He doesn’t get the attention he deserves but Houtby is legit. As the starting LSM on Detroit he controls a lot more of the flow and possession than many people realize. Houtby is a superb transition player and might be the most under-rated Canadian in Division I lacrosse.

Jeremy Noble/Denver – The twin brother of Jason Noble, Jeremy is the perfect midfield compliment to Mark Matthews and Cam Flint. Like his brother, he is fast and intense although a tad bit noisier than the other twin we are told. Interestingly, Cornell will play Denver on the 20^th of March and we will see these two brothers play against each other for the first time ever.   

Cameron Mann/Jacksonville – Cameron Mann is a superbly skilled player but what all of his coaches and team mates rave about is his character. That said, Mann scored 37 points last year while grabbing 45 GB’s and 9 CT’s so he obviously has a very complete game. If the Dolphins have a great year, Mann will be a big part of the story-line. 

Canadian rookies to watch in Division I in 2012

Predicting which rookies will have the biggest impact each year is tricky because a lot depends on the strength of the program they are joining. That said here are my picks for five rookies worth keeping an eye on.

Reilly O’Connor/Georgetown – Reilly O’Connor (Brooklin) has great hands, great touch and excellent decision making abilities around the cage. O’Connor might be the best offensive threat coming out of the Canadian rookie class in 2012 and that’s high praise given the depth of the scoring touch in this class.

Wes Berg/Denver – Superb stick skills and athleticism, Berg is probably the best 19 year old box lacrosse player in Canada. The only question is how quickly he can pick up the nuances of the field game. The rumors out of Denver are that he is a learning really quickly. 

Reegan Comeault/Turner Evans/Jesse King/Ohio State – Remember Crowley and McBride at Stony Brook? This is kind of what it feels like is going on in Columbus. Three superb rookies to go along with Logun Schuss. Hard to say how long it’s going to take for the chemistry to kick in, but it will.

Dan Taylor/Lehigh – Dan Taylor (Calgary) is big, strong and athletic and can shoot. Reminds many of Carter Bender. Taylor needs to learn the field game but will eventually become a high impact player.

Canadian Women in Division I in 2012

One of the interesting stories in Canadian lacrosse in 2012 is the jump in the number of woman in Division I lacrosse, which leapt from 16 in 2011 to 22 this year. While the raw numbers still lag the men it should be noted that this is a 37% increase and 11 of the 22 women are freshman suggesting that the number of Canadian women playing Division I lacrosse is about to grow quickly to the 40-50 player level. If that trend holds up than that is terrific news for Canadian lacrosse. At the same time, the number of men playing Division I lacrosse is down slightly and the men’s freshman class in particular is down sharply.

 Players and teams to watch in 2012

I will be the first to admit that I don’t know as much about the women’s game as I do about the men, but I am a fan of their game nonetheless and committed to covering it. Like the men, the first areas of interest for fans are those teams that employ a large number of Canadians in their offences. For those who love the Canadian flavor of the game, here are a few teams to watch and a few comments on their high impact players. 

Detroit – Head coach Laura Maness will be installing a new offence this year and the three Canadian’s on her roster are likely to play a prominent role. Emily Boissonneault (Brooklin) had a superb 2011 season scoring 63 goals in 18 games and has been named the team captain for 2012. She will be supported by Corina Mahorn (Whitby) and Erin Campbell (Orangeville) who are also gifted offensive players. All three have the potential to lift Detroit to some unexpected wins in 2012.

Canisius – Canisius is coming off its most successful season in school history that saw it win the MAAC Championship. Several Canadians played key roles in last year’s Championship run including returnees Megan Oosting (Lakefield) who scored 52 goals last year and Carly Quinn (Orangeville) who scored 43 goals along with 22 assists. In 2012, the Griffs welcome talented rookies Taylor Smith (Ashburn) on defense and midfielder Tori Quinn (Orangeville).

Virginia Tech – The Hokies are coming off their winingest season in 12 years and what makes this team interesting to watch is the fact that they have snagged two of Canada’s best up and coming lacrosse players in Taylor Landry (Whitby) and Jacqueline Boissonneault (Brooklin).

Canadian rookies to watch in Division I in 2012

Taylor Landry/Virginia Tech – The 2012 women’s rookie class is the strongest that Canada has ever delivered to the NCAA with 11 freshmen joining the ranks of Division I lacrosse. Of this group, Taylor Landry is by far the highest impact Canadian. Landry led Team Canada in scoring at the 2011 FIL World Championships with 22 goals and 7 assists in 8 games and was voted to the tournament all-star team. Landry could crack the Virginia Tech line-up as a freshman defender but has the potential to become a dominant two-way midfielder.

Katie Donohoe/Monmouth – Donohoe (Peterborough) was also voted to the 2011 All World All-star Team and played an important role in Canada’s bronze medal performance. Hard to say whether she will start but if she does, she has the potential to steal games.

Jordan Lyons/UMBC – Lyons (Peterborough) has speed and power and can play both attack and midfield. Lyons was third in team scoring at the Worlds with 15 goals and 4 assists in 8 games and should become a top rookie in her first year at UMBC.

Games upcoming

Not many games being played close to the Canadian border this week but there is one that is really important. On Sunday, Michigan plays its first Division I game against Detroit at 1PM and it should be a great game. The other game worth checking out is Bryant at Colgate on Saturday at 1PM. 

Final thoughts

If you ever watched Kanatiio Adams play lacrosse than at some point during the game you would turn to the person beside you and with a huge smile on your face say “did you see that?” And the person beside you would be laughing and he would be shaking his head and he would say something like “amazing”. That’s how precious Kanatiio Adams was, that’s how good he was at playing the game of lacrosse.

Kanattio Adams passed away on the 2^nd of January, 2012. Some called him son, others brother, some called him roommate, team mate or friend, most just called him Tiio. He wasn’t just a good lacrosse player, he was superb and he undoubtedly would have been the starting LSM for Team Iroquois at the upcoming World U19 Championships in Finland. He was also an outstanding student athlete, on his way to one of the best and most academically challenging universities in the world (Cornell) on a full ride nonetheless. And he was funny too, a real practical joker with a smile that was all about joy and friendliness.

Words can only say so much at times like this. His uncle wrote a poem at the time of Tiio’s funeral and in it he said “that there’s a hole in our heart the shape of you”. That comes pretty close. So does the word “amazing”. Rest well Tiio.

Yours in lacrosse – JP Donville

Once again the draft will be webcast live by www.GRUMPmedia.com.  Jake Elliott and Teddy Jenner will be there to discuss all of the picks as they occur. To follow the draft live, check out www.theboxrocks.com for the links.

(Rochester, February 4)… The Rochester Knighthawks rallied from three goals down multiple times to defeat the Minnesota Swarm 16-14 Saturday night at The Blue Cross Arena. With the victory, Rochester improves to 2-3 on the season, while Minnesota falls to 1-2 overall with the loss.

Rochester was led by a nine-point night by Cody Jamieson (3+6) and a seven-point effort by Mike Accursi (2+5). Johnny Powless also had two goals and two assists, while Cory Vitarelli added six points (3+3). Minnesota was led by Ryan Benesch who had four goals and three assists. Jamie Shewchuk (2+4) and Jordan MacIntosh (3+1) also had solid games for the Swarm.

Minnesota started the scoring early with a goal from Benesch just over two minutes into the game. Keogh was quick to answer for the Knighthawks though, scoring less than a minute later to even the score at 1-1. The teams then went back and forth until Callum Crawford’s goal pushed the Swarm in front by two goals at 4-2. Mike Accursi was able to cut the deficit in half for Rochester with just over a minute remaining in the first, and Minnesota led 4-3 after one.

Powless got the second period started with a bang for Rochester, as his beautiful over-the-shoulder shot pulled the Knighthawks even at 4-4. The two teams then exchanged two goal rallies, first by MacIntosh and Corbyn Tao of the Swarm, followed by Travis Hill and Jamison of Rochester. With the score tied at 6-6, the Swarm used a three-goal rally to close the period, and took a 9-6 lead into the locker room.

Rochester started the second half with a two goal rally from Vitarelli and Powless that pulled them within a single goal. Minnesota quickly answered with goals from Benesch and Jay Card that pushed their lead back to 11-8. However, Rochester would not be denied and closed the half with three straight goals to pull even as the game went to the final period. Davis, Keogh and Jamieson scored in that rally.

Just over a minute into the fourth quarter, Vitarelli scored his third goal of the evening on a power play, and gave the Knighthawks their first lead of the game. Minnesota responded with two goals over a 26 second stretch to reclaim the lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. From there it was all Knighthawks, as Rochester scored four of the last five goals, and overcame a rough start to notch its second win of the season.

Rochester is next in action when they travel to Minnesota for Knighthawks vs. Swarm part-two next Sunday, February 12th at 3:00 p.m. The Knighthawks next home game will be Saturday, February 18th at 7:30 p.m. when they take on the Washington Stealth.

Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary lacrosse fans (7,460) were taken on a rollercoaster ride of a game Saturday night. Unfortunately, their local heroes met defeat in overtime for the second straight week.

Calgary entered the match-up looking to recover from a loss in their home opener last week and take advantage of a Rock team that played the night before. Toronto had hopes of avenging a loss to Calgary back on January 8. This is the final time these teams meet this season.

The Roughnecks scored on their first shot of the game. Curtis Dickson blasted one from the point that beat Rock goalie Pat Campbell. Dane Dobbie made it 2-0 for the hosts three minutes later by completing a give ’n’ go down the middle. Then, it got exciting.

Off the draw, Calgary face-off specialist, Geoff Snider, carried the ball deep into Toronto’s zone. Snider managed to keep control of the ball behind the net while fighting off two defenders. He lost the ball when he was struck in the head, but no penalty was called. A scrum ensued and Campbell charged out of his crease, starting a fight with Snider. Snider quickly removed Campbell’s helmet and shoulder pads and let the fists fly. The fight ended once Snider slipped on the downed goalie equipment. Both received five for fighting and Campbell received an additional two minutes for instigator and a game misconduct.

Toronto soon tied the game (2-2) by mid-quarter with goals by Josh Sanderson and Garrett Billings. The teams were tied 3-3 by the end of the first.

The second quarter was a mirror image of the first. The Rock built a two goal lead and chased Calgary starter Mike Poulin from the net. This made way for Nick Rose to make his first appearance in net for the Riggers. Calgary quickly fought back to tie the game 5-5. The teams finished the half tied 6-6.

The opening thirty minutes was very entertaining with good tempo and high intensity from both teams.

Calgary regained their two goal lead (9-7) at 5:06 of the third on a shot by Peter McFetridge through the 5-hole of Matt Roik. Again, Toronto fought back and looked to take the lead 11-10 as Stephen Leblanc dove across the crease to put one past Rose. The Necks challenged the play and the goal was called back for crease violation. When the Rock did eventually score their 11th, Poulin was recalled to his post in front of the net. The third ended with the teams tied 11-11 and the scoring see-saw continued.

Poulin was solid for almost a full quarter and Calgary was ahead by two once more (13-11). The Riggers tightened up their defence and made it difficult for the Rock to get anything together.

Still ahead by one goal with 1:42 remaining, Calgary managed their time well and maintained possession for over a minute. Toronto gained control of the ball at 34 seconds and quickly called a timeout.

Billings scored the tying goal with 10.4 seconds on the clock. On the play, Poulin attempted to scoop a loose ball up from behind his net, but a Toronto attacker checked his stick and passed it out front.

The Necks engineered one last shot with 5.9 seconds remaining, however Roik was there to meet the challenge.

Cam Woods found the back of the net at 1:05 of the extra quarter. Necks’ forward, Scott Ranger, lost possession of the ball moments after crossing centre, allowing Toronto the opportunity for the game winner.

The Calgary Roughnecks and Toronto Rock find themselves with identical records of 2-2. They are tied for second place in their respective divisions.

Calgary has a bye week, then visits Washington on February 10.
Toronto heads to Philadelphia on February 4.

Other Notes:

Calgary sniper Dane Dobbie left the game in the 2nd quarter and did not return. He had 1 goal and 3 helpers at the time.

Calgary leaders:
Curtis Dickson 3-3, Shawn Evans 2-3, Daryl Veltman /Jeff Shattler 2-2

Toronto leaders:
Joash Sanderson 3-6, Garrett Billings 3-4, Dan Carey 2-0

(Denver, January 28)… The Rochester Knighthawks’ second-half comeback fell just short in Denver tonight, as the Colorado Mammoth earned a 14-11 victory over the K-Hawks at Pepsi Center. The Knighthawks fell to 1-3 after their second straight road loss in two nights.
 
Despite falling behind by five in the first half, Rochester came out determined and scored five out of the first seven goals in the third. The Knighthawks got within 12-11 when Cody Jamieson (2+3) scored at 5:57. However, a power-play goal by Sean Pollock and a breakaway goal by Creighton Reid put the game out of reach. Cory Vitarelli (2+2), Mike Accursi (3+3), Stephen Keogh (2+3), and Jamieson (2+3) led the Knighthawks in points.
 
John Grant Jr. powered the Mammoth with seven points (3+4), while Gavin Prout (1+3), Pollock (3+2), and Jamie Lincoln (3+1) helped Colorado secure the win. The 4-0 start ties the second best start to a season in the team’s 10-year history. The Mammoth record of five was set in 2008.
 
The Mammoth came out firing taking an early 4-1 lead with a goal by Pollock, Adam Jones, Lincoln, and Prout. Keogh decreased the Mammoth’s lead to 4-2, but Colorado’s Grant Jr. scored just 17 seconds later to put Colorado up 5-2. Colorado continued to click on offense in the second quarter, scoring four out of the six goals to make the score at 9-4 Colorado at half.
 
The Knighthawks stormed back and at 7:07 of the third, Accursi brought Rochester within two, giving Colorado a 10-8 lead. Rochester came within two again in the fourth at 12-10 when Accursi posted a hat-trick at 4:51. Jamieson’s follow-up goal made it 12-11, but Colorado tightened its defense in the latter half of the fourth to secure a 13-11 win and keep its undefeated season intact.
 
On Saturday, February 4th, the Knighthawks will host the Minnesota Swarm at 7:30 p.m. The first 3,000 fans will take home a Chris Schiller bobblehead. The Urology Associates of Rochester will hold their annual Men’s Health Night. Fans can bid on special game-worn jerseys on www.gobuyrochester.com.
 
Meet the Knighthawks: Remember Blast Lacrosse, the video game? Well, here is your chance to take on the players in the first NLL video game. Meet Stephen Keogh, former Knighthawk Jake Coon and other K-Hawks legends from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Stock Exchange Restaurant (first floor of the first Federal Plaza at 28 East Main Street).Fans can also enter a raffle to win Knighthawks tickets and prizes. Make sure to also meet the Knightingales. Stop by the “No Limits Lacrosse” Show, which will tape its show from the Stock Exchange. The show will air on Saturday, February 4th at 10:00 a.m. on Sportsradio 950 ESPN and www.sportsradio950espn.com.

The 2011 Minto Cup Champion Whitby Warriors had six graduating players drafted Saturday in the 2012 Major Series Lacrosse draft.  Mark Matthews and John Lafontaine were protected by the Brooklin Redmen prior to the draft (per league rules only 2 Junior affiliated graduating players are permitted to be protected).  Shayne Jackson went 1st overall, and was drafted by the Ajax Rock. With three of the next four picks in the first round, Brooklin drafted Nick Diachenko, Adrian Sorichetti, and goaltender Zack Higgins.  The Redmen also later drafted Steve Fryer, capturing both goaltenders from last season’s thrilling Minto Cup final. Orangeville’s Craig England went 3rd overall to the Rock as well.  Brampton’s Kyle Davis and Bulrington’s Josh Ruys rouned out the 1st round selections going to Ajax and Brooklin respectively.

The first round consisted of seven picks, Brooklin having a pick from the now defunct St. Regis team in a prior trade.  Some wheeling and dealing on draft day, along with trades in previous years allowed Brooklin and Ajax to own the first round. Four of the first seven picks were owned by the Redmen, with the Rock holding the other three.

LITG was there to capture all of the selections and trades and that list can be found here in an earlier post.

League Realingment

Other news for the meeting was a new setup for the league; consisting of two divisions.  There will now be an East and West division.  The East will consist of Peterborough, Ajax, and Brooklin, while the West will hold KW, Brampton, and Six Nations.  The teams will play a 14 game regular season.  A double home and home wil lbe played within the division, with a single home and home being played against teams in the other division.

All Star Game

The league will also play an All-Star Game in 2012.  Fittingly, the great fans in Peterborough will be entertained this coming Summer, seeing the best the MSL has to offer.  The 2011 Lakers will take the floor against the best of the rest of the league.  The game time and date is to be determined.  More info will be forthcoming.

Check out LITG or www.majorserieslacrosse.com for more news.

Brampton trades 2012 3rd, 4th, and 5th round picks to KW for KW’s 2013 2nd round pick.

Brooklin trades MSL rights to Glen Bryan to KW for KW’s 2012 1st round pick and 3rdd round pick in 2014.

Ajax trades their 2nd 2012 4th round pick to Six Nations for a player to be named later or future considerations.

Brooklin trades their 2012 5th round pick to Brampton for Brampton’s 2013 5th round pick.

The 2012 Major Series Lacrosse draft is being held this Saturday January 28 in Whitby, Ontario.  The meeting is slated for 1pm and the draft should be starting around 2pm.  Check here on LITG for live updates from the draft. 

Below is the tentative draft order (could change due to last minute trades). Note in round 1 there are 7 picks, due to a trade between Brooklin and St. Regis (no longer in the league). That trade needs to be honored.   Also included is the list of protected Junior graduates for each team (maximum of two).

By Tom Frank, Lacrosse Inside the Game correspondent
Photos by Marcelo Saguez

Scotiabank Saddledome – Colorado Mammoth captain, Gavin Prout, scored 45 seconds into the extra quarter to keep his team undefeated (3-0) and give them sole-possession of first place in the NLL’s West Division. Calgary dropped to second.

The Riggers’ Shawn Evans was called for tripping 29 seconds into overtime as he attempted to recover a dropped ball. This led to Prout’s opportunity, and game winner, on the ensuing power play.

Scott Ranger had the chance to win the game for Calgary with 2.2 seconds in regulation, but his shot ricocheted off the crossbar into the stands.

Colorado opened the scoring, 47 seconds into the match, as John Grant Jr. found Sean Pollock all alone in front of the net. The teams traded goals before Calgary rattled off 4 straight markers to take a 5-2 lead. The Mammoth scored with just over a minute remaining in the quarter to cut the Riggers lead to two. Grant’s assist on the goal marked his 1,000th point in his 12 year career.

Calgary looked tentative in the opening frame, but gained momentum as time progressed. Shots on goal favoured the Necks 22-10.

The Mammoth tallied three straight goals to start the second quarter as they took advantage of Calgary’s penalty woes and regained the lead 6-5. At 1:20, Kaleb Toth was called for Delay of Game. Twenty seconds later, Dane Dobbie was called for Unsportsmanlike Conduct and the Necks were called for Illegal Substitution. This allowed Grant to score on a penalty shot and Prout potted his first power play marker.

Calgary recovered and battled back to reclaim their two goal lead finishing the half 9-7.

Geoff Snider dominated the face-off circle, winning all 15 draws in the first half.

There was a much faster pace in the second. The Riggers used their possession time effectively and Mike Poulin was sharp in net.

Ball possession went back and forth to start the third frame until Evans found the back of the net at 7:27 on the powerplay. Calgary had a four goal lead at one point 11-7, but Grant grabbed a short-handed goal and Hopcroft scored his second of the game to stay within two of the Necks 11-9.
Curtis Manning scored on a breakaway at 3:03 of the fourth to give Calgary a three goal lead. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hang on and the Mammoth fought back to tie the game on a power play goal by Adam Jones.

With 1:58 remaining, Colorado thought they had scored the go ahead goal, but it was ruled “No Goal” after video review. Peter McFetridge was stopped on his breakaway attempt with one minute left, by former Roughneck goalie, Chris Levis.

The Roughnecks host the Toronto Rock (0-2) next Saturday for their second meeting of the season, while the Mammoth entertain the Rochester Knighthawks (1-1) at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

OTHER NOTES:

Daryl Veltman lead Calgary scorers (3, 3); Shawn Evans (2, 3); Scott Ranger (2,1).

Colorado’s Grant lead all scorers (4, 6); Adam Jones (3, 3); Gavin Prout (2, 4).

John Grant Jr. became the fifth player in the NLL to reach 1,000 points. The milestone came with his assist on Derek Hopcroft’s goal, late in the first quarter.

Other members of the 1,000 point club include – John Tavares, Gary Gait, Colin Doyle and Josh Sanderson.

The Calgary Roughnecks and Edmonton Rush have reached an agreement with Sportsnet to televise all four of their head-to-head match-ups this season.

The dates are:
Sat. Feb 18 7pm MT SN (West /Pacific)
Fri. Mar 9 9pm ET SN One
Sat. Mar 10 7pm MT SN (West /Pacific)
Sat. Apr 21 9pm ET SN One

For more pics from last nights game, check out the LITG Facebook Page – http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lacrosse-Inside-The-Game/205095451553

(Philadelphia, January 14)… The Rochester Knighthawks used one of the best offensive efforts in their 18-year history tonight in a 22-12 victory over the Philadelphia Wings. Jordan Hall tied his career-high with nine points in a game that also featured over 200 penalty minutes. It was a milestone night for a handful of Rochester players, as three Knightawks had nine-point nights. 

Hall scored twice and added seven assists, while Cody Jamieson set career bests in assists (five) and points (nine). Mike Accursi joined the nine-point club with a three-goal, six-assist night. Cory Vitarelli scored a career-high five goals in a six-point effort. Meanwhile, Travis Hill got into the goal-scoring column with a career-high two goals. The 22-goal effort was just two goals short of tying the team record of 24 set in 2002.

The battle of the top picks in the NLL went to the Knighthawks as Johnny Powless scored three times and added two assists and Stephen Keogh netted two goals and chipped in two assists. Keogh was the second overall pick, while Powless was the fifth selection. The No. 1 overall pick was Kevin Crowley, who led the Wings with three goals and five assists.

Dan Dawson (6+1) and Mike Hominuck (2+3) each had big games offensively. Goalie Brandon Miller was pulled after 36:06 minutes of play and was replaced by Kurtis Wagar, who posted 26 saves on 39 shots. The game was the first of three meetings between the two teams. The Knighthawks now lead the series with a 24-15 record.

Rochester came soaring out of the gate with the first two goals of the game to take a quick 2-0 lead. The first came from transition man Jordan Hall at 2:02 and the second came from Cody Jamieson assisted by Jarrett Davis at 5:38 on a shot that sneaked past the stick side of Philadelphia goalie Brandon Miller.

Philadelphia put its first point of the board at 5:49 on a breakaway goal for Max Seibald. Rochester continued its momentum after Seibald’s goal, scoring the next four with two coming from rookies Keogh and Powless. Keogh scored his first regular season NLL goal, increasing Rochester’s lead to 3-1 as he came across a pick and went five-hole on Miller. Next, Powless seared a shot from the left point scoring top shelf. Hill then scored making it 5-1 Knighthawks. The last goal of the first quarter came from Vitarelli at 14:51 as he one-handed a shot past Miller for a 6-1 lead.

The tables quickly turned in favor of Philadelphia as the Wings started the second quarter with five straight goals to tie the score at six. After Drew Westervelt opened the quarter with a quick strike just 22 second in, the Wings strung together four more goals. The rally was fueled by a five-minute cross-checking penalty by Hall. Crowley had two of the goals, while Hominuck and Dawson netted single tallies. Rochester then regained the momentum with three straight goals. The first was a power-play goal by Jamieson at 8:29, which was followed by a goal by Mike Accursi at 9:24, and a power-play goal by Keogh at 13:14.

The Knighthawks will host the Buffalo Bandits (1-0) in their home opener at 7:30 p.m. at The Blue Cross. The Knighthawks will honor their Millionth Fan on Saturday, January 21st with a trip for two to Las Vegas (hotel, airfare and $2,000 cash). The Knighthawks will raffle off a second trip to Vegas (hotel and airfare) between the third and fourth quarters. Fans have until halftime to register at the Guest Services Booth. The first 5,000 fans will receive a T-shirt. Knighthawks individual tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, and at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office or by calling 1-800-745-3000.–