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Jeff Zywicki

Hello Everett! Well it’s been a VERY interesting couple of weeks. The big news of course being that the Stealth have moved to Everett, Washington and are now called the Washington Stealth. This is a very exciting development for all of us in the Stealth organization as we try to build a brand new fan base in a new city. I haven’t had a chance to visit Everett yet to check it out but am hoping to get out there before the end of the summer. I’ve heard it’s a great city and can’t wait to see it for myself. That being said, I am truly upset to be leaving San Jose. I’ve really enjoyed my 4 years there and will miss all the fans and friends I’ve met there. Hopefully you loyal fans will still cheer us and maybe even make your way up to Everett to catch a game. read more...

Eric Martin

IR = Injured Reserve What’s up Stealth Land?!?! Hope everything is good and well down in the valley. The weather in San Francisco is in the high 50’s,to low 60’s on the regular, summer is here! Not really… I haven’t played too much lacrosse over the past few weeks due to a nagging hamstring injury. Read more...

Justin Rubino

Hey everybody, Long time, no talk. I just wanted to take some time to check in with some random thoughts since our beloved fantasy season came to a close. First off, although I covered this in the final fantasy article of the 2009 season, I want to extend one more congratulations to Boyle’s Boozers of League #99. I really thought I would finish with the most points in the game, but my 381 feel short to the ultimate champion. It takes true dedication to beat out the thousands of participants in this year’s game, so the signed All-Star memorabilia that came as a reward was most definitely earned. On a related note, I would like to try and organize a league for next year with some of the top league winners and see who can duke it out to the finish. Let that serve as an open invite to email me (jrubino@nll.com) with reasons why you should be a member of the 8-man league. Continuing with the theme of awesome transitions - no, I’m not talking about Geoff Snider or Brodie Merrill - some noteworthy performers who helped lead their teams to the 2009 Championship Game saw their draft status for next year’s fantasy game rise, starting with: Matt King, Calgary Roughnecks - After stringing together one of the best second halves of the season, King got even hotter in the playoffs. He led all goalies with an absurd 7.67 goals against average and saved 83.2% of the shots he faced - also the best mark of the postseason. He has established himself as a top-of-the-line goaltender, especially with the defense he has in front of him. Matt Vinc, New York Titans – We all knew Vinc was really good, but he took his game to another level in the playoffs. He was right behind King every step of the way, finishing second in goals against average (8.23) and tied for third in save percentage (81.5%). After O’Toole, Vinc and King need to be mentioned in the top five along with Ken Montour and Anthony Cosmo. Dane Dobbie, Calgary Roughnecks – Dobbie made a name for himself in the regular season after following up his seven-point rookie campaign with 41 goals (third most in the league) and 35 assists in 2009. He then proved that was no fluke with eight goals and nine assists in the playoffs. Calgary has a deep scoring attack, as I preached all year, but Dobbie is an up-and-comer who will have the chance for a HUGE season in 2010. As long as Shooter and Captain Kelusky are still there, he’ll get his goals. Casey Powell, New York Titans – If at all possible, Powell took his game to a new level in the playoffs. He scored 10 goals and 11 assists in three games (and 16 loose balls). Not only that, but a number of his goals were of the he-did-what? variety. He’s my top rated played heading into next season. One more thing… as I said in that final fantasy column, shoot me some e-mails with thoughts on how to make the 2010 Fantasy Challenge even better than the 2009 version. All comments and suggestions are welcomed! Remember, everything has an impact on the fantasy world. Start drafting your cheat sheets now. It’ll be November before you know it! …But let’s enjoy the warmth while we can. Until next time, Justin Rubino

Jeff Zywicki

Disgusting. That’s really the only way I can describe our game on Saturday. I’m not gonna get into because I’m still really bitter about the loss and don’t want to say something I’ll regret but quite simply we were outplayed in every aspect of the game and it was embarrassing. That being said, we did have a pretty exciting season. We struggled early on and at one point were sitting in last place with a 3-7 record after a couple road losses to Boston and New York and a home loss to Colorado. That’s when we turned things around by going 4-2 to end the season and with some help from Eastern teams beating Western teams managed to clinch a playoff spot with one game left in the season. We were basically playing every game like it was a playoff game during that stretch and it paid off. We then went into Portland and got some revenge on them for last year by beating them at home and knocking them out of the playoffs. read more...

Tracey Kelusky

Hey LAX fans…. The playoffs are here. It was a great regular season, finishing first overall for the first time in Roughnecks history. Now it’s time to build on that, and surge into the post season. We play the Colorado Mammoth at home on Sunday afternoon. The Mammoth-Roughneck rivalry, in my mind, is one of the biggest in the NLL. We, as every team in the post season, will have to play our best and elevate our game in hopes to continue. Leading up to the game there has been lots going on in and around Cowtown. The boys and I have been bouncing around the city promoting the game in hopes of getting some disappointed Flames fans on the Riggers bandwagon. On Thursday morning we woke up 5:30 so we could go on City TV and promote the game. We spent about four hours, most in limbo, at a local lacrosse facility promoting the upcoming game. During the airing, we had about 50 National Sport Academy students working out and playing lax as well. The NSA athletes worked out hard and had a few laughs with the local players on the team. For the playoffs, most of the guys keep the same type of pre-game routine. Have a good meal the night before, get a good night’s rest and have a crisp throw-around before the game. Sometimes it’s a little tougher to fall asleep the night before because you are so pumped to play. I know I’ll be fighting the pillow a bit on Saturday night but that’s par for the course. It’s the playoffs and there’s plenty on the line. Regular season standings, team accomplishments mean absolutely nothing. It’s time to put up or shut up! Getting home floor advantage is great because the fans at our games are dynamite. It really makes a difference when the ‘Dome is rockin’. We can feed off that energy and with a big crowd expected on Sunday the building should be electric. On Saturday we are practicing in Okotoks at Centennial Arena at 1 p.m. Following our practice we will stick around to sign autographs and meet fans and then watch teammate Bruce Codd coach the Junior A Raiders. It’s Bruce’s Alberta coaching debut and I’m sure he’ll have the boys fired up to play. Hope to see you Sunday at the ‘Dome. Until next time… TK

Paul Rabil

What’s up Stealth Fans? I hope everyone’s week is going well. For me, I’m pumped it’s already Thursday, and for me, that means I get to head out West and hang out with the team for the weekend… Right now, I’m pretty sure every team in the playoffs is doing the same thing…thinking about their opponents. This weekend, the Stealth guys will meet in San Jose on Friday, practice and study film Saturday, do some fun team stuff, and head back to the lodges on Sunday. I think this is great for the team as opposed to a typical bye week where we don’t get to bond or create some good chemistry on the floor heading into round one. Read more...

Jeff Zywicki

Hey Stealth fans! Not much to report on the Stealth this week since the NLL has the weekend off before playoffs start on Friday but we did get together to catch an Oakland A’s game on Friday night. It was FREEZING cold and they got pumped by the Rays but it was good to have a night out with the team before the real reason we got together, an afternoon practice on Saturday. We went over our gameplan for Portland this weekend and got a good workout in to keep our sticks and our minds sharp. read more...

Ryan Cousins

WOW did this season go fast and not end up the way I thought it would! We ended up 6-10 which is just plain brutal. Our first year in 4 years not making the playoffs too. As you can tell i am not pleased! Sometimes these kind of seasons happen to teams and it was our turn to be bad. This off-season will be a time for guys to reflect and recognize the things the we can improve on and collect all the good things we did in preparation the 2010 season. Maybe this season will make guys realize we need to work harder, like the old saying goes "What doesn't kill you only make you stronger." My offseason will consist of working as a sales rep for CLT International, working out and enjoying family and friends in the sun. I am taking off in a few weeks on a surfing trip to Costa Rica to unwind and refresh my mind. Should be classic! I want to thank all the fans for your amazing support all season long! All the boys on the team really appreciate what you do for us. You guys are getting the reputation around the league as one of the best crowds in the NLL. Now that is good news! I also want to thank all of the Swarm staff that get the fans in the stands. Nice Job! I wish everybody a safe and enjoyable summer and will check in after the Champion's Cup and my trip to Costa Rica. Swarm it up! Cuz

Jordan Hall

I am pumped to be writing my first blog and have it posted on the MSG website (and here on NLL.com). I'm even more excited to be discussing all the other firsts that your New York Titans are accomplishing right now, like the first ever lacrosse playoff game at The Garden. It all started last week in Minnesota with a win over the Swarm. By doing so, the boys and I locked up our first ever East Division Title. To the victor goes the spoils, and home floor at Madison Square Garden for our next two games was now guaranteed with the title. Home floor will be key as we have been matched up against an underachieving and very talented Rochester Knighthawks squad. Their team is full of NLL stars, but none better known than lacrosse legend Gary Gait. Practice this weekend will be focused on shutting down these star players and discussing and comparing another first for your Titans. Playoff mustaches were decided by vote over the standard playoff beard. The team was tired of the standard playoff beards we have rocked in past playoffs and we have opted for the very fashionable "cookie duster." There were a couple of reasons we chose to do playoff mustaches, none of which I agreed with. My mustache muscle is juvenile at best. At a full week in, I have been asked, "Why aren't you growing one?" and "Did you forget to shave today?" Needless to say, I believe that our team captain, Casey Powell will once again lead us on and off the field with a mustache that would make Tom Selleck proud. Stay tuned as I update you next week on mustache leaders, the feeling of the team after practice and any other insider updates I can give. So if any of you fans out there see a disgusting beginner mustache, don't laugh; it's probably just one of your New York Titans!

Russ Cline

What a roller coaster ride! It reminded me of the “old days” when these two proud franchises would line up with everything on the line and go toe to toe providing 60 minutes of high scoring, hard hitting lacrosse. There’s nothing like having the game and the season on the line, fans going nuts, speaker blaring “Welcome to the Jungle”, little over 2 minutes to play, game tied after two straight unanswered goals by us and see Drew’s shot go in the net at 13:59 to take the lead. Time means nothing except the last minute in a lacrosse game with a one goal lead. You know it’s coming…. that time out…. to extending the agony and set the 6 on 5. The crowd noise was deafening…. Bodies flying everywhere….the shot….Blasdell makes the save….Sweeney on the break away… oh how sweet the (with an) empty net goal to put it away. I know how it feels to be on the other side of that story and it feels so good to enjoy being on this side one more time. Observations: ·Technically not our best game –Toronto outshot us and had 10 more loose balls. Need better stats next week to win. ·Last week I told you Drew Westervelt is the real deal. He’s big, strong, and fearless around the net and has a great shot. He is now tied for 8th in the league in goals. He willed that winning shot past one of the greatest goalies in the league Saturday night. ·Merrick continues to be “Mr. Consistent” with 3 goals and 5 assists and remains tied for 3rd in the league in goals. His left side partner Kyle Wailes had 5 assists with one on each of our last three goals to tie and take the lead (excluding the empty net). Athan had a hat trick by the end of the first quarter and also drew a lot of attention throughout the rest of the game opening up other shooters. ·We needed every goal…..8 different players contributing! ·“No Wings penalties” in the 2nd half was big for us. ·Besides scoring the empty net goal, Kyle Sweeney had 11 loose balls. Snider had 13 loose balls including the face off balls. ·Rob Blasdell had 47 saves to Watsons (Watson’s) 35 (saves) and (Blasdell had) some very big ones down the stretch. Brandon Miller was was not feeling well and coaches as a precaution decided not to play him. Everyone knows what we have to do Saturday night. The competitive side of me loves the situation, the fan side wishes the playoffs were in the bag and we were just tuning up for playoffs. I don’t know what will happen but I am confident that both teams will come to play and it should be one heck of a game. Go Wings!

Paul Rabil

What’s up Stealthers?! Not gonna lie, pretty pumped to greet you in this blog… I felt like our potential has been through the roof this season, since day one…at least in my eyes, having the opportunity to play with outstanding pro’s and legends (yes, legends and/or potential legends…cough Rhys cough)…but for some reason we weren’t playing good ball thus far this season. Now let’s face it, that’s the reason why you play the game…talent or no talent, it takes a winner to win. And every team has to find out how to win, every season. The truth is, you hope you find it early on and go undefeated, or with few defeats, but unfortunately for me (I’m not a greedy person I swear) the past 3 seasons of lacrosse (Junior and Senior year at Hop and now with the Stealth) we have started off slowly and found our way. No jinxing. But I am happy with the simple fact that we have gone from a 3-7 team to a secured playoff team in the West… Read more...

Russ Cline

Saturday night was really fun. The team was hitting on all cylinders…goal tending, defense, offense and special teams. You fans were dominating the Titan home crowd and our team was dominating the Titan team. The bus trip back to Philly seemed short. After Saturday night’s game I felt we were invincible. I woke up on Sunday morning full of expectation. I knew we would have a big crowd, even for a Sunday afternoon, thanks to the great work by the Wachovia Wings staff. Maybe, just maybe, we could get a grip on that playoff spot. But, you know the rest of the story, solid first half and total meltdown in the 3rd period. I would blame it on being out of gas but both teams were running on the same amount of rest. Observations: -Sunday was a big game for Kyle Wailes scoring 3 goals and 7 assists. -The game turned on two short-handed goals by Casey Powell and five Wings penalties in the second half to one for New York . It takes a lot out of your defense and your goalie when playing man down even if the team doesn’t score. -I love the way Drew keeps going to the net. He had two very solid games. -A sign our team never gave up was winning loose balls both night. -In every sport the coach will tell you “take care of the ball.” Saturday night we did it well, Sunday we didn’t. I will say this about the weekend; both games were entertaining just one was more gratifying than the other. Sunday’s game had everything you could want, except a Wings win. Hats off to the players from both teams who played two very physical games in less than 24 hours. It’s not fair to either team but this is the NLL you know. All games in sports are big but the next two games are really big for us. We control our own destiny and that’s all you can ask for, considering the situation. Go Wings!

Justin Rubino

Hey everyone, With every single team in action this weekend, there is no shortage of starting options in fantasy leagues this week. The players who have gotten you this far will all be playing at least one game, and the tough decisions should be at a minimum. As a result, there will be no rankings this week. I covered everything that I find to be of importance heading into this weekend's slate of games in the newest fantasy column, which you can read here . If you're stuck, go with your gut. You'll be happy knowing that you, and not someone else, decided the fate of your fantasy season. Before I leave, here are a few things to remember: -Gary Gait will not be playing for Rochester this weekend. Look for Jason Henhawk and, to a lesser extent, Joe Walters to step it up in his absence. -Geoff Snider and Athan Iannucci are good to go in Philadelphia. Same deal for Casey Powell in New York. -Check the boxscores shortly before games start to see who is starting in goal for each team. The most intriguing goalie situations are: San Jose: Tyler Richards had a great game against Portland on Sunday. Philadelphia: Brandon Miller is gaining momentum, but Rob Blasdell is always a candidate to start for the Wings. Buffalo: It sounds like Ken Montour is going to be the clear-cut #1 goaltender for the rest of the year. Calgary: Matt King and Pat Campbell are both top-notch starting options. Edmonton: Either Chris Levis or Brandon Atherton could get the start. Minnesota: Nick Patterson has been getting the starts as of late, not Kevin Croswell. -Pay attention to Edmonton and Toronto. Toronto is playing very well lately and Edmonton's 16-goal-performance last week could be the start of something for Andy Secore and company. -Check out how Josh Sims does in his return to Colorado. He could very well be worth a pickup if the rust wears off quickly. Other than that, everything you need is in the article. You can also reference other blog entries to see the usual suspects worthy of starting. So make those decisions with confidence! I'll be back next week with a fantasy playoff preview for those of you lucky enough to survive. Until next time, Justin Rubino

Ryan Cousins

It was nice to be back at the Xcel Center last weekend vs. Calgary. Unfortuately, we couldn't get the W for the crazy fans in attendance. But, your support has sent us in the right direction for this upcoming double header. The game against Calgary was a very exciting for all 60 minutes. We battled back and forth all night long. The hit of the game has to go to Josh Funk who smoked a Roughnecks player at centre floor, not to mention in his first NLL game. This hit was followed up by another great tilt by the toughest pound for pound player in the NLL, Travis Hill. Good for both of you! I think we could of got the win off Calgary if we minimized a few mental mistakes and the refs put the whistle somewhere else instead of in his mouth against us. We are already preparing for San Jose on Friday night and Edmonton on Saturday back at the X. This is a huge weekend for the boys, so expect some intense lacrosse. See everyone Saturday night! Swarm it up! Cuz

Paul Rabil

What is up Stealth fans? For the young guns out there, hope your seasons have kicked off nicely. Everyone else, hope the Spring season is treating you well! Talking about Spring season, it’s absolutely ridiculous how hot it is in San Jose…I know I’ve spoken about it in prior blogs, but come on, last week it must’ve been close to 90 degrees after our game. So, I’ve decided to just man up and wear shorts and short sleeves tomorrow morning when I hop on the plane in DC to head out West. Unfortunately, I’ll be battling 30 degree whether when I wake up at 4:30am…But no fear, I’ve been asked by our President, Johnny Mouradian to blog my weekly experience of travel…so in turn, you all should probably get about two different blogs this week, and as a matter of fact, I’ll keep this one relatively short because of that… Read more...

Russ Cline

Some nights are very special. I am not talking about winning a game because through the years you will be part of a lot of wins and losses. Though they’ve won many games this year, Saturday nights Villanova win was special, same with Tiger Woods win yesterday. “Magical moments” can’t be willed, they happen. It happened for the Wings nation Saturday night! The way we won, the biggest attendance of the season, the wonderful tenderness of your support of Chris Sanderson in the post game auction and the enthusiasm of our players, team and building staff to supporting the cause contributed to making it a “magical night.” Thanks to all because it was a true team effort. Observations: -Winning the stat sheet and not the score sheet is never acceptable. But stat sheets often tell the story of the score sheet. A big stat is loose balls. We had 91 to their 53…which lead to the most second shots on offense all season…which lead to more shots on goal than the opponent (62-50) and the rest is history. -Great job by the defense and Brandon Miller. Both our goalies can be very special. -Great to have Geoff back and his 26 for 33 in face-offs….and yes the two goals. Took a “low blow” but never quit. -Can’t imagine how frightening it is for a goalie to see Athan and Merrick coming…two on one. Great pass by Athan and bury byMerrick. Two of Athan’s goals came from pure will. -Across the League Merrick is 4th, Westervelt is tied for 12th in league scoring and Giles 20th in total points, Sweeney #1, Wray, Nadelen and Levine tied for 15th as defenders, and Snides #1 in face-offs. -Saturday was tough on special teams. Mammoth were 6 for 8 man-up and we were only 2 for 8 man-up. Our special teams must improve if we are to make a real run at the cup. -Wings Group Sales did a great job Saturday night. Wasn’t it fun to see all the young people enjoying themselves at the game? Thanks team for all your hard work. We are in control of our destiny but will have to play at our top level to accomplish our goals. We showed we are capable now we have to show we are consistent. By the way, we have some very good guys on this team as people and lacrosse players. We also have some very special fans. Thanks again for raising over $10,000 to support Chris Sanderson’s battle against cancer. In this time of so much bad news, I was lifted high by you and our teams outpouring of love for Chris and his family. See you this weekend.

Justin Rubino

Hey everyone, Eight games this weekend, with every team in action. As always, a few notes before we get to the rankings: -There are eight (8) teams in each fantasy league, with five (5) runners and one (1) goaltender required for each starting lineup. That means that there are 40 runners and eight (8) goaltenders starting each week in every league. -Therefore, the most straightforward way to read the list below is to think of the top 40 players as those worthy of starting. The first eight (8) players are, ideally, #1 options; the next eight (8) players are #2 options, etc. In a week like this, with every team playing, there will be players ranked 41st and lower that are most definitely worth starting. -Since not every team will have five players in the top 40 and with the amount of players in action this weekend, the list is expanded to my top 75 options for Week 13. -This is not a set-in-stone list as much as it is a reference tool to help you make the tough decisions and compare players of different tiers. -The first number after the player’s name is his season fantasy total (including Week 1). The second number is his total over his past four games, unless noted otherwise. The player’s opponent is listed at the end. -There are no byes. -I am assuming the full health of Athan Iannucci, Geoff Snider and Casey Powell. -Portland and San Jose have a home-and-home; the best matchup for each team will probably be its home game, but I recommend checking the boxscore before each game to see if the regular goalies may or may not be sitting. -Calgary plays twice: home against Toronto and on the road against Minnesota. The better matchup here is in Minnesota, as Bob Watson is coming off his best performance of the season. -Toronto plays twice: at Calgary and at Edmonton, with the better matchup coming in Edmonton. Now, on to the rankings… RUNNERS 1 CGY - Josh Sanderson 46.9 (22) v. TOR, MIN 2 BUF - Mark Steenhuis 66.3 (22.6) v. NY 3 BOS – Dan Dawson 52.6 (22.9) v. ROC 4 COL - Brian Langtry 45.7 (17.9) v. PHI 5 BUF - John Tavares 55.1 (24.7) v. NY 6 ROC - Shawn Williams 47.4 (24) v. BOS 7 SJ – Colin Doyle 51.1 (20.7) v. POR (x2) 8 TOR - Lewis Ratcliff 35.8 (10.4, 5 goals last game) v. CGY, EDM 9 PHI – Athan Iannucci 13 (13… 6.8 points last week v. MIN) v. COL 10 CGY - Dane Dobbie 46.6 (21.8) v. TOR, MIN 11TOR - Luke Wiles 39.9 (15.9) v. CGY, EDM 12 SJ - Rhys Duch 45.1 (16.9) v. POR (x2) 13 PHI – Merrick Thomson 39.9 (18.7) v. COL 14 POR - Ryan Powell 26.8 (11.6) v. SJ (x2) 15 NY – Casey Powell 42.2 (16.3) v. BUF 16 CGY - Tracey Kelusky 41.8 (16.8) v. TOR, MIN 17 NY – Pat Maddalena 44.4 (17.5) v. BUF 18 SJ - Jeff Zywicki 45.9 (16.1) v. POR (x2) 19 ROC - Shawn Evans 44.3 (29.3) v. BOS 20 COL - Gavin Prout 39.4 (15.4) v. PHI 21 BOS – Daryl Veltman 44.2 (18.1) v. ROC 22 MIN - Aaron Wilson 36.5 (20.7) v. CGY 23 EDM - Dan Teat 37.5 (9.5, 8.5 over last two games) v. TOR 24 POR - Cory Conway 29.3 (10) v. SJ (x2) 25 MIN - Kevin Buchanan 21.8 (18) v. CGY 26 NY – Jordan Hall 42.3 (16.5) v. BUF 27 CGY - Kaleb Toth 40.7 (16.2) v. TOR, MIN 28 SJ - Cam Sedgwick 33.3 (14.6) v. POR (x2) 29 ROC - Gary Gait 25.7 (16.4) v. BOS 30 PHI – Drew Westervelt 36.2 (13.1) v. COL 31 MIN - Sean Pollock 34.6 (17.3) v. CGY 32 EDM - Andy Secore 29.6 (13) v. TOR 33 PHI – Geoff Snider 29.8 (13) v. COL 34 ROC - Jason Henhawk 23.2 (12.7) v. BOS 35 BUF - Cory Bomberry 33.4 (14.3) v. NY 36 CGY - Scott Ranger 28.7 (13.5) v. TOR, MIN 37 NY – Brendan Mundorf 31.1 (13.5) v. BUF 38 COL - Jamie Shewchuk 30.4 (12.8) v. PHI 39 BOS – Matt Lyons 30.7 (12.2) v. ROC 40 MIN - Dan Marohl 29.9 (11.1) v. CGY 41 NY – Mike McLellan 32.9 (13.1) v. BUF 42 PHI – Mat Giles 36.3 (11.9) v. COL 43 TOR - Jason Crosbie 31.3 (5.1) v. CGY, EDM 44 POR - Peter Morgan 27.2 (14.4) v. SJ (x2) 45 TOR - Blaine Manning 32.3 (9.2) v. CGY, EDM 46 BUF - Roger Vyse 31.4 (9.4) v. NY 47 NY – Ryan Boyle 28.3 (13.7) v. BUF 48 BUF - Mike Accursi 33.1 (11.2) v. NY 49 EDM - Callum Crawford 23.2 (14.5) v. TOR 50 ROC - Craig Point 18.6 (12.3) v. BOS 51 POR - Derek Malawsky 25.1 (12.4) v. SJ (x2) 52 MIN - Ryan Ward 32.5 (10.8) v. CGY 53 CGY - Curt Malawsky 27.4 (8.3) v. TOR, MIN 54 COL - Gary Rosyski 24.3 (10.2) v. PHI 55 POR - Brodie Merrill 26.2 (9.6) v. SJ (x2) 56 COL – Chris Gill 12.9 (12.1, not including last Saturday v. CGY) v. PHI 57 MIN - Chad Culp 25.8 (10.8) v. CGY 58 BOS – Brenden Thenhaus 29.5 (9.2) v. ROC 59 EDM - Ryan Benesch 25.8 (6.2) v. TOR 60 BOS – Gary Bining 27.1 (8.7) v. ROC 61 BUF - Sean Greenhalgh 24.5 (9.2) v. NY 62 SJ - Tom Johnson 21.8 (10) v. POR (x2) 63 MIN - Kevin Ross 26.2 (10.6) v. CGY 64 PHI – Kyle Wailes 21.6 (11) v. COL 65 EDM – Mike Hominuck 20.3 (11.5) v. TOR 66 TOR - Kasey Beirnes 27.9 (7.7) v. CGY, EDM 67 SJ - Paul Rabil 19.3 (7.1) v. POR (x2) 70 TOR - Craig Conn 14.2 (9.8) v. CGY, EDM 71 COL – Jed Prossner 16.9 (9.8) v. PHI 72 EDM - Jason Wulder 16.4 (8.7) v. TOR 73 TOR - Chris Driscoll 17.1 (7.9) v. CGY, EDM 74 SJ – Alex Turner 13.2 (8.1) v. POR (x2) 75 ROC – Bobby McBride 7.5 (7.5) v. BOS GOALTENDERS (with suggested matchup in cases of goalie playing two games) 1 TOR – Bob Watson v. EDM 2 ROC – Pat O’Toole v. BOS 3 BOS – Anthony Cosmo v. ROC 4 SJ – Matt Roik v. POR (x2) 5 CGY – Pat Campbell v. MIN 6 COL – Andrew Leyshon v. PHI 7 POR – Matt Disher v. SJ (x2) 8 MIN – Nick Patterson v. CGY 9 NY – Matt Vinc v. BUF 10 BUF – Mike Thompson v. NY (if Kilgour goes with Montour, he jumps up the rankings) 11 PHI – Brandon Miller v. COL 12 EDM – Chris Levis v. TOR …And the backup goalies most likely to see action: 1 CGY - Matt King 2 TOR - Steve Dietrich 3 SJ - Aaron Bold 4 MIN - Kevin Croswell 5 PHI - Rob Blasdell 6 EDM - Brandon Atherton Good luck everyone! After this, just one more week of the fantasy regular season, so make sure to put your best squad out there. Until next time, Justin Rubino

Paul Rabil

Hey there Stealth Fans, I come to you this week bearing some half-way decent news… We got back on the winning track this weekend, more reason to come to the game this Saturday against Portland, part of our double-header this weekend that will once again provide us with an opportunity to get back into the playoff hunt. We came into this past weekend pretty desperate for a win. Our team hadn’t won since Colorado, which counting the All-Star break, was almost an entire month ago. I’ll tell you something, it’s happened to me once before, but going without a win for an entire month can be pretty painful. It definitely made the win more enjoyable. More importantly, however, you realize that you definitely don’t want to become accustomed to losing. I was once told this growing up by the best Coach I’ve ever had, he said, “The more you lose, the more you become accustomed to it…and the more you become accustomed to it, the less you expect to win. Without expecting to win, you can’t”. (Side note: that was pretty long, and I have to be honest, it may not be word for word, so I’m not sure if it’s “legal” to use the quotes, but we’ll ignore that anyways)…I’ve always made sure that as an athlete, I never get used to losing games, even if my team goes on a bit of a skid. As we talked about in the locker room, the most important thing you can have each game is confidence in your play, and your ability to win. Fo sho… Read more...

Tracey Kelusky

Hey Lax fans… This one’s about bachin’ it, getting out there in the community and having fun and winning lacrosse games. Let’s start with the bachin’ business. My wife’s twin sister Liz just gave birth to her second, Sophie, (big shout out to Liz and Bowzer!) so my wife has been in Connecticut with her. As I write this, it is eight days with another six to go as a bachelor. It’s a good thing my wife laid out all my clothes. It’s like college again. Living on KD and coming home to clean up and do laundry and all that other fun stuff my wife does that I take for granted. So far, so good. But, like I said, I have a ways to go. The Roughnecks had a bunch of great stuff happening this week and a lot of it is giving back to the community, which has always been important for us, and, really, all lacrosse players. It’s just the way of the game. We had Ladycrosse last Thursday, which I think would be a great league-wide initiative. We had about 88 ladies join us. Some had played lacrosse, some hadn’t. We go over the rules, answer questions and have a lot of fun. We do it every year and it’s a blast for the players and the ladies. We also have the big Roughnecks Lacrosse Camp going on with about 100 kids doing drills, playing games and getting those sticks into their hands. Even guys from outside Calgary, Toronto and British Columbia hang around town this week to do some instructing. I have to give them a shout out because it is awesome to see how committed the guys are when it comes to giving back. I think that’s always been the way; when you are a lacrosse player you give back to the grassroots of the game. It’s just what you do and we have a great bunch of guys that love doing it. I suppose the big picture is growing the sport but really, is there a better thing than seeing a smile on a kid’s face when he gets an autograph or picks that top corner for the first time? Okay, before I get rambling too much, we better talk about the team. We’re 8-2 but we can’t relax. It’s like Any Given Sunday out there. There’s a ton of parity in the league. No teams made any blockbusters at the trade deadline, which tells me they, just like us, believe in what we are doing and where we are going. I was happy we didn’t make any moves but we can’t rest on our laurels. When we went out and were 5-1 we knew there would be a target on our back and that we were starting to become a team that other teams want to beat. That’s why I don’t like to look at rankings and stats too much. We just have to concentrate on getting better all the time because the other teams are all getting better. We’ve got Toronto on Friday and they are coming off a couple of big wins. You can see they are beginning to believe in what they are selling. Then we have an away game in Minnesota on Saturday. Both teams are going to be looking for revenge against us and we have to be ready. Seriously, it’s a big weekend for us. We can’t look past Toronto until that game is over. But, you know, after we beat the Mammoth last weekend, right away the guys were putting that behind them and thinking ahead to the next game. That’s important. What’s in the past is, just that, past. It’s good to have short memories and move to the next step – and that’s being ready for Toronto this Friday at home. Until next time… TK

Justin Rubino

Hey fantasy followers, Same deal as last week: -There are eight (8) teams in each league, with five (5) runners and one (1) goaltender required for each starting lineup. That means that there are 40 runners and eight (8) goaltenders starting each week in every league. -Therefore, the most straightforward way to read the list below is to think of the top 40 players as those worthy of starting. The first eight (8) players are, ideally, #1 options; the next eight (8) players are #2 options, etc. -Since not every team will have five players in the top 40, the list is expanded to 56 to encompass the most start-worthy players. -This is not a set-in-stone list as much as it is a reference tool to help you make the tough decisions and compare players of different tiers. -The player’s opponent is listed at the end. -New York, Boston and Philadelphia are on byes. -Colorado plays twice: Saturday vs. Calgary and Sunday vs. Minnesota. The more fantasy-friendly matchup is the home game against Minnesota. SCHEDULE Rochester @ Toronto Portland @ Buffalo Colorado @ Calgary Edmonton @ San Jose Minnesota @ Colorado RUNNERS 1 SJ - Colin Doyle vs. EDM 2 ROC - Shawn Evans vs. TOR 3 BUF - Mark Steenhuis vs. POR 4 SJ - Rhys Duch vs. EDM 5 ROC - Shawn Williams vs. TOR 6 BUF - John Tavares vs. POR 7 CGY - Josh Sanderson vs. COL 8 COL - Brian Langtry vs. CGY, MIN 9 SJ - Jeff Zywicki vs. EDM 10 CGY - Dane Dobbie vs. COL 11 SJ - Cam Sedgwick vs. EDM 12 CGY - Tracey Kelusky vs. COL 13 MIN - Aaron Wilson vs. COL 14 POR - Ryan Powell vs. BUF 15 CGY - Kaleb Toth vs. COL 16 TOR - Luke Wiles vs. ROC 17 ROC - Gary Gait vs. TOR 18 EDM - Dan Teat vs. SJ 19 COL - Gavin Prout vs. CGY, MIN 20 MIN - Kevin Buchanan vs. COL 21 POR - Cory Conway vs. BUF 22 POR - Brodie Merrill vs. BUF 23 TOR - Lewis Ratcliff vs. ROC 24 MIN - Sean Pollock vs. COL 25 CGY - Scott Ranger vs. COL 26 POR - Derek Malawsky vs. BUF 27 ROC - Craig Point vs. TOR 28 BUF - Cory Bomberry vs. POR 29 MIN - Ryan Ward vs. COL 30 TOR - Blaine Manning vs. ROC 31 EDM - Andy Secore vs. SJ 32 ROC - Jason Henhawk vs. TOR 33 MIN - Dan Marohl vs. COL 34 POR - Peter Morgan vs. BUF 35 TOR - Jason Crosbie vs. ROC 36 SJ - Tom Johnson vs. EDM 37 CGY - Curt Malawsky vs. COL 38 COL - Gary Rosyski vs. CGY, MIN 39 BUF - Mike Accursi vs. POR 40 EDM - Callum Crawford vs. SJ 41 COL - Jamie Shewchuk vs. CGY, MIN 42 SJ - Paul Rabil vs. EDM 43 BUF - Roger Vyse vs. POR 44 POR - Pete Jacobs vs. BUF 45 EDM - Ryan Benesch vs. SJ 46 MIN - Chad Culp vs. COL 47 TOR - Kasey Beirnes vs. ROC 48 TOR - Craig Conn vs. ROC 49 BUF - Sean Greenhalgh vs. POR 50 MIN - Kevin Ross vs. COL 51 EDM - Jason Wulder vs. SJ 52 COL - Matt Danowski vs. CGY, MIN 53 ROC – Joe Walters vs. TOR 54 COL – Chris Gill vs. MIN 55 BUF – Kevin Dostie vs. POR 56 TOR – Chris Driscoll vs. ROC GOALTENDERS 1 SJ – Matt Roik vs. EDM 2 ROC – Pat O’Toole vs. TOR 3 POR – Matt Disher vs. BUF 4 CGY – Pat Campbell vs. COL 5 COL – Andrew Leyshon vs. CGY, MIN 6 TOR – Bob Watson vs. ROC 7 BUF – Mike Thompson vs. POR 8 MIN – Nick Patterson vs. COL 9 EDM – Chris Levis vs. SJ …And the rankings for the backups with potential of playing: 1 BUF - Ken Montour vs. POR (check the boxscore to see if Kilgour changes his strategy) 2 CGY – Matt King vs. COL 3 MIN – Kevin Croswell vs. COL 4 TOR – Steve Dietrich vs. ROC 5 EDM – Brandon Atherton vs. SJ Good luck everyone! Until next time, Justin Rubino

Paul Rabil

Hey there Stealth Fans (and the rest of you lacrosse guru’s out there who may come across this), Tough times right now for us Stealth players and fans. Not only is the economy around us hurting, but our play on the field right now and our record as a result is hurting…Time to sulk? I think not. Fortunately, one thing that I have been exposed to throughout my lacrosse life, with the exception of one spectacular year in 2005, has been being on a team that has won and lost, but eventually won. People often forget that although we see a lot Johns Hopkins on Memorial Day Weekend, it is never the easiest road to the show. I was fortunate enough to be on a team that made back-to-back championship appearances in 2007 and 2008, however in 2007 we started out 4-4, and in 2008 we started out 3-5 (keep in mind that these records are based on 13 game regular seasons, with little make-up time)…Anyways, maybe this first paragraph is more for therapy and encouragement, but if there is one thing that this team doesn’t lack, it’s definitely the talent and the desire to win. So keep your NLL tickers going as no matter what happens, we will continue to work hard and try to get back on track…. …(30 minutes later)… The last paragraph got me thinking about the season, but really not driving me to put much more on paper. What is this a writer’s block?...I don’t even know if it’s possible to have a writers block, A., because I’m not a writer, and B., because I’m not sure what that even means?...So I dealt with it. And by doing that, I mean I hopped on good-ole Google and researched some box/field lacrosse (for all of you lacrosse enthusiasts, who are more or less, the only ones reading these blogs)…Here’s what I came up with, a little Rabil Research, call it. Read more...

Russ Cline

Saturday night was a roller coaster of emotions. The first quarter was very disappointing but was followed by three solid quarters of lacrosse against a very goodMinnesota team. This is the second game we would have won (Portland) where we got into a hole and never recovered. The blame for not being ready to play from the first face off cuts across our whole organization including owners, coaches, players, captains and veteran leaders. At Dallas Eliuk’s induction ceremony at this month’s NLL Hall of Fame event; Gary Gait said that Dallas made Gary a better player because Dallas practiced and warmed up the way he played the game. He would never let you score unless you earned it even when it didn’t count. So I will say it again, we are a good team when we play the way we are capable of and very bad when we do not. We deserved your boo’s in the first quarter. Observations: - Athan told me before the game that he felt his best since his returning to the play and it certainly showed with 5 goals and 3 assists. - Merrick Thomson continues to play well with his 3 goals and 1 assist. He is the third leading scorer in the league. - While our replacements for Geoff did all they could with face offs, I believe Geoff’s presence would have made a big difference. We expect him back no later than the April 4/5th weekend. - I sometimes wonder what our record would be with the team we thought we would have at the beginning of the year. All teams have injuries and job conflicts but this has been a real tough year for us with losing some of our best players. - We are 2nd in the league in Power Play %, 10th in Penalty Killing and #1 in Short Handed goals. - Minnesota and Rochester are two of the hottest teams in the league. The Swarm has won three in a row and Knighthawks four of their last five. - I hate weekends off. You lose momentum and flow. - Of the four games played on Saturday night three were one goal games with two of them being OT. - You have to play through missed calls but the last five minutes of play clock and crease violations was back breaking for us. We will have an auction of special Wings memorabilia following the March 28th Colorado game at the post game party to raise funds to assist Chris Sanderson in his transportation costs for his treatments in Durham, North Carolina. I hope you will plan to join us to do something good for a very special member of our family. We have a tough schedule ahead but we absolutely also have the ability to get the job done if we get the best from every member of the organization. Once again thanks for being the best fans in the league.

Colin Doyle

Hey all, just checking back in from California. We arrived yesterday, back from the East. After spending a few days there I remembered why I love California so much. It was cold as all **ll back home!! It was nice to see family and friends and get my mind away from the Stealth for a few days. I like to call it recharging my batteries for the home stretch. As bad as things have been, we still have a shot at the post season and that is all that is on my mind right now....starting with the Mammoth at home this coming weekend. Lets get the HP rockin' for this one baby!!! We need it. I have some time today and want to expand on one of my video blogs. I always get asked the question; "how is indoor lacrosse like hockey?" I try to answer that question as best I can, but today I'll go in to depth to try and convert some of you beloved hockey fans in the United States. First off, the game of lacrosse is played in hockey arena's...enough said there. That should be enough to get everyone to come give the NLL a try!! If that doesn't work, why don't you come to see the number of goals scored? I love hockey, believe me it is no secret that I am a die hard Habs fan, even though some of you don't approve!! The one complaint I always hear about hockey is that there aren't enough goals scored in a game. They are working on making the nets bigger and downsizing the goaltenders, neither of which I agree as the game seems healthy to me. Indoor lacrosse will give you goal seekers the goals you need. It is normal to watch a COMPETITIVE 12-10 game. Nothing watered down, but an exciting game with many goals. If that still doesn't do it, try coming for the physical aspect of the game. There are some "HUGE" hits during a lacrosse game, but come to enjoy the constant physical nature of our game. What makes lax so impressive is the fact that the athletes perform their mastery while constantly being pestered by the defenders. In hockey, there are usually bigger hits, but nothing as constant. That of course changes in the playoffs, as those seven game series' in the NHL truly are the best feats of any athletes. Lastly, come watch lacrosse because the players leave everything they have on the floor. Yes it is action packed and yes it is a cheaper alternative, but the most gratifying part of watching a lacrosse game is the energy and authenticity the players exude. We don't make tons of money, and we don't have any arterial motives. We play because we love the game and we love competing. I can't say if that is true in hockey or any other sport, but I know for a fact that we are truly honest competitors in an ever increasing fake sports world. The downside of not being considered big time are obvious but the upside is that we have not be influenced at all by any outside interests. We play the game because we want to win it. Not because of an endorsement or because of contract extension. We play because we love the game!! Take my thoughts for what they are worth, but it is part of our job to sell the American Hockey fan to the great game of lacrosse. I say give it a try and tell me what you think, I think you'll love it!!! Before I leave I have one last note to touch on. I had the chance this weekend to play in the All star game in Colorado. I have many thoughts about the weekend, but one in specific stood out to me. Of course the fans in Denver are awesome, and of course the skill at the game is unbelievable, but my highlight was getting to play with Minnesota's Nick Inch. This may seem strange to many NLL fans, but I grew up in Kitchener with Nick and had many experiences with him as he grew up in the lacrosse scene. I remember presenting him with the player of the game award when I was a referee and he was a novice aged player. I remember coaching him for many years in Jr. A lacrosse and lastly I remember him getting drafted and finally playing in the NLL. Not only does this make me feel a little old, it also makes me really proud. It was great to see him in the NLL all star game, even though he couldn't bury a goal!! I will cherish that memory forever...Way to go Monkey, you deserve it. Feel free to check out the video attached to this blog as I talk in person about the comparisons between hockey and lacrosse. Until next time, stay tuned. Colin #7

Russ Cline

Russ asked me to help out with his blog this week by answering a question posed by one of our fans. Hopefully my answer will give you an idea of what factors we take into place when we set our lineup. The NLL is the only sport that my wife and I watch and "go to the game". We like hockey but don't follow it that much. We are fans of the wings but don't know strategy or how the positions or roles really work but can apply other sports we know. What I really want to know is an analysis of the game. Often times we see players that we would expect to see on defense on offense. From game to game we would wonder why a player is posted in a different position. * Is it due to versatility of different players? * Availability of a player for games due to obligations? * Matchup of like sized players so that we don't have a small guy bullied by a bigger opponent? David and Michele Thank you for the question. In order to address the specific points you raise it is probably helpful to give you an idea of how we set our roster. The roster limit in the NLL is 23 players. Each team can dress a maximum of 16 runners and 2 goalies for each game. The runners fall into three positional categories; defender, forward and transition. The Wings have ten defenders, ten forwards and one transition player on our roster. As with most teams, the Wings have some players who are best suited on the offensive end, some on the defensive end and others who are capable at either end of the floor. Within each category some players are stronger in certain aspects of the game than others. One offensive player might be a strong shooter and only a fair passer and another might excel at creating space for others and be an above average passer. On the defensive end some players are best suited to playing opponents who like the ball in their sticks and others are very good at off-ball defense. When we assemble our team at the start of a season we try to put together a mix of players that will complement each other and help put us in a position to win a championship. Our lineup will change from week to week based on a variety of factors. Player availability due to other obligations is certainly one factor. We generally know, except under unusual circumstances, of those obligations well in advance. The most prevalent factor this year has been injuries and unlike availability the dressing status of a player might not be known until game time. Other factors include the player’s performance, his history against other teams, how his skill set compliments his teammates and matchups. You reference size in your question and how it relates to matchups and that is certainly one factor we look at. We also look at playing style, strengths, weaknesses and tendencies when we consider matchups. In an ideal world our players might play their stated position in every game. This year, primarily due to injuries, has been less than ideal so we have had to ask some of our guys to play different positions in some games. Fortunately we have a number of guys who have a broad set of skills and athletic ability, but more importantly a team first attitude, so they have been able to assume new roles. It is our hope that the depth we have had to create out of necessity will ultimately help us at the end of the season. I hope I answered your question and thank you for your support of the Wings. Dave

Justin Rubino

For this week’s slate of games, I’ve switched it up a bit. Instead of putting notes for almost all players of significance, I have listed rankings for Week 11. Here are a few helpful hints: -There are eight (8) teams in each league, with five (5) runners and one (1) goaltender required for each starting lineup. That means that there are 40 runners and eight (8) goaltenders starting each week in every league. -Therefore, the most straightforward way to read the list below is to think of the top 40 players as those worthy of starting. The first eight (8) players are, ideally, #1 options; the next eight (8) players are #2 options, etc. -Since not every team will have five players in the top 40, the list is expanded to 61 to encompass the most start-worthy players. -This is not a set-in-stone list as much as it is a reference tool to help you make the tough last-second decisions. -In parenthesis, the player’s total fantasy points on the season (including Week 1, which was not part of the fantasy season) is listed first, followed by the fantasy points accumulated in their last four games (starting with the point total from four games ago, unless otherwise specified) -The player’s opponent is listed at the end. -Geoff Snider has been excluded from the list; he is still recovering from a windpipe injury. Check before the game to see if he is playing. Also in Philadelphia, Iannucci’s ranking would skyrocket if it was clear that he is back at 100%. -New York and Portland are on byes. RUNNERS 1 BOS - Dan Dawson (48.5 pts... 3.8, 7.3, 4.8, 6.7) v. TOR 2 BUF - Mark Steenhuis (59.1 pts... 4.2, 11.6, 9.8, 5.6) v. ROC 3 CGY - Josh Sanderson (36 pts... 3.3, 3.8, 6.7, 4.4) v. EDM 4 BOS - Daryl Veltman (41.5 pts... 2.8, 5.8, 4.6, 5.0) v. TOR 5 SJ - Colin Doyle (42.7 pts... 4.7, 6.0, 4.2, 8.1) v. COL 6 CGY - Tracey Kelusky (32.9 pts... 6.9, 3.5, 4.4, 3.5) v. EDM 7 BUF - John Tavares (43.2 pts... 3.9, 5.1, 6.8, 6.0) v. ROC 8 ROC - Shawn Williams (37.8 pts... 6.1, 3.1, 6.4, 8.0) v. BUF 9 CGY - Dane Dobbie (28.5 pts... 3.4, 5.5, 4.0, 4.8) v. EDM 10 COL - Brian Langtry (32.2 pts... 4.7, 5.5, 4.6, 4.4) v. SJ 11 SJ - Rhys Duch (37 pts... 4.1, 5.7, 3.4, 5.4) v. COL 12 ROC - Shawn Evans (32.7 pts... 4.4, 1.8, 6.1, 11.6) v. BUF 13 PHI - Merrick Thomson (35.8 pts... 5.5, 3.4, 6.7, 4.5) v. MIN 14 CGY - Kaleb Toth (32 pts... 4.1, 4.1, 2.3, 5.2) v. EDM 15 SJ - Jeff Zywicki (35.5 pts... 4.7, 5.4, 3.4, 2.3) v. COL 16 TOR - Lewis Ratcliff (28.4 pts... 6.1, 4.3, 0.3, 2.7) v. BOS 17 PHI - Athan Iannucci (6.2 pts... 4.8 v. MIN) v. MIN 18 MIN - Sean Pollock (27.3 pts... 3.8, 4.4, 3.0, 7.0) v. PHI 19 COL - Gavin Prout (26.2 pts... 4.9, 3.6, 3.1, 2.2) v. SJ 20 SJ - Cam Desgwick (28.4 pts... 2.5, 3.6, 4.2, 5.5) v. COL 21 ROC - Gary Gait (22.8 pts... 1.1, 4.7, 4.7, 4.8) v. BUF 22 TOR - Luke Wiles (31 pts... 3.9, 4.3, 3.0, 4.0) v. BOS 23 MIN - Ryan Ward (29.3 pts... 3.8, 5.9, 4.4, 3.2) v. PHI 24 PHI - Mat Giles (34.5 pts... 0.9, 4.0, 3.1, 3.0) v. MIN 25 EDM - Andy Secore (25.3 pts... 2.4, 3.4, 3.1, 5.6) v. CGY 26 BUF - Mike Accursi (28.6 pts... 2.1, 2.9, 3.4, 5.1) v. ROC 27 PHI - Drew Westervelt (32.6 pts... 1.3, 4.3, 3.1, 2.1) v. MIN 29 TOR - Blaine Manning (28.1 pts... 4.4, 4.5, 1.6, 3.5) v. BOS 30 CGY - Curt Malawsky (22.1 pts... 1.0, 3.3, 1.9, 1.1) v. EDM 31 MIN - Aaron Wilson (25.6 pts... 1.8, 2.9, 6.9) v. PHI 32 EDM - Ryan Benesch (23.7 pts... 1.9, 2.6, 3.1, 1.0) v. CGY 33 CGY - Scott Ranger (18.2 pts... 2.0, 3.3, 0.6, 2.4) v. EDM 34 BUF - Cory Bomberry (25.6 pts... 1.3, 6.4, 2.8, 3.7) v. ROC 35 BOS - Matt Lyons (27.5 pts... 2.0, 2.4, 1.8, 4.8) v. TOR 36 MIN - Kevin Buchanan (2.4, 1.4, 6.2, 4.1) v. PHI 37 EDM - Dan Teat (29 pts... 2.2, 2.2, 0.5, 0.5) v. CGY 38 TOR - Jason Crosbie (28.3 pts... 3.2, 2.8, 1.1, 0.2) v. BOS 39 BOS - Gary Bining (25 pts... 1.4, 3.6, 2.0, 1.0) v. TOR 40 MIN - Dan Marohl (23.9 pts... 3.3, 3.7, 2.3, 2.8) v. PHI 41 COL - Gary Rosyski (18.4 pts... 3.3, 3.0, 1.5, 2.8) v. SJ 42 COL - Jamie Shewchuk (19.3 pts... 3.3, 2.7, 2.2, 1.7) v. SJ 43 ROC - Craig Point (12 pts... 0.4, 2.2, 4.2, 1.5) v. BUF 44 MIN - Chad Culp (21.7 pts... 4.3, 1.7, 1.0, 5.7) v. PHI 45 ROC - Jason Henhawk (15.2 pts... 5.5, 1.6, 3.5, 1.2) v. BUF 46 BOS - Brenden Thenhaus (27.6 pts... 1.8, 0.7, 1.7, 4.9) v. TOR 47 EDM - Callum Crawford (17.1 pts... 2.5, 2.6, 5.5, 2.9) v. CGY 48 BUF - Roger Vyse (25 pts... 1.1, 7.4, 1.7, 1.3) v. ROC 49 TOR - Kasey Beirnes (24.6 pts... 2.6, 1.1, 3.5, 0.9) v. BOS 50 EDM - Jason Wulder (16.4 pts... 3.4, 2.9, 2.8, 0.3, 2.7) v. CGY 51 PHI - Kyle Wailes (19.5 pts... 1.1, 2.3, 2.6, 4.0) v. MIN 52 TOR - Craig Conn (8.0 pts… 2.0, 2.4, 1.9, 1.7) v. BOS 53 SJ - Paul Rabil (15.1 pts... 1.9, 2.9, 1.1, 1.8) v. COL 54 BUF - Sean Greenhalgh (19.7 pts... 2.6, 2.4, 1.7, 2.7) v. ROC 55 SJ - Tom Johnson (18.2 pts... 0.9, 2.7, 2.6, 1.1) v. COL 56 MIN - Kevin Ross (21.3 pts... 1.4, 0.2, 1.9, 3.8) v. PHI 57 BOS - Jason Bloom (15.1 pts... 3.9, 2.7, 1.3, 0.2) v. TOR 58 BOS - Nick Cotter (11.9 pts... 1.1, 3.5, 1.8, 1.5) v. TOR 59 BUF - Kevin Dostie (14.5 pts... 2.8, 2.6, 1.3, 0) v. ROC 60 TOR - Chris Driscoll (14.5 points… 2.9, 2.4 in last 2) v. BOS 61 COL - Matt Danowski (11.5 pts... 1.8, .5, .1, 3.3) v. SJ GOALTENDERS 1 BOS - Anthony Cosmo (v. TOR) 2 CGY - Pat Campbell (v. EDM) 3 BUF - Ken Montour (v. ROC) 4 SJ - Matt Roik (v. COL) 5 ROC - Pat O’Toole (v. BUF) 6 COL - Andrew Leyshon (v. SJ) 7 PHI - Brandon Miller (v. MIN) 8 MIN - Kevin Croswell (v. PHI) 9 TOR - Bob Watson (v. BOS) 10 EDM - Chris Levis (v. CGY) …And from the group of remaining goaltenders, the following are worth starting if they get the start over any of the goalies listed already: 1 Matt King (v. EDM) 2 Rob Blasdell (v. MIN) 3 Nick Patterson (v. PHI) 4 Steve Dietrich (v. CGY) Hope this helps everyone when it comes time to set your lineups today. Remember to check the boxscores shortly before gametime to see who is starting in goal, as well as which players may or may not be active. And, of course, good luck! Until next time, Justin Rubino

Tracey Kelusky

Hey LAX fans… Have to say it was really something to play in Madison Square Garden last weekend. Ever since New York joined the league, I’ve wanted to play there. And the initial schedule this year didn’t have us playing there. To go into the grandest sports building in North America, maybe even the world, is something. You take the elevator up to MSG and the moment you get into the building there is a very distinct smell. It was a funky smell, not a bad smell, but something was definitely off. It’s the smell of an old building with a lot of history. You walk down the halls and there are pictures of Ali, Springsteen and Elton John. All the big names that have been in the building. Pretty cool spot to play, for sure. I had a lot of family, from my wife’s side, come to the game. They are all from the Connecticut area. There were probably 18 of them – mother in-law, sister-in-law, cousins. I have to give a big shout out to my mother-in-law, Big Jess, for being there. My wife Emi is a twin and her sister, Lizzy, was there. About five people mistook her for my wife. My wife wasn’t too happy about that because Lizzy is eight months pregnant. It’s okay, she was wearing a big jacket but I am sure my wife will give some of the guys the gears. It was great to get a win there too. I don’t think anyone predicted we would be at the top of the west when the All-Star break arrived but here we are, rolling strong. Four of us, including Josh Sanderson, Jeff Moleski and Jeff Shattler, are heading to the big event in Denver. For me, after a wonky, roller-coaster, up and down season last year with injuries, it’s great to be able to go to the All-Star game and great to feel like I am contributing offensively again. It’s really cool to see that Jeff Moleski is getting some recognition. He has been the backbone of our defence for years. A guy from small town Prince George who takes on the other team’s top players every night. Whenever he is on the floor he picks up the big player and is pretty darn good at shutting them down. All-star weekend is fun and it will be nice to see the Hall of Fame inductions of two players I have played with and against, Dallas Eliuk and Jim Veltman, going into the hall. Nice job to both guys and a very well deserved HOF nod for sure. The skills competition is, without a doubt, my least favorite event during the All-Star festivities. I just hope I am not in the breakaway competition. I think I can speak for most of the guys in saying it is tough to be in that one because it’s like a combination of a breakaway and trick shots and it’s hard to come up with an original move. I like watching it, just not having to come up with a new move! Anyways looking forward to it and will touch base soon, TK

Justin Rubino

Hey everyone, Just want to take this opportunity to let you know, as I'm sure you have figured out by now, that there will be no fantasy column or updates this week. Instead, all of your attention should be focused on the All-Star Game festivities taking place out west in Denver, Colorado! In case you haven't heard, you can follow all of the excitement of the All-Star weekend on the NLL Network: Friday, 10pm Eastern: NLL ALL-STAR SKILLS CHALLENGE Saturday, 3:30pm Eastern: NLL 2009 HALL-OF-FAME CEREMONY Saturday, 9pm Eastern: NLL 2009 ALL-STAR GAME So be sure to tune in and see what this weekend is all about! And I'll be back next week with the usual fantasy garb. You can be sure that Kevin Buchanan and Jason Henhawk (ugh!) will be points of discussion. Until next time, Justin Rubino

Colin Doyle

What's up? Just checking in after an awfully tough weekend out East. We lost back to back games in Boston and New York this past weekend, the second in heartwrenching style. I am frustrated and dissapointed with how we are doing, but I need to find a way to stay positive and keep this thing moving toward a playoff spot. I am heading out to the all-star game tomorrow in Denver and am excited to take part in the festivities, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bogged down with the toughts of our season. I am going to take the rest of this week and all of next week to reflect and think of how I can be better and I think my teamates are all doing the same thing. In hopes that we come back fresh and positive after the break. The good news is that we have three straight home games agains division rivals. A good run here in March will put us right back in the swing of things. We still control our own destiny and is sport that is all you can ask for!!! The all star game will be cool as the fans in Denver are the best in the game. They will make this one hell of an event even though it will be weird to have them cheering for me (as a member of the West) rather than against me. The weekend all starts off Friday evening with a meet and greet between the players and fans followed by the skills competitiion. Saturday has the Hall of Fame introduction ceremony as well as the game itself at 7pm. It will be great to see all the all stars as well as the many first timers that I am looking forward to meeting. I will check in next week again to let you knwo how it went. The timing is perfect as I really want to enjoy a fun weekend away from all the issues we are having in Stealthland. Too bad the Canadiens didn't do anything yesterday at the trade deadline, I thought adding some grit would have helped down the stretch, but I trust Gainey knows what he is doing. Until next time, stay tuned. Colin #7

Russ Cline

This column could fill a book with the obstacles we faced this weekend as a team. Flying from Philly to the West coast is as hard as flying from Philly toLondon. Thursday was a travel nightmare with half the team getting to Edmonton that night and the other half the next day, some only a couple of hours before the game. Saturday was not much better with the team leaving the hotel at 4:00 am to get through customs, check in and catch a 6:30 am flight to Portland. Physically and mentally the travel alone was brutal. NO ONE COMPLAINED even though they were tossed from airline to airline because of delayed or canceled flights and dealing with a three hour time difference. To top this off we would play without two top defenders and leaders in Taylor Wray and Sean Nadelen because of coaching responsibilities. In the first quarter of the Edmonton game Geoff Snider was accidently speared in the throat tearing his trachea and played the rest of the game. The best trainer in the league Jen Massey treated him through the night and on the flight or it he could have had even more serious complications. After arriving in Portland he was taken to the hospital where he was admitted to ICU for 2 days. Jen volunteered to stay back with him until he was released from the hospital this morning and she is now trying to get home through a snow storm. Geoff went home to Calgary for a week to recuperate. As if losing Geoff is not enough, in the 2nd quarter we lose Sean Thomson to a concussion and Iannucci could only be used sparingly because of his knee. Guys were pushed to their physical and skill limits playing against the #2 team in the West. Bad start but they fought hard. My first job in professional sports was 10 years with the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. It was there I learned that in sports you are either “pleased” or “displeased” but NEVER satisfied with your game. It’s the only way to get better. Then there are words like “character”, “toughness” and “team chemistry” that affect winning and losing. I can tell you that watching the Wings play their second best game of the season (1st, Buffalo) against Edmonton and then after a miserable start, battle back and only lose by two against a very good Portland team made me very proud. I saw character, toughness and team chemistry. Our coaches and staff did a great job of preparing them to play and coaching around the problems. In sports it’s not about having the best players but the right ones. Someone else can bash them but I am PLEASED with what they accomplished. Observations: - Brodie Merrill is recognized as the best “loose ball” player in the league. He got 11 Saturday night and our rookie Jordan Levine got….11. Jordan goes full speed every play…every game. - Our left side is on fire led by Merrick Thomson who is 1st in scoring on our team and 4th in the league. Twelve (12) goals in the last three game, with six on Friday night. Wailes got a “hat trick” on Saturday night and had five (5) assists on Friday night. Shannon got four (4) Friday night. - Drew Westervelt’ had some highlight reel goals. He is second in scoring on our team and seventh (7) in the league. He scored two goals each night. - Miller was sensational Friday night as was the defense. How about denying goals on two 5 on 3 man downs. - League stats: #1 in shots taken…last in Shots on Goal % #1 in loose balls #3 in Power play goal % #1 Short handed goals for Question of the week: When did we institute the “Challenge” and what are the rules? This is the first year. It is similar to the NFL. We get one challenge per half, but if the call stands as called the team loses a timeout. Only goals can be challenged under the rules. This team has had a lot of challenges this year. “Challenges don’t make you, they reveal you.” This weekend, filled with adversity, revealed something special about this team. They held together against two very good teams and made a statement to the league. I am PLEASED because I know the whole story behind the trip out West. We are in 4th place in the East and our goal is to move up.

Justin Rubino

How's it going, my fellow fantasy goers? In order to help for this weekend's games, the player notes that have been entered into the fantasy system are also posted below. Enjoy! Buffalo (v. MIN) Steenhuis and Tavares are must starts. After that, Accursi, Bomberry, Vyse and Dostie and worth the fourth or fifth spot in the lineup ; one or two of them will add big numbers in addition to the guaranteed production from Steenhuis and Tavares. ***NOTE: DARRIS KILGOUR ALLUDED THAT STEENHUIS SUFFERED AN UNDISCLOSED INJURY IN TORONTO, AND WITH THE ALL-STAR BREAK COMING UP, BENCHING THE LEAGUE-LEADER IN POINTS MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA. CHECK THE BOX SCORE BEFORE GAME TIME TO BE SURE HE IS STARTING*** Ken Montour: This week marks his turn in the Bandits’ goalie rotation, and he has been the best goalie in the league with his league-leading 8.14 GAA. He is undefeated at 5-0 and has far outperformed teammate Mike Thompson (12.27 GAA). Montour is an absolute must-start, and monitor the situation closely going forward; nobody could fault coach Darris Kilgour is he goes with Montour on a permanent basis. Mike Thompson: Ken Montour will start this week in the Buffalo goalie rotation, so if you start Thompson you will get a goose-egg. Toronto (v. MIN, @ ROC) Luke Wiles: He has produced 4.3, 3.9, 2.4, 3.3 and 4.6 fantasy points in his last five contests. Yes, please. Start him against Minnesota, as Rochester has been much improved on defense the past few weeks. Jason Crosbie: His worst fantasy total over the past five weeks has been 2.5 points. The Toronto offense is capable of putting big points on the board and Crosbie is a key facilitator. Start him against Minnesota, the weaker of the two opposing defenses as of late (compared to Rochester). Blaine Manning: Half of his goals (12) have come in the past three weeks, and his past two weeks have netted 4.5 and 4.4 fantasy points. A very good sign for the man capable of big stats. Start him against Minnesota, as Rochester has only allowed 33 goals over the past three weeks. Chad Thompson: Keep your eye on him, as he scored three goals and one assist in his most extensive action so far. Batley likes to run, so this transition player could turn into something for the fantasy playoffs. Craig Conn: He was a DNP last week, so check the box score before the game to see if he is active before you consider him against Minnesota, the better of the Rock’s two matchups (if you’re considering him). Bob Watson: Once thought of as one of the safest starting options, he now stands likely to lose a start to the newly acquired Curtis Palidwor. Check the box score around game time to see who is in the net before making a decision. Both opponents (Minnesota and Rochester) seem to be figuring out their offense after trading with each other, but the home game with Minnesota presents the more favorable matchup. Curtis Palidwor: Check the box score around game time to see if Palidwor is in net for one of the games with Toronto this weekend. You have to think he will start one game after being sought out in the trade, and thus he has fantasy value. Minnesota (@ TOR, @ BUF) Ryan Ward: His last three games have been good for 4.4, 5.9 and 3.8 fantasy points. Start him, preferably against Toronto, which is a much better matchup than Buffalo. Sean Pollock: Worth picking up out of speculation after two games with two goals and three assists in each last weekend (to go with nine and three loose balls). Don’t start him yet. Dan Marohl: 3.7, 3.3 and 3.3 points in last three games. No reason not expect the same type of numbers against Toronto, the more favorable matchup for Toronto this weekend (not Buffalo). Kevin Ross: There are better options out there on your free agent wire than Ross. Aaron Wilson: With a week in Minnesota under his belt, expect solid numbers from the veteran. I like the matchup with Toronto more than the one with Buffalo. Chad Culp: Had a big game last weekend (against Boston) with three goals and two assists… and that was the game with Wilson in the lineup. Check to see how he plays alongside Wilson again this week. Kevin Croswell: Both Swarm goalies should see a start this weekend. Check the box score shortly before game time to see who is in net; Croswell has been better, but neither matchup is great. Nick Patterson: Both Swarm goalies should see a start this weekend. Check the box score shortly before game time to see who is in net; Croswell has been better, but neither matchup is great. Portland (v. PHI) Cory Conway: Before the two-week bye, his last five games went for 3.5, 1.6, 5.8, 4.0 and 2.7. He is a must start against Philadelphia. Ryan Powell: After not scoring a goal in his first two games, Powell put up the following fantasy number starting on 1/10 vs. Colorado: 5.0, 4.0, 3.6, 2.3 and 4.5 fantasy points. Start him. Derek Malawsky: Averaging around a goal and two assists. You could do worse out of the last spot in your roster. Peter Morgan: Has at least two goals in each of his past five games. Brodie Merrill: Very similar to Geoff Snider, but his offensive stats are more consistent. If you have him, get him in the lineup. Pete Jacobs (akw): He had a hat-trick (and an assist) in the last LumberJax game. See if he can do it again this week. Matt Disher: Man, are fantasy owners glad to have him back this week. He has played all but 1:53 in goal for Portland this year and has been absolute fantasy gold. Get him back in the lineup if you have him. Philadelphia (@ EDM, @ POR) Athan Iannucci: He’s back, and he’s still one of the best, if not the best, goal scorers in the league. Both games are on the road, and one is against Matt Disher while the other will be in front of a full-crowd (thanks to Edmonton’s $1 Ticket Night)… but he needs to be in your lineup. Mat Giles: Philadelphia’s offense was back to normal after only scoring four goals against Boston on 2/13, which also happened to be Giles’ only game with under 3.7 fantasy points in his past five game. Drew Westervelt: Has scored a goal in every game for Philadelphia this year, and managed 4.3 fantasy points in Iannucci’s return. With teams focusing on Iannucci, Westervelt should continue to impress. Merrick Thomson: A safe starting option with high upside. Expect 2-3 points with a ceiling of 5-6. Brandon Miller: Miller is the guy you want of the two Philadelphia goalies, but any starting goaltender is valuable in fantasy. Check the box scores before the games this weekend to see who is starting which game, with Edmonton being the statistically-speaking better option. Rob Blasdell: Miller is the guy you want of the two Philadelphia goalies, but any starting goaltender is valuable in fantasy. Check the box scores before the games this weekend to see who is starting which game, with Edmonton being the statistically-speaking better option. Edmonton (v. PHI) Dan Teat: Has cooled off considerably the past three week, with .5 fantasy points last week after 2.2 in both of the preceding weeks. Conventional wisdom says to stick with the girl you brought to the dance and stay patient, but if you have solid depth you can afford to bench him this week. Ryan Benesch: He is good for two points a week, and if Edmonton is going to score a lot in front of the home crowd, he is the most likely candidate for big numbers. Andy Secore: 3.1, 3.4 and 2.4 fantasy points his past three games. He is worth starting in the fourth or fifth spot of your lineup. Callum Crawford: Don’t get cute and start him after his 5.5 fantasy points last week against Colorado. Make him do it at least once more before considering him. Steve Dietrich: Dietrich does not pose as a tempting starting option this weekend, but check the box score before game time to see who is in net if you need a goalie. Chris Levis: Levis does not pose as a tempting starting option this weekend, but check the box score before game time to see who is in net if you need a goalie. Calgary (@ NY) Nothing to update here. Sanderson, Kelusky, Dobbie, Toth, Malawsky and Ranger remain as starts. Campbell is still the sure-fire starter and is still good. New York (v. CGY, v. SJ) Brendan Mundorf: I know I sound like a broken record, but this guy has been money lately. Fantasy totals of 3.4, 4.4, 4.0 and 3.8 in his past four games make him a must start. Neither matchup this weekend is enviable, but I would rather roll against San Jose than Calgary. Jordan Hall: Only had 0.8 fantasy points last week, but New York only scored seven goals. Expect the offense to get back on track this week and Jordan Hall to follow suit. Neither matchup this weekend is enviable, but I would rather roll against San Jose than Calgary. Pat Maddelena: A very safe option on his way to becoming an elite one. Neither matchup this weekend is enviable, but I would rather roll against San Jose than Calgary. Ryan Boyle: Only 1.8 fantasy points last week after back-to-back weeks of 4.4 and 4.8. He is a great feeder, evidenced by six and five assists in those two productive weeks (respectively), and is a solid pickup for the fifth spot in your lineup if you need someone. Neither matchup this weekend is enviable, but I would rather roll against San Jose than Calgary. Casey Powell: He sounds like a go after listening to coach Ed Comeau, but it is worth your while to check the box score right before game time to make sure he is active for both games. If he does not play for some reason, I like Maddalena and Mundorf to step up the most. Matt Vinc: As close as a guarantee to be the starter as it gets. Roll him out there safely, although both matchups are dangerous. Boston (v. SJ) Dan Dawson: Putting up silly numbers, on pace to break the single-season assists record of 71 by Josh Sanderson. Considering benching him would be blasphemous. Gary Bining: The most reliable of the Blazers not named Dawson or Veltman. Only one of his past four games has gone for less than two fantasy points. He is the only secondary option in Boston who has proved to be starter worthy so far. Matt Lyons: He is averaging 2.3 over his last four games, and is right behind Bining in terms of earning starter-status. If you are in a bind, he is worth a look… but curb your expectations as Matt Roik (the opposing goaltender this weekened) has the second best GAA in the league (9.15) Brenden Thenhaus: He has cooled off lately, scoring only one goal to go with eight assists over his last four games. With Dawson dishing, the potential for a big game is there for Thenhaus, but I wouldn’t recommend rolling the dice against Roik and San Jose this week. Jason Bloom: He is an intriguing option in Boston, especially with the team showing a penchant for the transition game a bit lately. Anyone can get involved in Boston, and his .303 shooting percentage bodes well for someone playing with Dan Dawson. But please, do not start him unless he puts together a bigger body of work. Sean Morris: If he comes back this week, you owe it to yourself to watch him. He scored a goal and two assists in his only game this year and his skill set (read: speed) should mesh well with the Boston attack. Anthony Cosmo: Check before game time just to be safe, but Cosmo will start. He remains a great fantasy option in goal on the hottest team in the league. Rochester (v. TOR) Shawn Williams: Has been the best option in Rochester all year, and that has not changed following the trade for Craig Point; last week he had his best goal output of the year (4). Gary Gait: After missing last week due to a coaching commitment with Syracuse University, Gait will be back in the lineup against Toronto. He should be back in your lineup, too. Jason Henhawk: If you read my articles, you know I am high on him. He is worth the fourth or fifth spot in your lineup against Toronto. Craig Point: Expect him to follow up his very productive Rochester debut (two goals, three assists and seven loose balls) with another starter-worthy output. Toronto’s defense has been struggling. Joe Walters: I’m finally jumping off the bandwagon. Henhawk and Millin are clearly both ahead of Walters on the Knighthawks depth chart, so feel free to drop him. Bobby McBride: From this week’s fantasy article: “The data is a bit limited with only one start in the books for McBride, but after last weekend's performance (2.7 fantasy points), he'll be in the Knighthawks lineup week in and week out. He's good for at least a point, but probably more, with his speed and transition skills.” Pat O’Toole: He has solidified the Rochester defense, which has allowed 33 goals over the past three games. He is the definite starter in Rochester. San Jose (@ NY, @ BOS) Colin Doyle, Rhys Duch, Jeff Zywicki and now Cam Sedgwick are must-starts. Paul Rabil: He is being worked into the Stealth offense more and more every week, and his comfort level is subsequently rising. Two goals, one assist and four loose balls last week (2.9 fantasy points) show that he is close to becoming a starting option. He is probably not worth a start this week, but could be soon. Matt Roik: He has been a great option all year and that does not change this week. Both opponents present similar numbers (the Blazers are averaging 10.4 goals/game over their past five compared to New York’s 10.6), so it might be safest to start Roik in the first Stealth game (in Boston) if he is listed as the starter (as he should be) in the box score before game time (just in case head coach Jeff Dowling decides to give him a rest in the second game). That being said, he should be safe to go for both games. Best to everyone in Week 9. I'll be back next week to recap this weekend's events before the fantasy week-off that will come with the 2009 All-Star Game in Colorado. Until next time, Justin Rubino

Paul Rabil

What’s up Stealth fans?! This past weekend was an awesome experience getting a chance to play in front of one of the largest crowds we have had in San Jose. You know what? Sometimes I think people take for granted the success some other teams have with their loyal fan base and popularity. We had almost 7 gur? (is that the way you spell it? A lot of the fellas on our team say “gur” instead of “K”, “grand”, “cash”, “g’s”, “thousand”…you get it) at the HP Pavilion. I mean, come on…those of us who can remember our college days playing big games, having 7,000 fans in attendance was considered pretty large…I remember our biggest game of the year at Hopkins was always against our rivaled Maryland Terrapins. At Homewood, the game would draw 10,000 people and would be absolutely crazy. At MD, because of the stadium size, we would get close to 15,000 people…Anyways, if you don’t catch my drift you are either, A. don’t give a flying hoot, or B. I am a terrible writer…But to make it clear, playing in front of 7 gur was awesome and can’t wait to get back in the HP. So let’s get on with it. In case you haven’t noticed, my blogs are pretty sloppy. Most of the time I think I just sit down and start typing whatever first comes to my head from the past weekend. BUT, fear not, there is a reason behind this…Now typically I am not known to be someone who likes to point the finger at another, but in this case, my blogging credibility is at stake, but more importantly, my terrible writing technique and grammar has been exposed for far to long. Read more...

Russ Cline

I feel like Randy, one of the judges on American Idol when critiquing a contestant he thinks is very good and say’s “Dawg, that was ok but I know you have more in you than that”. I would never ever be ungrateful for a win, but “Dawg” that still wasn’t our best and I am still looking for that game when we put it all together. This team can play with any team in the league but every franchise has gotten so good that it takes a complete effort to win consistently. Now back to how I feel….I am elated we won and I am very proud of our team for winning Saturday night against a very determined Swarm team. Biggest attendance of the season so far. Thoughts; -You are (most of you anyway) very kind to me but my blog has nothing to do with the team winning or loosing. These are very proud professionals who try to play every week with pride. If words were effective in changing behaviors everyone would do the right thing. Just know that wanting to win for you and themselves is plenty of emotional motivation to get that part of the job done. -Great to have AI back. He worked very hard to rehab from the injury. He is still not 100% physically but gave 100%. Three goals after being off for most of the season is an exceptional night. He looked like the old AI carrying two players on his back, scoring a short handed goal with a one handed shot which proved to be the “winning goal”. Without that extra effort the outcome could have been different. He adds more to this team than just scoring goals. -Brandon Miller continues to play great in goal. He would tell you he let a couple of “soft ones in” but I would tell him he stopped more than that standing on his head for us. -We have got to get our offense off the floor faster to allow our defensive players to counter the opponent’s transition game or it could get ugly out West. -Merrick Thomson did a great job getting us on the board quick with two of his three goals on the power play within the first 4 minutes and his third before the 1st quarter ended. -We out loosed ball them 94-76. A stat that shows heart and effort. Geoff kept up his face off dominance winning 22-29. -Don’t be deceived….Boston is not your typical expansion team and Minnesota is a very good team. This is a tough league and especially if you have injury set backs to key personnel or don’t give your best. -Congratulations to Kyle Sweeney who will join Geoff Snider representing the Wings in the NLL All-Star Game on March 7th in Denver. He deserves this recognition as does some others who were not named. -NEW FEATURE: We are going to add a new feature to the blog called “We really would like to know”. These are questions you always wanted to ask and now you have the opportunity. Please send your questions to Corrine at WingsWeb@comcast-spectacor.com. She will submit the question that is most asked. The question will be answered by a coaching staff member or me depending on the topic. This weeks question came Saturday night in the post-game party: -QUESTION: “Where do our players come from?” (place of residence) -ANSWER: In the MLL days when Chris and I owned the league we restricted each team, except the Canadian border cites to two Canadian players per team so most of the players came within driving distance of the team city. When the league became the NLL and expanded nationally the league the rule changed. Since playing in the NLL is not a full time job our players by necessity must live where they make their full time living. This means they have to fly to games and practices which is expensive and a real grind physically for them over the course of the season. Ideally we would like for the league to be full time some day so we would have full access to players for practice and community involvement. All teams have the same issue. We fly-in 5 players from Toronto, 1 from Dallas, 1 from Albany and 1 from Hartford, Others: 4 from NY, 3 from Baltimore, 6 Philadelphia. (3 of these are Canadian players (Snider, Iannucci and Van Beek) that have moved to the market for the season and they receive extra support for living expenses.) We are adding another fly-in from Toronto this week. These numbers do not include staff. I told the players before last weeks game that we were in a 9-game season. We are 1-0 with 8 to go. The opportunity to make the playoffs is still very real. Thanks again for caring so much about the Wings because we care about you. Russ

Tracey Kelusky

Hey LAX fans, back with another blog… Not that I’m a huge romantic but what a way to spend a Valentines Day weekend. It totally cramped my style. Yeah right! All kidding aside, I was really looking forward to the weekend in Denver. It is such an amazing place to play and, to say the least, I don’t think there is a whole lot of love lost between our two teams. After a long day of travel we finally arrived in Denver. A bunch of the guys wanted to go out for a nice meal so after a little debating we eventually opted for the Chophouse. Not a bad call! I had the prime rib and three of us decided to split on 1.5 pounds of crap… oh I mean crab. They nearly had to wheel us outta there. We eventually got into the room around 11:30 and decided to call it a night. Morning shoot around is generally the same every weekend. We hopped on the bus at 9:15 for a 10:00 am shoot around. Typically we run through the similar drills for the first half hour then chat about systems and such to prepare for that nights’ opponent. It’s usually nice to get out for a run in the morning, but I don’t envy the teams that play in the Mile High City. It’s a little tough to breathe that air when you’re not used to it. After shoot around, Kaleb Toth and I always order room service when we are in Colorado. We both had the club sandwich and fries. I know, not the best pre-gamer, but there is something to be said about superstition. Every year we get the same sandwich from room service, and since in the past we have had some success in the Pepsi Center, neither one of us was about to mess around. Well so much for superstitions and so much for an undefeated season. I knew we had to lose eventually but, to be honest with you, I wasn’t quite ready. Props to the Mammoth, they played us strong and that building is flat out ridiculous sometimes. I think a lot has to be said for the support they get on a nightly basis and for the overall atmosphere at the Pepsi Center: 17,000 rabid fans cheering you on definitely doesn’t hurt when you’re mounting a comeback. After the game we also checked out who won the Bandits and Rock game. Are you kidding me? Not a bad evening for the boys in black and Mr. Steenhuis. I guess they weren’t too happy with the loss to the Wings the previous weekend. They certainly solidified why they are 6-1 on the year. We arrived back in Calgary on Sunday afternoon and with the holiday on Monday it gave me another day to lick my wounds before heading back to work on Tuesday. The majority of Sunday was spent on the couch and running after the little man. He is crawling now and wants to get into everything. The bride cooked a nice dinner for Valentines Day so the three of us had a nice relaxing dinner and night in. A little more of the same R and R on Monday. Time to talk grassroots lax. In earlier postings I have talked about the importance of stick maintenance. I hope a lot of the youngsters out there are learning how to string your own sticks. I recently had to switch heads due to the league endorsement deal with Reebok. Not that the new Reebok sticks are bad. They’re actually pretty good. But I have been using a Torque for about six years and it is always tough to get used to a new stick. After getting a Reebok 9K stick strung up I had to spend a lot of time tweaking it so that I was comfortable using it. I spent hours with the new head just manipulating the shooters and pocket until I was ready and confident to use it. Thankfully I had the knowledge. I finally got my stick (the mesh) broke in by simply playing catch off the boards for hours. I will reiterate again how important it is for kids to take the time to learn how to string a stick and maintain the pockets in their sticks. If I was to go out and use a stick fresh off the shelf I can honestly say I would be somewhat of an egg and spooner and probably would have struggled to get the ball to go where I wanted it to. It takes time to get your stick the way you want it. You should INVEST IN YOUR STICK and personalize it. Hey, it’s not like the old days when you had an old woodie and had to spend an entire day just shaving the shaft down with broken glass. It’s Tupperware. Make it personal to you and spend some time learning the basics of stick maintenance. Take care and comb your hair TK17

Justin Rubino

As promised, fantasy notes have been entered into the system for Week 8's games. They can be viewed by scrolling over the sticky-note located next to their name on your fantasy roster. Below is a team-by-team list of all of the updates. The notes in bold are the ones of most importance... I think. NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT GET TO THE ROCHESTER SECTION, GARY GAIT IS NOT PLAYING THIS WEEKEND DUE TO A COACHING COMMITMENT AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. GET HIM OUT OF YOUR LINEUPS!!! -Buffalo- Mark Steenhuis: Fresh off a four goal, 13 assists and 11 loose balls performance (good for 11.6 fantasy points, the most by a runner this year), Steenhuis has cemented himself above must-start status. No player is ever untradeable, depending on the deal, but along with Casey Powell, he is as close as it gets. Roll him out there every week. Cory Bomberry: He exploded for a huge game last week, totalling three goals, six assists and four loose balls (6.4 fantasy points). This was by far his best game of the year, so you should not expect that output every week. Still, Buffalo is loaded and capable of putting 15 on the board during any given week. If you are looking for depth, the man with the hardest shot in the league could be your answer. Roger Vyse: This first time All-Star selection is tied for sixth in the league in goals scored with 16. Still, he has not been consistent enough to warrant every-week play; his 7.4 fantasy points last week account for more than a third of his total on the year. But, as we have said all along, any Bandits player is capable of going off during a given week. No one can blame you for rolling him out there this week vs. the Rock. Sean Greenhalgh: With so much talent in Buffalo, it has been hard for Greenhalgh to make a significant mark. While he has been consistently scoring a bit more than a goal and an assist per game, you can do better elsewhere. Mike Thompson: Head Coach Darris Kilgour has maintained all year that he will rotate his goaltenders, and this week would be Thompson's turn. However, fellow goalie Ken Montour is 2-0 vs. the Rock (this week's opponent) this year and has put up the better numbers of the two. We think Kilgour will stick to his plan, but no one could blame him if he starts Montour. To be safe, check the boxscore sometime during the half-hour leading up to game time. Ken Montour: Head Coach Darris Kilgour has maintained all year that he will rotate his goaltenders, and this week would be Thompson's turn. However, fellow goalie Ken Montour is 2-0 vs. the Rock (this week's opponent) this year and has put up the better numbers of the two. We think Kilgour will stick to his plan, but no one could blame him if he starts Montour. To be safe, check the boxscore sometime during the half-hour leading up to game time. -Toronto- Kasey Beirnes: He has cooled off considerably since his hot start. His last game (one goal, two assists, six loose balls) is more in line with what you should expect from him. Craig Conn: He has scored a goal in both games since returning to the league. Last week, he managed 2.4 fantasy points (one goal, two assists, four loose balls). This is a good sign from the man who scored 44 goals in 15 games in 2006. Take a chance on him; it could pay huge dividends. Blaine Manning: Manning had his best game since the opener in Toronto's blowout loss to Buffalo last week, scoring three goals and adding two assists and four loose balls (4.4 fantasy points). Not that you would have dropped him (...hopefully), but if you have him, roll him out there for a rematch with the Bandits; the Rock should have some fire under their backsides in this grudge match. Lewis Ratcliff: Ratcliff left last week's game with Buffalo early in the 1st quarter after eating a hit into the boards. If he does play against Buffalo this week, he needs to be in the starting lineup considering his game two weeks ago (four goals, three assists), the fact that Toronto will be angry after last week's game and HE IS LEWIS RATCLIFF. Check the boxscore right before gametime to see if he is in the active lineup. Jason Crosbie: Expect his career year to continue with something in the vicinity of one goal and four assists. Bob Watson: Barring the Earth collapsing into itself, Watson should get the start for Toronto. Whether you want to start him against Buffalo is a different story; if you have other options, use them. -Boston- Daryl Veltman: After tearing through the league in his first month, Veltman has come back down to earth his past three games. That being said, he is still a lock for around two fantasy points with the potential to net you five or six. Boston's two opponents this weekend, Minnesota and Calgary, have given up the two lowest amount of goals this season (50 and 62, respectively), so expect the former (two points) more so than the latter (six) in both games this weekend. Brenden Thenhaus: A member of the musical-chairs scoring committee in Boston, Thenhaus has not put the ball in the net his past two games, but has managed four and two assists in each. While the potential is there for a solid contribution out of your fifth spot, he can also disappear in games (i.e. zero goals and zero assists at Philadelphia on 1/23). With the defensive gauntlet that the Blazers are facing this weekend, stray clear of Thenhaus if you can. Matt Lyons: Lyons scored five of his nine goals in one game (vs. Philadelphia on 1/24), so to call him a sure thing would be crazy. He has managed 2.8 and 2.0 fantasy points in his last two games, and Boston only scored nine and eight goals, respectively, in those contests. However, do not expect a much different output against the two stingiest defense (Minnesota and Calgary) this weekend. Gary Bining: He scored four of the nine goals, including the game-tier with 9.8 seconds left, in Boston's miraculous win against New York on 2/7. He has shown the potential to score in bunches, adding three more in Philadelphia on 1/23, but he is hit-or-miss (like a lot of the Blazers). He should be on a roster, but expecting big numbers this weekend might be asking too much. Jason Bloom: Notched a hat-trick in Philadelphia last week, but only has seven goals on the year. Make him do it again before trusting him. Sean Morris: Morris is expected to make his return to the lineup this weekend, and is worth monitoring. Anthony Cosmo: We love the matchup against Minnesota more so than Calgary. There is no reason why he shouldn't start, but it couldn't hurt to check before gametime. -Minnesota- Ryan Ward: It's hard to recommend anyone on Minnesota's offense, but Ward has been good for a consistent two-three points all year. Technically, you could do worse out of your fourth or fifth spot. Aaron Wilson: Wilson started to come on, scoring three goals in each of his last two games with Rochester. Now, as a member of the Swarm, his value takes a hit; Minnesota has not scored more than 11 goals in a game this year, and that was in their first contest. Wait for them to snap out of their offensive funk before rolling with the Swarm. Nick Patterson: He got both losses the last time the Swarm played (a two-game weekend), and teammate Kevin Croswell looked better in relief. Check in before gametime to see which goalie gets each start this weekend, as they could be worth a start; Minnesota is allowing 10 goals a game. Kevin Croswell: Croswell looked better than Patterson the last time the Swarm played, but it remains to be seen who starts which game for Minnesota. Check in before gametime to see which goalie gets each start this weekend, as they could be worth a start; Minnesota is allowing 10 goals a game. -Philadelphia- Athan Iannucci: Don't expect him to play this weekend. Geoff Snider: One of the hardest guys to peg in fantasy lacrosse. He is a loose ball machine, good for at least one point in that category every game. His other stats are a crapshoot though, especially considering the way Philadelphia has played of late. You should never sit your studs, but is Snider one of your studs? Against Minnesota, it is probably best to stray clear. Drew Westervelt: He has scored a goal in every game for the Wings this year. If you want to roll out a Wing against Minnesota, he is the safest bet. Rob Blasdell: No way to know who is going to start in net for Philadelphia. Check the boxscore about a half-hour before game times for the final word. Brandon Miller: No way to know who is going to start in net for Philadelphia. Check the boxscore about a half-hour before game times for the final word. -New York- Pat Maddalena: The Mad Man has been great for New York this season, and rolled out a five goal, three assist effort against Rochester last week. Nothing new here: keep starting him. Jordan Hall: This second-year stud has been awesome for New York and has been one of the best values in fantasy this year. He added to his numbers with two goals and four assists last week, and should put together another solid performance against Rochester. Brendan Mundorf: Mundorf has been one of the hottest players in the league over his last three games, notching two hat-trick and racking up six assists in the other game. He has become a key cog in the powerful New York offense, and if for some reason he is unowned in your league, be the one to change that. He is worth a start this week. Ryan Boyle: In his past two games, Boyle has earned fantasy totals of 4.8 and 4.4 points. New York has a high-scoring offense, and if Boyle can stay involved, he is worth adding to your team. With totals like that, he is even worth the fourth or fifth spot in your lineup. Matt Vinc: The clear-cut starter in NY. Roll him out and watch him perform. -Rochester- Gary Gait: After submitting the goal-of-the-year candidate last week, Gait will be unavailable to play this weekend due to coaching commitments with Syracuse University. Look elsewhere for Week 8. Jason Henhawk: In his first game back from injury since his three goal, four assist performance against Toronto on 1/31, Henhawk delivered three assists and one loose ball against New York last week. While not earth-shattering, those numbers lend to the fact that he has the talent to be a player in this league. Do not play him this week, but stash him on your bench and see if he can put up starter-worthy numbers. Joe Walters: Still waiting for that break-through performance. It has to come... it just has to. Craig Point: His value just got a lot higher after being traded to Rochester. While he goes to a team with a worse record, a change of scenery could be just what he needed. Teaming up with Shawn Williams, tied for sixth in the league with 24 assists, should help as well. We would not do it, but if you are feeling lucky, roll him out as your fifth runner against New York this weekend. Pat O'Toole: He's as safe an option as they come in terms of starting each game. -Colorado- Brian Langtry: Colorado is back on track and Langtry has been one of the hottest players in the league over his past four games. Start him, no questions asked. Gavin Prout: With Colorado back on track, Prout has been money over his past four games. Along with Langtry, start him with no hesitation. Jamie Shewchuk: His play has picked up during Colorado's winning streak, scoring 3.4, 3.3 and 2.7 fantasy points over that stretch. There's room for production like that on most any fantasy roster. And if Dan Carey remains out, his value is even higher. Gary Rosyski: Another player whose numbers have gone up during Colorado's turnaround. He has had at least 3-NLL points over his past four games and will continue to see valuable action if Dan Carey misses extended time. Matt Danowski: The rookie has had his moments and is getting much more acclimated to the indoor game, but the points have no come quite yet. We are willing to bet that they will. Don't start him, but he should be on someone's roster. Is that someone you? Dan Carey: Still unsure as to whether or not he will play. Be sure to check the Colorado boxscore right before game time to see if he is on the active roster. -Leyshon: Leyshon has been the man for Colorado. If you have him, you would be hard pressed to sit him. -San Jose- Cam Sedgwick: He is averaging just under four points a game for San Jose and went off for four goals, two assists and eight looses balls against Edmonton on 1/31. Just in case you missed it. Rhys Duch: Duch is one rookie having no trouble playing the indoor game. He has had only one game with less than three fantasy points. Translation: start him. Matt Roik: No reason to think we will not get the start against Colorado. Colorado is hot, but it is always good to have options; he would not be our first one, but he could come in handy. -Calgary- Pat Campbell: No reason to think Campbell will not start. If you want to be safe, you know the drill: check the boxscore about a half-hour before gametime. IF YOU READ MY ARTICLES, YOU KNOW WHO TO START FROM CALGARY! -Edmonton- Dan Teat: One of the steals of the year. His numbers have dropped a bit lately, scoring only 2.2 fantasy points in each of his last two games, but you cannot drop him; he is too valuable. It may be wise to sit him, however, against one of the hottest goaltenders in the league this week in Andrew Leyshon. But, if Edmonton is going to score, it's going to go through Teat. Andy Secore: His play has improved as of late, notching two goals in each of the past two games. Everyone knows he has the talent, but Edmonton needs to consistently put points on the board before you can feel safe starting him. Ryan Benesch: Has cooled off since a hot start in Edmonton. Despite earlier raves from our resident fantasy man, Justin Rubino, everyone is being hit by Edmonton's recent offensive woes. He did manage 2.6 fantasy points last week, and his numbers will be there if the offense picks up. For now, keep him benched this week. Steve Dietrich: This situation is a crapshoot. Hamley really likes Chugger, but his recent play has opened the door for Chris Levis to see more playing time. This is a perfect example of a situation that ABSOLUTELY REQUIRES you to check the boxscore right before gametime. Chris Levis: This situation is a crapshoot. Hamley really likes Dietrich, but his recent play has opened the door for Levis to see more playing time. This is a perfect example of a situation that ABSOLUTELY REQUIRES you to check the boxscore right before gametime. There you go, guys. I hope this helps everyone in their quest for fantasy dominance. Enjoy the Week 8 games! Until next time, Justin Rubino

Geoff Snider

Geoff, Why no direct comments re. lacrosse? Are you too embarrassed with a 2-4 record? As a season tic holder for 22 yrs. that’s right 22 yrs. I would like you to address the teams pathetic performance without all the political correctness that usually comes from athletes. I believe my comments are both respectful and insightful!! Lets see if you have as much backbone to respond as you do to aggressive play on the field. Sincerely, Ed Section 113 Thank you for your comments Ed, this particular post reminds me of a moment in a classic movie Back to the Future II. While in the future, Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer discovered that in 1985, the day after Marty arrived back from 1955, Marty was involved in a car accident after drag racing Needles close to Marty’s home in Lyon Estates. Marty broke his hand and was sued by the driver of the white Rolls-Royce that he “t-boned.” Marty had to give up his dream of a career in music and spent many years feeling sorry for himself and regretting the decision he made. By 2015, Marty and Jennifer were living in Hilldale, a community that had begun development in 1985 which had now deteriorated over the last 30 years. Marty and Jenn were having marriage difficulties, and Marty was stuck in a dead end job at Fujitsu Enterprises, where his supervisor was his former classmate Needles...How poetic. This is one of those defining moments where I make the decision to take Ed up on his offer, defy the laws of “sports blogging” and customer service as somewhat of a spokesperson for the Wings, immediately get a phone call from Russ, Chris, and Mike and find myself taking draws for Tours in the FSLL (French Super Lacrosse League). I hate the food inFrance, with the exception of the chocolate so I’m going to make the decision to slam my 1984 Toyota SR5 4Runner into reverse and let Ed swerve around the Rolls Royce, take a sigh of relief, and watch my career remain intact. Ed, I will never be embarrassed to put on a Wings jersey. I’m honoured and proud to be a part of this organization for the same reasons that you have been a season ticket holder for 22 years. The political correctness that usually comes from athletes is in fact our commitment to the team, the organization, and to the sport. We are as much a part of this team as you are, and I can assure you that your frustration is shared by all of the individuals that are in our locker room. Without making excuses our team has battled more adversity than any team in NLL history, and as players we are looking to you, our fans and teammates, to help us continue to battle adversity and to scratch and claw our way back into the light. Things might not be going our way, but it isn’t because of a lack of effort or heart or perseverance or determination. As a loyal fan you deserve better, and I can honestly tell you to expect better. Ps. Don’t call me Chicken. 4

Russ Cline

This has become terribly difficult. I was embarrassed Friday night watching one of the most painful and disappointing lacrosse games in my 23 years with the Wings. What made it worse was the lack of passion, toughness and intensity. Brandon Miller and the defense played very well after the first four minutes but offensively we never got anything going. Thompson, Shannon and AI were injury scratches. A number of the players had the flu but there’s no excuse at this level to consistently drop balls, make bad passes and not battle for loose balls. And yes I was tipped off to read “Dear Mr. Cline” on the message board. If we could take your passion from the board to the field we win that game easily. BASED ON WHERE YOU WANTED ME TO “STICK THE BLOG”, I WOULD REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS OPTIONALREADING AND I’LL UNDERSTAND IF YOU STOP NOW. I can only assure you that every option is being considered by the ownership and coaching staff of what to do. No one is safe in this organization. Disappointment has turned to anger…frustration to rage. I shared my disgust, anger and disappointment with the players after the game. What’s next? This feels really bad. We know we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t. Some of you have the option to quit on us…I don’t. As an ownership group we are challenged to make rational, unemotional decisions at a time when we feel totally frustrated and mad as hell. Make no mistake; I am very disappointed that we have let you down. We are big boys and at the end of the day will have to pay for our decisions and it’s getting real expensive. We are talking with the coaching staff and other teams to see if we can improve our club through a trade without doing something we will regret later. Whatever we do must help us “now” and “in the future.” To get good players you have to give up good players. Trading to make you or me “feel better” is not wise. AI is in an intensive rehab program for his injury and “may” (please read “may”) be able to play this Saturday. He alone cannot turn this team around. As hard as it is for me to say after last Friday night I do know that “this team is not as bad as they played.” Each player and coach owes it to you to be the team that beat the Bandit’s, not the one that “stunk up” the arena Friday night. Right or wrong there are “no bailouts” in sports. In the end, we have to play our way out of this mess. We hope you won’t...but you have every right to give up on us. But as an organization and team, we cannot give up on each other. I know that you will not be bashful about letting me know how you feel. On a very positive note...congratulations to Geoff Snider, named today to the starting line up for the NLL All-Star Game. I’ll be at the game Saturday night with my family. One favor…take it out on me but be nice to them. They are having their own issues dealing with me through this mess. Have a great week.

Geoff Snider

I’ve thought a great deal about how to write these things, and actually laughed today with a co-worker in the Wings office about what a “blog” or “blogger” even is. To be honest I feel a little awkward writing this thing in an office rather than my mother’s basement dreaming about my first girlfriend and surrounded by Han Solo and Luke Skywalker action figures that are still in their packages. Brian Langtry touched on this sometime back when he chirped Kevin Fixler (who is actually a really good dude) and his rant was nothing short of comical. Since then Brian has come into his own as some sort of webmaster, eugooglize Langtry’s Basement, his “basement blog” will be a perfect fit post career when he is dragged out of the sport kicking and screaming. Sorry about getting sidetracked, Brian is an awesome guy and great athlete; I’m very much looking forward to the Philadelphia fans tearing him apart when the Mammoth visit the Wachovia Center at the end of March. Well, what to write about first. I’m not going to spend my time recapping all of the action that everyone should either be in attendance watching or catching via the internet on nll.com. Not to mention, nllinsider does a great job covering the game and I don’t have the mental fortitude to blog battle with Tutka for laxblog supremacy. If you want to talk about lacrosse, come watch the game so we have something to discuss in person. That all being said. I feel that it is important to walk the line, break the mold, and more than likely piss some people off by sharing my thoughts on issues that you want to hear my opinion on. Now, this can certainly backfire wildly, and none of you will email my man Evan here at the Wings think-tank with your topics/issues that you want discussed, but hopefully that isn’t the case. In any event, if you have a moment, please email Evan Bradlee (ebradlee@comcast-spectacor.com) and share your ideas and topics for discussion on my blog. I have only two conditions: 1). Respectful and insightful inquiries only, no mind numbing topics, please get creative. 2). No direct lacrosse topics, I will do my best to relate back to the game and the interesting people that I have played with and met throughout my career. I’m looking forward to some interesting emails; see you at the game Friday night.

Paul Rabil

Hey Stealth Fans – How do ya do? …Me?…I’m kinda buggin’ out right now being it our bye week and already Game 7 of the season approaching…yikes, time really flies by when you’re in lax season, ha! But seriously, I always felt that Spring always came and went faster than any other season because we get so caught up from game to game, that we lose track of what goes on in between. The NLL season is even longer than college, but it sure as heck doesn’t feel like it. So I wanted to talk about a few things that went on this past weekend in Portland. First of all, it was my first time out in that city, and I had no idea how famous Brandon Roy is until I saw his big mug on the side of three buildings…but that has little to do with lacrosse. We were unfortunate this weekend to end up on the wrong side of things in a tough loss to Portland. Another great team in the West…feels like it’s never ending. I realized on my flight back that what they say in the NFL all season may not be as much of a cliché as we may think. You know, how “any given week any given team can beat anyone”? Well, I’ve never been a part of a league where that doesn’t hold up quite like the NLL. I guess you can make that claim in college, but the truth is, there are levels of talent that are different in college. Bottom line, some teams are way more talented than others. What I’m figuring out here in the NLL is that every player through every roster is super talented, but not only that, it’s really the team that shows up all 4 quarters every night that wins… So, there’s my vent for the week. Let’s move on to some other pretty interesting stuff that went down in Portland… I’m sure everyone knows about the infamous “KISS CAM” that all of these arenas in every which sport are doing now right? Read more...

Russ Cline

This weekend was an emotional roller coaster. Friday night I was so high I could have flown to the top of the arena flapping my arms. Sunday night I felt like I had fallen from the top of the arena onto concrete. It is almost sick to care about something so much that it can make you feel invincible one moment and a totally vulnerable the next. Maybe the reason we love sports so much is because of the fantasyland of emotions it provides. Observations: Friday night: -Old school Wings lacrosse. The team played aggressive, solid lacrosse for 60 minutes against the best in the league. -I though Miller was the MVP but the team as a whole won the game. -The defense played its best game of the year and the offense, while a little ragged at times moved, passed the ball and had a great Bandit defense on their heels. -We stayed out of the penalty box. -You had the place rocking. It was a great night to be a Wings fan. Sunday night: -I was really glad we were playing on Sunday night because I felt we had turned a corner. -Fast start and I’m thinking 5 straight good quarters and a big lead. -Midway through the 2nd quarter you could feel the momentum change. -By the start of the 2nd half I was telling Chris and Mike (my partners) I felt were in trouble. It was as if all the energy was gone and we were playing “not to lose.” We were losing face offs, couldn’t hit the net on breakaways, penalties, trouble passing or catching and no second shots.

Tracey Kelusky

Hey lax fans… Good to be back checking in with you again this week. First off I need to give a shout out to all my teammates and friends that helped me pack up my house this week. Even though we were only moving within the city it was still a gong show. What a pain. I can’t believe how much crap I have. We’re finally moved out and officially moved into our new place. They say moving is one of the most stressful events, and I definitely can concur. To my Peterborough buddies that means I agree. We’re 4-0 and really pumped about having the best start in franchise history. Due to the folding of Chic-a-go and the subsequent schedule change, we didn’t have a game or practice set up for last weekend. It’s always nice to have a bye to lick your wounds; however, I personally would like to keep playing. Besides, I miss my dawgs. Although our bye is only one week it ends up being two weeks before you get to see all of your teammates. Yeah we talk and touch base (or base touch as some say) with each other but it seems like a lot longer than two weeks. There’s a great sports buzz in Calgary right now with the Stamps winning the Grey Cup, the Flames contending as one of the best in the NHL and the Hitmen doing really good. Hopefully, with us starting so well, we can catch some of that buzz and get even more people into the ‘Dome. There are a lot of lax fans in the city and we do get a consistent 10 to 12000 a game. Hopefully with the wins we are getting, we can bring some new fans into the building and get to that 14-15,000 number. People love to cheer on a winner and that’s what we as an organization are striving for. If you haven’t been to one of our games, come on down, and if you have, come back. I haven’t met anyone who says they haven’t had a good time. We had 10,000 fans for both our first two home games but we’d love to see 14.000 in there enjoying the game and the entertainment. I truly believe we can get there and encourage people to come out to see what is, a very exciting brand of lacrosse. I think we, as an organization, credit our team success thus far from the hard work we put in prior to and during training camp. Even with hard work, it’s a funny game! Yeah we’re 4-0 but could easily be .500 or worse if not for some lucky bounces. We’ll definitely take our record, however not too many championships are won in February. Oh unless you’re the Pittsburg Steelers. Speaking of which, what a game. I’m not the biggest football fan but how can you not like the action and overall show that was displayed on Sunday….Awesome. Friday night we take on the Minnesota Storm in another big game as they’ve moved over to the West Division this season. They too, are off to great start. Not to down play the importance of non-divisional games but when you’re playing a team in your conference you really need to prepare and focus on getting the wins. I’ll tell ya, after a two week break, it will feel pretty good to hit the turf and get back into the thick of things. This time of year is always very exciting for lacrosse players. Minor lacrosse is just a couple of months away in Canada and the NCAA kicks off its season real quick. I recently started my box lacrosse training season out here in Calgary with the National Sport Academy. The boys and girls all seemed very excited to get rolling. For those of you that don’t know the National Sport Academy is a program offered to kids as an option course in a high school in Calgary. The kids participate in lacrosse (or sport of their interest) for the entire year. I currently have some of the best players in the city for their ages participating in the program. It truly is inspiring to see the work they put forth day in and day out in hopes to achieve some of their academic and athletic dreams. I’m certain there will be some future NCAA and NLL stars. Anyways gotta run, will touch base next week and will talk a little grass root lax. For all you Canadian minor players out there get the twig out and start getting ready for the upcoming season.

Paul Rabil

Stealth Fans… Hope everyone had a happy Super Bowl. I know, the 49er’s didn’t even make the playoffs, or the Raiders for that matter…but then again, neither did the Redskins. So I am joining you in a big, fat I don’t really care whether the Steelers or Cardinals hoist the trophy. What a game though, huh? That's two years in a row where we've been treated to an awesome game...All of these polls are out comparing the two best catches in Super Bowl history now with Santonio Holmes entering the picture with Tyree's catch last year against the Pats...Who do you think had a better catch?...Honestly, I think you still have to give it to Tyree. Even though it was a first down and didn't count for "6", that catch off his helmet was NUTS…Plus, he had one of the games best DB's of all time, Rodney Harrison, ripping him down by his arms, and somehow, made the catch. I'm a fan of what Coach Belichick did in Boston by going 16-0 in the regular season, and it was pretty tough watching that loss in the last game. So from a history and impact point of view, Tyree's catch was epic... Anyways, I'll get back to the Super Bowl in a second... We had our 5th game of the season this past weekend against a tough Edmonton team. It was our 3rd home game, which always gives us a big advantage. Plus, you can call it an even bigger advantage that Edmonton had already played once that weekend and we were fresh...so obviously, it was pretty important that we took advantage of that. Again, our Vets stepped up and brought us the victory. Cam Sedge had a huge game with 4 goals and our D hung a few goals for us that has a gigantic impact on any game. Plus, having one of the best goalies in the league always helps...(Ok. Now that I gave the big shout-outs, hopefully my Rookie hazing will be cut back this coming week)...But really, can't tell you how much I am learning and adding to my game from playing with the older guys and more skilled guys on SJ. From defence to stick skills, everyone is sharp and super competitive, which is always contagious...so I'm learning a lot. Read more...

Paul Rabil

Week two to week three has been very different in many ways… The biggest difference however, was dipping from 75 degrees Fahrenheit…to –24 degrees Celsius! Yikes, you know it’s cold out there when it hurts to breathe…Born and raised on the East Coast, I’m no stranger to the cold air (ah, as I can remember the blizzard of ’96. 24 inches of snow and two straight weeks of cancelled school)…Apparently, this happens in Canada pretty often, and the cab driver told me it even happened up in Calgary about a month ago…Sweet Lincolns Mullet! Anyways…I figure with all of this blogging going on out there, be it at InsideLacrosse.com, Laxunited.com or NLL.com, I figured it was time to step my game up…No, no video quite yet, although Doug Locker made me promise I would have one for next week…but this time I am going to do something nobody else has done…not sure? Well, I’ve hired a ghost writer…(he actually came to me). Apparently, last weeks blog wasn’t up to par to what one of the kind Vets on our team wanted it to be. So, I told him if he wanted to ghost write, then he’s got it (again, he actually made that suggestion and I’m just playing along…what am I gonna say no?!) Enjoy…Paul’s blog, in the third person…written by Travis Gillespie: …one more comment: I reserved the editors right to create this in a “PG” format. Read more...

Russ Cline

Well, it was painful at best. I feel so disappointed in our team’s performance this weekend. If I wrote what I really felt it couldn’t be printed. This team is better than how they played but the bottom line is that they were outclassed, played and coached. Congratulations toBoston on two very well played games back to back. They certainly proved that Friday night wasn’t a fluke. Observations: - Dan Dawson is the most unselfish, disciplined, and talented player I have ever watched play. He quarterbacked his team with poise, finesse and was in total command of the floor. He drew the double team, passed with laser perfection to the open man and could go to the net at will. He was the game changer. - Geoff Snider had the worst back to back performances since playing for the Wings. He kept us in a hole with undisciplined play and penalties. Expect him to come back strong in the weeks ahead. - Our goalies were the only thing keeping the score close. They both played great. - Jordan Levine continues to impress. He seems to be in the best shape on our team. Once he learns the nuances of the game, he will really be a force. - Our left side was nonexistent this weekend. The sad part is we thought this would be the strongest part of our offense. - Too many shots off goal because most shots are taken from too far out. Someone needs to step up, set picks and the man with the ball has to go to the net. - Very few second shots on net. We had a couple this weekend and they resulted in goals. - POSITIVES: Our team has too many good athletes to allow this to continue. This team needs to get it together and play like they can. - The Wings fans are still the best. You deserve better than what you got this weekend. - Another weekend off. It kills us but we can’t do anything about it. Wish I had better things to say but that would make me look silly. The fact that a team doesn’t quit doesn’t mean as much as a team comes to play and plays FOCUSED….60 minutes. This is a professional league and the management, coaches and players are held responsible for what happens on the field. I promise that the ownership is aware and we will work with the entire organization to get it fixed. You deserve it. Russ

Tracey Kelusky

What’s up laxers? Sorry to not to check in last week. It’s actually been a crazy couple of weeks. I’ve been doing parent-teacher interviews at the National Sport Academy, which is always fun yet hectic: pair that with the selling of my house made it virtually impossible to take 10 and check in. Since the last blog we had a big win in Toronto and just recently tricked the Stealth yet again. The Toronto game is always a highlight for me. Being from nearby Peterborough, it’s always fun going there to play in front of family and friends. Buying tickets for everyone isn’t cheap, but it is always great to see everybody from back home. I have an 8-year-old nephew and 13-year-old niece who I don’t get to see near enough. It’s always nice to see them in the stands and after the game. On a side note “what’s with the skinny jeans?” My niece has a pair and they are tragic. No offence Kelse but I’m not a big fan. Anyways… Prepping for our Saturday game against San Jose was really important. It was a divisional game and since we had already played them once we wanted to make sure our systems were in place and understood some of their strategies as well. Sometimes preparation is half the battle. Like us coming off a big win in Toronto, they were coming off a big win over Rochester. We knew we had to be ready. Going in we understood the importance of a win because it not only gives us two points, but it also gives us the tiebreaker in our division should we end up being tied with them at the end. A couple of big goals by Shats (Shattler) and some great goaltending by Cannonball (Campbell) was the difference in a great game. Sometimes the bye week is good because guys can rest injuries. But we are healthy and we are playing so well that you almost want to just keep rolling. Nevertheless, we get a couple of weeks to prepare for the Swarm. As this is the case I am still going to be relatively busy – we sold our house and are moving this week. Thankfully we have a lot of young guys living in town. Gotta pay those dues rooks, it moving time! I’m sure I’ll help a little. On a side note, the little man also got his two top teeth this week. This makes four teeth in total. Wow can he scream! As part of weekly blogs I want to touch base in regards to some grass-root lacrosse issues. I’ve been talking a lot with John Grant Sr. in regards to the importance of stick maintenance. It’s very common for kids to completely do nothing with their sticks in regards to maintenance. I remember playing minor in the “patch” and having Buggy Whips (Sr.) going around putting pockets in everyone’s stick. What a difference it can make. Unless you have someone who is as dedicated as he was, young players have to learn it themselves. With all of the resources out there (the internet in particular) players should learn how to string and maintain their own stick. Spend a little time making a pocket. Take out your shooting strings and put them in again following the way you took them out. As a youngster, I learned it and take a lot of pride in my stick. It is, without a doubt, the most personalized piece of sporting equipment in the game. My advice would be to take the initiative to learn how to! And if nothing at all at least take it out of the garage or truck of your car. I’m out TK

Paul Rabil

I’m beginning to realize more and more why you say the West Coast is the Best Coast…come on, 75 degrees on January 18th?!…I landed in Washington Dulles on Monday morning and it was 16 degrees! I flew back in a nice button down and shorts and when I landed and stepped outside I felt like my legs were in an ice bath back in the locker room…I could get used to the winter heat. How about this weekend? We’re pretty pumped to get the first “W” under our belts. The best part about it was winning at home in front of our fans. Tell ya what though, it was a great honor to be on the floor with the sports greatest player. I was having a quick talk with Tommy Johnson during warm-ups as we glanced over to Rochester’s side. We stood there and couldn’t believe that Gary Gait scored 5 goals last week in his 40’s. Whether he’s lost a step or not, he’s still the greatest. TJ made a great point too…he said, we may not even have the opportunity to be playing in this league if it wasn’t for him…so big props to #22. Thanks again. Read more...

Tracey Kelusky

Wow – what an exhilarating start to the Calgary Roughnecks 2009 season! It was a great start for us, winning twice over the weekend. The back-to-back games and the travel can definitely kick the snot out of you though. You work during the week, play on the weekends and then struggle to get out of bed to work on Monday morning again. But the best part is I get to have some fun writing a blog right here at The FAN 960 and the NLL throughout the season. So let’s get on with the first installment. We headed to San Jose for our game against the Stealth last Thursday. About 11 of us flew together from Calgary to San Francisco. The rest of the team and the coaches were coming in from different spots – Vancouver, Toronto – and their flights were not coming in for a couple of hours (this is typical in the NLL). After landing in San Fran we were hanging around the airport and this dodgy guy said he had a limo service and he could get us to San Jose. After a little bartering and some convincing we decided what the heck. We could have waited for the bus but we wanted to get into town, have a good meal, relax a bit and get a good sleep in for the season opener. There were seven of us in total that decided to go. We all piled in to a limo that could have made its début in the movie Risky Business. It definitely wasn’t what I, or the rest of the guys, had in mind. We ended up piling gear on the roof and probably looked like the Beverly Hillbillies pulling up to the San Jose Hilton. Thankfully we still had all the gear. After a nice meal we decided to call it a night. As usual Kaleb and I are roomies and couldn’t officially call it a night without our pre sleep cribbage ritual. After losing a few bucks we shut ‘er down. Kaleb was sawing logs within minutes and I tossed and turned. Due to my injury last season, I found I was as nervous and anxious for Friday’s tilt. After fighting the pillow for a couple of hours, I was able to get to sleep after a long travel day. In the morning we went to the shoot-around, our little practice time before the game, and then we went for a pre-game meal. I think one of the best places for a pre-game meal is in San Jose at a place called The Sonoma Chicken Coop. It’s not fine dining, but you can get anything there – ribs, pasta, chicken. And it’s quick, which is important because we try and have a nap in the afternoon on game day. I usually have the chicken and rice and Kaleb Toth and I usually split a pizza. This time we had the pizza, but I had the chicken primavera. The food was great but my pre-game nap on the other hand was miserable. Usually it’s really easy to sleep in the afternoon before the game but again, I think I was just a little too excited. I got a little sleep but not a lot. It felt like I was about to play my first game. The game finally came. We fell behind early but made a comeback and eventually tricked the Stealth. After the game it was time to get some food and rest. We had to fly back to Calgary on Saturday and play Edmonton in our home opener. Most of us hit the grocery store near the hotel. What a sight! There were 20 guys in suits and ties around 11:45 p.m. grabbing sports drinks, fruit and munchies. Gotta love shopping in a US grocery store. We eventually went back to the hotel and tried to get some sleep. The wake-up call was for 5:00 a.m. It’s hard to sleep after a game too. You are so wound up. You are on a high. I think the last time I looked at the clock it was 3:00 a.m. When we arrived in Calgary, instead of going home, we had rooms at a hotel in downtown Calgary where we all went and crashed for a few hours and then it was off to the ‘Dome for a win over Edmonton. It was nice to see the cagey vet Mouse (Malawsky) get the OT winner. One of the special moments over the weekend was being able to take my seven-month-old son onto the floor after the game. It was the first time I had the chance to take my son onto the floor and Kellar’s eyes were as wide as saucers. Combined with the fact that it was the first time I had seen him since Thursday it really topped off the weekend. It’s funny how you get attached to those little suckers. Usually the day after a game is a rest day where you unwind and relax. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards for me. We had a lot going on at our house that day, including a showing as we have it up for sale. We were all up at around 8:00 a.m. to take care of the house and the baby. The body is a little sore (sometimes a lot sore) after two games in a weekend. It’s a little different now, with a family. You can’t rest all day when you have been away and your wife has been looking after the house and the baby. I always had guys on my teams with families at home but never really thought about how they did it. You’re definitely a bit naive to the fact until it happens to you. Monday it was back to work and then, throughout the week we get together for workouts. I usually do a minimum of three in a week. Not a lot of time to recoup because we are off to Toronto to face the Rock on Saturday. I think I will take the team bus from the airport this time. A bit long winded I know. I’ll be sure to report back next week. TK

Russ Cline

It was a fun game Saturday night. (Always is when you win) The team played with intensity and seem to trust and believe in each other. I hope you are taking advantage of the free internet broadcasts. Take a look at the new Wings website when you get a chance. Observations: -First win in Rochester since December 27, 2003 (2004 season). -Last year we seemed to have one “letdown” quarter a game. Saturday night we played consistent lacrosse for four quarters outscoring our opponent in three and losing one by one goal. That kind of consistency will keep you in and win most games. -Four “man down goals” was the best our team has done in that department in years. Rochester was #1 in that stat last year. -We gave too many 5 on 3 opportunities, similar to last year. I’m sure the coaches will address that one. -Another weak spot last year was our power play team. We still have work to do but will get better once they play together more. -Jordan Levine is fast. He and Matt Bocklet are learning the indoor game and holding their own so far. -Great goal production from Merrick and Sean…the Thomsons. (Not related but last year and this year’s #1 draft choices respectively) -Kyle Wailes may be one of the best “pure feeders” I have seen in lacrosse. Some nice goals also. -Glad to see some of our vets pick it up. It made a big difference. -Miller looked really good in goal. He only gave up eight 5 on 5 goals against a very good group of shooters. -I don’t know how he did it except he’s just great…Gait that is. Only scored one in the second half. I hope it was because we adjusted and he didn’t just get tired at 41. -Four “man down” goals and two empty net goals was the difference. -As our coaches will tell you I am not a fan of pulling the goalie, one bad pass and you are burned. Never seen it really work for us. After watching our man down score maybe we should pull an offensive guy and go 4 on 5 rather than pull the goalie. -I was worried for Geoff for about 5 seconds against that big, tall drink of water. Wham…. TKO. I’m glad I only get to debate with Geoff because my arms are way too short to fight him. Great to have Chris Sanderson at the game. We have this weekend off to work on getting better. Looking forward to getting Athan back and the home opener Friday night, January 23.

Ryan Cousins

Well week one went just as planned as we took down the Portland Lumberjax 11-7 in a true character win! We started our weekend off in Minny with a team dinner, which was followed by watching Team Canada take on the USA in the World Juniour Hockey Championship. Canada took Gold for the 5th year in a row. YA EH! The following day we had a great practice... so great that it almost seemed like we had fire under our rear-ends. After practice we were showered with presents from Reebok Santa Claus who hooked us up with some new gear and bags. As usual, most of the stuff didn't fit or was forgotten. Just part of playing in the NLL. That night we took the late flight to Portland where guys immediately hit the hay in preparation for the big game. Game day was predictable... a shoot-around in the am, lunch and a must-have pregame nap. There is NOTHING like a mid-afternoon nap! After nap time it was off to the arena to warm up and get focused for the game. All the guys were fired up and ready to go. Player of the game honors go to Kevin" the Croz" Croswell, who stop 42 shots to shut down the Lumberjax offense. Sean Pollock and Kevin Ross also get the nod for putting up hat tricks in the season opener. Good work Boys! See you all this Saturday at Xcel when we take on the San Jose Stealth. By the way, the deal still stands for anyone with a COUSINS jersey. Swarm it up! Cuz

John Grant

Ding, ding, paging Doctor Sutton, er I mean Voloshin. Yes, here I go again, back under the scalpel. The day to begin my comeback starts in 12 hours as I am heading in for ACL surgery. I hope I fare better than ole Victor Gunderson, "He had so much potential." Well enough about me, let's talk about some more important stuff. More importantly, we are 72 hours away from opening the "barn down by the genny" for the '09 season. I know the Nest will be rocking as they welcome a great team who is now fortunate to be showcasing two of the best lacrosse players to ever play. One will be wearing #22, and the other trading in #19 for a two-piece and tie. Yes, we now have both Gaits with us. Their experience, coupled with the multitude of talent we already possess, should make for a very potent team this year. The first victims of the new look 'Hawks will be a formidable foe from Pennsylvania. Alliteration aside, I look for our boys to come out and clip the wings. I foresee a hard fought battle between two hard-nosed teams who really do not get along. It should be a good test for the home side, with Philly having done battle this season already. Battling the microphone will be a challenge for the 'Hawks' new color commentator. Yes, yours truly will be manning the microphone during the upcoming season, or at least game one. "Ripper" will have his hands full trying out the rook, but I am sure his professionalism will carry us through. Hopefully, I don't make a Jack Astor out of myself for once. Well lax fans, the season has begun. The NLL is back in full force and this weekend should be a beauty. Enjoy. It's time to say good night. jr

Dan Dawson

What's shakin’ Kevin Bacon? Dan Dawson here, blogging for the Boston Blazers from the ‘City of Champions’, aka Beantown. Our training Camp has been really intense thus far. We have 40 guys auditioning for 23 roster spots, and everyone is giving 110%, which is a great sign for us heading into our inaugural season. Coach Ryan and Coach Fraser have done a terrific job over the past year assembling the best players they could find from all over North America, and it is a very talented, diverse group of athletes here, all of whom appreciate having been given an opportunity to showcase their talents at the first ever Blazers training camp. We are very fortunate that the team has secured three great apartments for us in addition to a very nice team house (we call it ‘The Blazer Den’) in the North End of Boston. The North End is located in Little Italy, with hundreds of restaurants and shops within walking distance from our doorstep. Italian food is my all-time favourite cuisine, so there will definitely be no shortage of carbs in my diet this season! Remember kids, you don't put dirt in a Ferrari; your body is a temple. We currently have 13 guys living here in Boston, which makes for a lot of good old fashioned ‘male bonding’ time. Between team meals, Rock Band video game sessions, and practical jokes galore, I can assure you that there is never a dull moment amongst the Blazer players. This week we had our media day as well as our first experience on the floor at the TD Bank North Gardens, the home of the Celtics, Bruins and now the Boston Blazers. Bostonians are the most knowledgeable and passionate spots fans I have ever been around and we are all incredibly excited to represent the city with pride throughout the upcoming season – both on and off the floor. This is the second time the Blazers have been in Boston and we were lucky enough to meet some of the old Boston Blazers at the team office this week. It was awesome getting to hear old ‘war stories; from the original Blazers players, and to see that the friendships that they forged over the years remain strong. The alumni are all very excited to be part of the new generation of Blazers, and we look forward to continuing the great tradition that they started. Being an expansion team, we know that we must work harder than other teams in order to win games. Working hard is exactly what we are doing on the floor during our practices and off the floor in our workouts. Sean Morris, Mitch Belise and I have been working with Zato Barry and he is absolutely CRUSHING us with his strength and conditioning program. I am built like a European super model – tall and skinny – which means I must train harder than other players in the league in order to get the weight gains I need to be effective on the floor. I haven't been doing many curls for the girls this off-season, but a sports specific program geared to lacrosse has given me a level of conditioning I’ve never had before… I can’t wait to use that conditioning and get the season started! Check out my video blog "The Danger Zone" Happy Holidays and GO BLAZERS!! Daws

Colin Doyle

Hey all, hope all is well in the Yard. Let me start off by saying I nailed all four winners last week in the NFL wildcard weekend. It was a good weekend for me, but too little to late as the pool I am in was already over...I guess I can still have pride, can't I? This weekend, I like some underdogs as well. I think the Eagles are going to go in and beat the Giants and I think the Chargers are going to win in Pittsburgh. I also think Carolina will walk all over the Cardinals and the Ravens are going to eek out a win in Tennessee. We'll see how much I really do know! As far as the NLL goes, week one is behind us already and we are beginning to prepare for our first weekend of games. We are home on Friday to Calgary and travel to Minnesota on Saturday for their home opener. We will be in tough on both accounts, but it is imperative that we get the first one at home. They bring a massive lineup of firepower including Josh Sanderson, Tracey Kelusky, Kaleb Toth, Curt Malawsky and Jeff Shattler. They will be ready to go, as will we!! It will be a great test to start the season. Minny has already won its opener in Portland, and seemed strong in doing so. I expect a very close affair in Minny on Saturday night. The Stealth are starting to stack up pretty well. We finally had Paul Rabil in camp this past weekend and he will add a huge dimension to our team. We are big, strong, and fast and the rest will fall in to place as we progress throughout the season. I am REALLY looking forward to seeing this thing some together this year. I really do think we have a lot in place for a solid 2009 run......again, I guess we'll see. This years version of the NLL will be one of the toughest ever to predict. There has been so much turnover around the league and injuries have already had a huge impact on many teams. There seems to be no consensus favorite, with the exception of the Bandits in some peoples predictions. I think for the first time in a long time, the East and West are even with as many as four teams in each division having a legitimate shot at winning their division. This is going to be a great year for the NLL. I also had a request from one of my readers regarding a list of top 5 pump up songs. Here is my list with a short explanation behind each. 1. Lets all make believe - Oasis: This is one of my favorite Oasis B-sides. It really gets me fired up as I love the beat and the vocals. 2. Ha, Ha your dead - Green Day: Another rarity from Green Day. It can be found on their b-side album "Shenanigans". I love it, especially when I have a hate on. 3. Holiday - Green Day: Green Day music really does it for me on game day, and this beauty simply has whatever it is that fires me up. Great Guitar, great lyrics and a great sound. 4. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve: For some reason, this methodic tune from the Verve get me right. I love the musical introduction, it really gets me going. This is more for a laid back pump up. 5. Sit Down (live) - James: This version of this song is outright awsome!! The build up and the music itself along with live interaction makes it one of my favorites to listen to when I need to get ready. I hope you've enjoyed my list and I look forward to hearing some of your favorites as well. I will need some of these to be going this weekend as we prepare to begin our drive for the 2009 Title!! I will hit you guys up once more before the weekend and then will keep you all abreast with how we made out. Until then, Colin #7

Paul Rabil

Hey there Stealth fans, My name is Paul Rabil and I’m a first year guy at this awesome franchise in San Jose. I’ll warn you, this first blog, be it disastrous and disorganized, but slightly informative, will hopefully leave you wanting to come back for more…my background blog. Graduated in May from Johns Hopkins where I was fortunate enough to play for very talented teams, as a midfielder, for four straight years of my life. My sophomore and junior years we won the Division 1 National Championship, and this past Spring we made it all the way back, but lost to Syracuse in the finals. We always had great games and rivals with the boys up north and this past championship was another great battle… After graduating I played a season in the MLL for the Boston Cannons. The Cannons have a great ownership and management team and playing for them and their many fans at Harvard Stadium was a great experience…About 4 months ago I competed with a bunch of other college grads and undergrads at the NLL Combine where I got to play and experience some valuable box play. Read more...

Russ Cline

Happy New Year to all. It is time to start hearing from me again so here goes. The off season was a good one for us with the addition of some exciting new rookies and veterans. Thanks to all of you who renewed your season tickets and for your dedication to your Wings. A special thanks to the Wings staff and all who came to the Season Ticket Holder “meet the team party” December 21. Weather was tough that weekend and we apologize some of the team did not make the event, including yours truly. On the league front it was disappointing to lose theChicago franchise. We are excited to welcome the Boston Blazers “to the jungle” of the Eastern Conference. Some brief highlights: -Our opening game was disappointing but not discouraging. As Bandits coach Darris Kilgore said,” I thought they (Bandits) played one of the best games I’ve seen them play while standing behind the bench as coach of the Buffalo Bandits.” We can’t say that about the Wings. The Bandits returned nineteen (19) players from last year and we added eight (8) new players. I thought our rookies played well against the defending champions. According to their coach the Bandits played as well as they can and our team will get better. -As you know we are providing free live internet access to all the games this season over NLL.com. I thought the broadcast went well and enjoyed having access to all the league’s games. -Athan Iannucci has been given permission by his doctors to resume play with the Wings. He has worked very hard on rehab and is waiting for a brace which he will get this week. Assuming he passes our Doctors exam we expect him to play in our home opener January 23. I talked with him yesterday and he said he is ready to go. -We will miss Jake Bergey and Peter Jacobs, two of the Wings all time greats. Their careers with the Wings on and off the field defines class and commitment. They have earned championship rings as Wings players but more than that the respect of all who understand what it means to be committed athletes to their sport, team and community. My selfish prayer would be…”Give us more Jake Bergeys and Peter Jacobs.” More on them later. -On a personal note Chris Sanderson, our Assistant Coach was diagnosed with brain cancer and had extensive surgery at Duke University December 26. Chris will enter an experimental treatment program starting this Monday. He and his wife Brogann have shown great courage and determination to beat this disease. Chris will continue to coach with us and added to his infamous “red blazer” outfit will be a helmet. We are thrilled he will be on the bench coaching this Saturday night. Please pray for Chris and his family. If you would like to express your support to Chris and his family please use the web site below. They welcome your well wishes. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chris_sanderson Ok its time to get after the Rochester Knighthawks. GO WINGS!

Colin Doyle

Hey sportsfans, I need to appoligize first for being so long between my blogs.  I have been busy beyond belief over the holidays!!  First and foremost, I hope everyone had a great Christmas season.  I know I did.  Brooklyn got spoiled over the holidays but had a lot of fun waiting for HO HO!!     I have so much I want to talk about, so I am going to keep this one short and build some suspense for my next few editions!   On the Stealth front, we played a great exhibition game in Colorado last week.  We looked very strong and saw some great things from some of the newer players and some even better things from some of the vets.  I will talk in depth about this next blog.  We also signed Paul Rabil over the weekend and expect to have him in camp this coming weeekend.....that is huge news!!  I will also touch on this next time around.   The NLL is aobut to kick off this weekend in Florida with the Rock playing the Titans.  I should have time to give my thoughs on the NLL this coming season as well.   I am also putting the finishing touches on a book I wrote about the 2008 NLL season.  I think I am going to have it published in the next few weeks, so it should be availible to all of you very shortly as well.  I will also dedicate a full blog to this very shortly.   As far as life goes, my family and I are gettting ready to move back to Northern Cali this coming Friday.  SInce Brooklyn can no longer sit still, there should be some good stories about that trip as well......   I have also had some requests for top five lists.  I will start adding one to each of my blogs.  I will start with my favoirte "pump up" songs as per request next time I drop in.   Laslty, I have assembled a funny video of the Stealth video shoot from a few weeks ago.  I will have that up by the end of next week.   In the sporting world....where do I start.  I finished my NFL season with a a 3 and 7 week dropping completely out of the top five and runining what was once a promising year.  I love the PHilly did to T.O. and the Cowboys this week and I like the Panthers to win the Super Bowl.   Stay tuned, you will be hearing from me quite a bit in the next little while.    Have a great New Year,     Colin #7

Ryan Cousins

I hope the season is treating everyone very well and that Santa bought everyone Swarm season tickets. If not, just use some of that money in your stocking and buy them ASAP. You can always buy a Cousins jersey before they sell out on Jan. 10 at the Home Opener. How about this, buy one that night and I will personally sign it for you as an added bonus. That is a promise. The last few weeks have been very intense for me personally as I have been rehabbing my knee following minor surgery 3 weeks ago. I have been in the gym every day, riding the bike like someone is chasing me and I can't get away. There is nothing more that I want than to put on the Swarm jersey and go to war! I will be ready soon. As for the other guys, I'm sure they have been hard at work the last few weeks getting ready for the opener on Jan. 3 in Portland... as we have had the last two weeks off from camp. We will be back on the floor New Year's Day in Minny for a practice to prepare for the game in Portland. Most of the boys will be in town New Year's Eve for a little team bonding and dinner. Looking ahead to the season, I expect us to do really well as long as we take one game at a time and keep our focus on that single game. That being said, we have a job to do Jan. 3rd and that is to chop down the Lumberjax's and get a win. Happy New Years to Everyone and be safe, Swarm it up! Cuz

John Grant

Welcome back lax nation. It’s time to break out the egg nog. Well I won’t be, that stuff is downright foul, no pun intended. Does anyone really still drink the stuff? With Christmas right around the corner, I am sure the concoction will be flowing somewhere. The holiday celebrating the birth of Christ will give me an opportunity to head home and see some old friends. I haven’t been back to the birthplace of lacrosse since that little illness I had in the summer. For those of you unsure of where I mean, I am speaking of the lacrosse capital of Canada, Peterborough. I hope to see my parents as well, but it is tough to get to Sudbury where they live. For our American readers, Sudbury is just south of the North Pole. I will, however, have more time to visit up north this Christmas as the new NLL schedule has the ‘Hawks doing battle in January not the end of December. Speaking of doing battle, the league lost one heck of a warrior for the season this past weekend. The Rochester Knighthawks will be without the services of Scott Evans due to a major knee injury. “Scotty” was in great shape this preseason and was looking to lead the ‘Hawks back to the promise land this season. Now the mighty purple and teal will be heading into the ‘09 campaign down their two top scorers. Not the start a rookie GM and his staff would have liked. I am still supremely confident that the boys will kick butt this year. The scary thing is that with two guys out, there is still an abundance of offensive firepower for the league to contend with. “Willy” will wally, I mean, rally the fellas, and the D will chip in with the bunch as well. One thing is for sure, there will be career shot totals on the K-Hawks roster now that “Evy” and myself won’t be getting our 60 per game. Maybe we can race each other on crutches this season instead. On the serious tip, I wish the big fella a speedy recovery. He will be back filling the cage in no time. Well, I am off to fill my face with chicken wings, while my Eagles try to take another big step toward making the second season. In the legendary words of cousin Eddy, “Crapper’s full, Merry Christmas.” jr

John Grant

Well lax nation I am freezing cold, how about you? I am trying to type this blog while my hands are still cold from shoveling the driveway. There is no bigger kick in the jewels then arriving home from Florida to find a driveway covered in snow. I guess I shouldn’t complain as I was able to live the dream for at least four days. My four days of re-LAXing was all possible thanks to Adidas who flew me down to Orlando for the Brogden Cup. This Adidas sponsored tournament featured a team from Rochester and a select team of Canuckleheads from Ontario. Rochester qualified for the event by winning the Adidas National Lacrosse Classic in July. The Ontario roster was made up of the best from the province’s Under-19 division. The two day affair was won by Ontario. The first game was a well fought battle with each team controlling the action. A major collision late in the third quarter swung all momentum to the north as Mike Thomas, a “Boro boy”, laid out a Rochester player with a devastating hit at the midline. The squad from the land of poutines dominated the rest of the game winning 16-11. The second game, another spirited contest, saw the upstaters up by six in the fourth quarter. The hosers chipped away at the lead and tied the score with under 15 seconds to go. With the US reeling, Nick Diachenko, a future Blue Hen, won the draw clean to himself and scampered down the field to bury the game winner with about six ticks remaining. The aftermath of this dynamic play led to Canada storming the field, receiving a flag for excessive celebration. This foul gave the US a man advantage with possession. The result was a quick pass and shot that just whistled over the bar as time expired. The games showcased the amazing talents of two great teams. If I was to pick the Brogden Cup all stars I would go with the aforementioned Diachenko from Ontario, along with teammates Jackson, Reid, and Upshaw. From the Roch squad I would give a nod to the shifty little attackman heading to Marist, Conner Rice, along with two future Jacksonville U stars Linnan and Scalgo. I felt that the goaltenders from both teams played well. I would like to wish all of the competitors the best of luck in the future and hope to do battle with them when I am over the hill. Speaking of over the hill, I would like to give a shout out to the Spencer Ford. The Lizard attackman kept Wilky and myself in stitches all weekend. The people’s choice for ’07 MLL MVP helped with our Adidas/Pro Skills youth clinic on Saturday by showcasing his knack for feeding the rock. It was good to hang out with another laxer who enjoys a good double cheeseburger and fries. Take care, comb your hair, jr

Colin Doyle

Well, the first and usually most nervwracking week of training camp is behind us in San Jose. The team met this weekend on Friday to have our physicals done in Pleasanton, then off to Silver Creek training facility for two sessions on Saturday and one early Sunday morning. My first impressions are that we are going to be bigger and a little more athletic this year, and that our offense is going to have a different flavor to it. With so many new faces, many Stealth fans may wonder who everyone is, but we looked solid in our first weekend together. Many of the new faces showed particulary well. Duch and Turner look to be great additions to our front door as both had fabulous weekends. Both kids can score and seem to be willing to go the the right places to score. I was excited to see both of them in action finally. Again, on a bright note both our second year offensive guys looked great. Both Tom Johnson and Frankie Res came in better than last year. They both will be counted on with the departure of some of our veterans in the offseason. So far, so good. On the defensive end, we have many new faces, most of which are American. Thus the learning curve will take some time, but as the old saying goes..."you can't teach size"!!! The two big bodies of Lutz and Walton seem to be enjoying thier transition to the indoor game. Hartzell also played well as did the others. The most important thing was that they all enjoyed themselves and they all want to get better at the game. This will be key for our success. As for the vets, what can you say. Everyone was in shape and had a renewed excitement to get things going. Z played awsome, as he usually does and the defenders (Sorenson, Hodgson and new face Grimes) all played with intensity. They're will be no shortage of leadership on this team, I can already tell that. As for the old faces...We will miss them all and it was odd not having Dawson, Wiles, Panarelli, Fairlie, Morris, Heffner, Rosy and of course Coz there but I wish them all luck in their new surroundings...they will be missed. It was also our first session with our new Coaching staff with the exemption of Bobby Allan and Art Webster. As we move on we will learn more about the direction of the team and the coaching styles of Jeff Dowling and Chris Hall, but both were great this weekend as we accomplished alot in a short amount of time. One thing to keep your eyes on if you are a Stealth fan is the goaltending race. All three guys seem to be poised to take over as the number one guy. This should be great for our team!! We meet again after Thanksgiving, and I will keep you abrest to any issues that arise between now and then. I hope that we can get the Hopkins kids signed in the meantime, as they will add tons to our lineup. Unitl then, Colin #7

Ryan Cousins

Welcome back Swarm fans! I know it has been way too long since I last wrote a blog. With training camp just around the corner, Lacrosse Day just past and summer long gone, I thought it would be a great opportunity to give you an update. Summer was a great time! I spent a lot of time relaxing down at the beach in my hometown of Torontom where I could be found on the volleyball courts serving up some overhand spikes and soaking up the sun. After 4 grueling summers of lax, I took this summer off to recover and focus on tearing the NLL apart with my fellow Swarm teammates. With summer wrapped up in 2 lines, I can tell you Lacrosse Day in Minnesota might take a few more. First off, I want to welcome the new owners John and Andy Arlotta to the Swarm. These guys are the best thing to happen to the Swarm since free Chipotle. I wasn't sure what to expect after flying to MSP for Lacrosse Day. These guys put on a great show for all the lacrosse fans by hosting the Army vs Nortre Dame. There were clinics, giveaways and amazing crowd support. These two are going to make big changes in the lacrosse community and I am really excited about it. YOU should be too! Like I was saying, training camp is just around the corner. With only two weeks to go, I am really pumped up! It will be good to see all the boys again and to get to know the draftees even better after a solid weekend with them during Lacrosse Day festivals. I can definitely say Marty has drafted some solid characters that will fit right into the Swarm family. I think the boys can expect some hard weekends of training and some quality bonding at camp. Swarm it up! (you know I started that....not Corporal) Captain CUZ

Colin Doyle

To all my American fans in the Yard...HAPPY THANKSGIVING. We celebrate ours in October (in Canada), so I will be thinkng of you as I watch the Lions get demolished by the Titans. We all have something to be thankful for, and for the Lions they are thankful that this season is almost over. All the best, enjoy the holiday. Cheers, Colin #7

John Grant

Welcome to all who are still stuffed from their Thanksgiving feast. This is my first full American thanksgiving as a resident and I hope not the last. What can you say about a holiday that starts mid week. Our celebrations began on Wednesday and the eating hasn’t stopped. Thursday felt like Sunday, and well today I am carrying an extra 10 pounds with me, with a full weekend to go. This holiday will get me back into my old pants in no time, as I had lost 30 lbs earlier this fall. Well enough gluttony talk, let’s get to lacrosse. Our mighty ‘Hawks completed the Rochester portion of training camp last weekend with another two sessions of torture. Saturday’s practice looked like it was visited by a sniper. Guys were dropping like flies out there, marching one after the next to the training room. Don’t worry K-Hawk fans, there were no serious injuries to report. Sunday will go down in infamy with the fellas, as they ran for almost two hours straight before they even got into drills. I wasn’t there, but I heard it was beyond exhausting. The NLL better take notice, the talented ‘Hawks will be in peak condition this year. Future ‘Hawks took the field today as my inaugural Thanksgiving lax camp got under way in the Flower City. The event was represented by kids from all over the Rochester area. We thought the players improved immensely this afternoon, which I always like to see. We met some great kids and hope to see them back at our 3-on-3 lax tourney this winter. Congrats to Tyler, whose amazing Air Gait won him a new set of adidas gloves as clinic MVP. Later garbage platers, jr

xpsp2_crystalc

********TELEVISIED AUDITION WITH CELEBRITY PANEL********* Join us along with ESPN, MSN, News Channel 12 and other invited guests!!! for a CELEBRITY JUDGED competition at the Prudential Center on Nov.22. Doors open at 9am. This is your chance to pick your seats for the season and have your imput on which girls are on the team. Thats right you the fans will be able to judge also with score cards and overall crowd response. Not enough the girls will also be judged on how they interact with the fans. Come early be counted! Check out The Sirens at www.myspace.com/nytitansdanceteam and www.nytitans.com Director/choreographer: Christie Kirk

Dee

JUST SENDING MY LOVE ESPECIALLY TO MY TITANS FANS!!!

xpsp2_crystalc

Well we lost in Buffalo. Sad news for us Titans fans in NY. I love that my boys didnt take the loss lying down. They fought to the bitter end. Too bad cause this really put a damper on my St. Maarten trip. Well I guess you guys better at least vote for me next week on nllinsider. ***KISSES***

Russ Cline

What a year!   On October 16 th the season was over.   On October 25 th it was on again.   The team has one of the fastest starts in Wings history.   Stumbled some in the middle and finished 10-6 for only the second 10 win season in 22 years (of course we have not always played 10 games).   Make the playoffs for the first time since 2002, go to Buffalo and play a pretty solid game and lose by one (excluding empty net goal).   We have seen a number of individual records this year, a new coaching staff and very young team do well. Are we satisfied? Not entirely.   Do we have a lot to build on? Yes.   I firmly believe that this team will be a powerhouse for many years to come.   The league survived a very rocky start but made it through one of its most demanding seasons.   The building staff was outstanding and we finished the season with our biggest attendance in years.   We have a lot be proud of and a lot left to do.   Once we have had a chance to objectively evaluate the season with the entire staff we will write a complete and detailed review of where we think we are where we are going.   Again, thanks for not only being the greatest fans in sports but a family that has stuck with us through good and bad times.   I’ll write more but then enjoy the good weather.  

Colin Doyle

Hey guys, on a non lacrosse blog I need to find some answers!!! Here are my pressing questions. I thought I knew sports, but it seems as though I may have been wrong!!!! 1. How did the Lions make out in the draft this weekend. My knowledge of College football only goes as far as Michigan, whoever plays Michigan and the Big Ten in general. How did we make out? 2. What is wrong with the Pistons? I know we tied it up tonight in Philly, but my prediction to have them win the NBA title certainly looks to be in jepordy the way they are stuck in such a battle with the 76'ers. Did I just not give them enough respect? Either way, what doesn't kill us makes us stonger, so maybe this help the Pistons in the long run...who knows? 3. What is wrong with the Sharks? I still have them winning the West, but they have looked very poor in the first two games of their series with the Stars. Maybe I underestimated the Stars again, but I still really like the makeup of the Sharks. I won't rollover on them yet, but they really need their big guns to come alive!!! 4. Why does America spend so much time on the lead up to the NFL draft? Now, I love how the NFL has made such a big deal out of their draft, and as is everything with the NFL they know how to do it better than all the other proffessional leagues, but come on....I've been seeing Mel Keiper talking draft since the day after the Super Bowl....COME ON!!!! 5. Why did Mike Hart drop so low??? I loved watching this kid play at Michigan. He is tough as nails and always showed up in the big games. Is his size that much of a concern? I hope he goes off in the Colt's offense. Good like Mikey. 6. I have no questions regarding the Habs, as they are exactly where I'd hope they'd be!!! GO HABS!!!!! Those are my burning questions. I'm sure some of them will get answered with time, but in the meantime, maybe some of you guys from the yard can help me out. Until next time, Colin #7

Colin Doyle

Hey guys, hpe all is well in the Yard. Thought I'd drop in to give everyone an update on the Stealth and the NLL. The regular season is finally over, and it took all 19 weeks to get things sorted out in the standings. Like I've said all year, it has been crazy and it is anyone's ball game!!! In the East, New York beat Rochester at MSG to lock up both their destinies. Rochester, with the loss is out of the playoff picture for the first time ever (i think) in their exsistance. New York on the other hand punched their first ever playoff berth with the win. Next weekend, Philly will go to Buffalo for the 1 vs. 4 matchup, then on Saturday New York will travel to Minny for the 2 v 3 matchup. As for who is going to win.......I won't even bother trying!!!! If you live in any of these markets, do yourself a favor and make your way to the game. If not, look to see if any of them are being televised, they will both be beauties. In the West, with our win yesterday over Colorado we clinched our first ever Regular Season Western Division title. Regular season is only regulars season, but for our young group it is still an accomplishment that we are proud of. With the loss, Colorado drops to second and will host Calgary next Saturday, while we get Portland to visit us next Sunday at 3pm at the Shark tank. Again, I won't even bother with predictions....I am not that stupid!!!! It will be a battle for everyone involved, that I can say with all sincerity. I will use this week to prepare myself mentaly and physically to be ready to go on Sunday. I will struggle to sleep all week with excitement. Playoffs are always the best time of year, and I for one can't wait to get it started!!!!! Stay posted, Cheers, Colin #7

Ryan Cousins

We were hoping to go 2 and 0 last weekend but ended up splitting the games with Chicago. Friday night in Minny was a decent game but we came up short. As usual we jumped ahead to a 4 goal lead. There were a number of goal scorers in this game for the Swarm which is always a good thing. The Shamroxs then notched 7 unanswered goals to take the lead and ultimately steal the W from us at home. Saturday night in Chicago was time for us to redeem ourselves and rob the Shamroxs of a W in their home barn. All of us knew that we had to win this game or we could kiss a home playoff game goodbye! Once again, it was a very close game and came right down to the wire. Ryan "Wardo" Ward really stole the show in this match by blowing a number of G's by Shamrox goalie Matt Roik. We ended up winning 12-11, earning a home playoff game scheduled for this Saturday night in Minny. The X will be a Rockin! I also want to thank all the Swarm fans who made it out to Chicago for the game and cheered us on all night. I know you guys received some heckling from the Shamrox fans but it didn't faze you one bit! That is Swarm style! Trust! Cuz

Ryan Cousins

Well... last weekend didn't go as planned! We were hoping to get another huge win over the Rochester Knighthawks to keep the undefeated streak alive at home. Unfortunately, the Knighthawks (who were predominately born in the 70's era) had a big night. It almost seemed as though the Knighthawks players specifically born in the 70's played their very best, going along with the theme of the night. The game was back and forth all night long and a number of the Swarm guys chipped in with goals from all over the floor. Our D played pretty well and our goaltending was solid as usual. In the end the Knighthawks out-scored us 11-8, but we were still able to secure a playoff spot according to MN Swarm Lacrosse Operations Master Jim "the panic" Vanek. This weekend we will be looking to grab first place overall with a pair of wins over Chicago and in turn secure a home playoff run. See everyone at the X this Friday and keep it loud as usual! Trust Cuz

Russ Cline

Well, it’s been a long time coming, but we are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2002.  That was the first goal of management as we sat and charted a new course for the Wings’ franchise last summer.  Not only are we back, but tied for the best record in the league at 10-6.  To put that in perspective we were 6-10 last year.  We have fielded a very young team with a new head coach, new system, and many new players.  When you consider the dramatic changes and challenges of 2008, I am very proud of what they have accomplished.  Certainly we are aware that this team is a “work in progress”, but we now have a playoff team that will bring us championships for years to come.  When the playoffs are over I’ll write a comprehensive overview on this past year. I can not think of a tougher challenge than playing the Bandits in Buffalo in front of a packed house.  We will certainly be the underdogs, but there’s a good reason we play the games regardless of the prognosticators.  Dick Vermeil spoke to our team two years ago and I’ll use his quote to the team that night, “You do not have to be the best team in the league … just the best team tonight.”  Once you get to the dance a lot of things can happen.  I like our team and their chances.  Either way, we will be there and win or lose we are proud of what this coaching staff and team have done this year. Go Wings!

xpsp2_crystalc

No love yet again!!!! losing on nll insider I guess you guys dont love me as much as I love you. Well I guess you cant please everyone. i still cant put up my bikini pics they wont upload!!! OHHH i see you are boycotting me is that it. lol Well the boys are ready for the K-hawks going to be alot of tears coming from them as i already posted on wingzone forum. Cant wait for this game. Time to show the rest of you how new yorkers throw down.

Colin Doyle

Well, I just got back from the Sharks/Flames game seven, and all I can say is WOW!!!!! What a game. That is three game seven's in two night's!!! Habs put it to the Bruins last night, the Sharks put it to the Flames tonight and somewhere in between, my ol' boy "Ovie" got put out by the Flyers!!! I guess I'll be hearing it from the Flyers fans today....what a series!!! After watching tonight's game I remember why I love "important" games so very much. Watching them and or playing in them. In a game seven, in any sport it is amazing how important everything becomes. It makes the games so much more exciting. Each pass, each dump in, each pitch, each shot, each giveaway, each power play, each serve and on and on. Sports are so exciting to watch when so much is on the line. The Shark tank tonight was a mad house, as I found myself out of my seat numerous times. It is in games like these that the cream really does rise to the top. You can see why these athletes are the best at what they do. In big games almost every mistake bites you in the **s, and it conitnues to impress me how few mistakes are made. It is always easy to made out a goat on sports biggest stages, but when things go well, players live in infamy. Take a look at Carey Price's game seven performance for example. A twenty year old being thrown into the sport's biggest stage and sutting the door to lead his team....I could go on and on. I am an avid baseball fan, but what I love about baseball is October baseball. I think it is for this exact reason, every single play has massive implacations. Walk one batter, give up one error etc....and the entire game and season can tun on you in a matter of seconds!! Yet, in October how many glaring errors are there? The perfect play leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the team to make the first mistake. Teams battle to late inning, one run games because they are both so GOOD!!!! Tiger, Fedderer, the Red Sox, the Spurs, the Pistons.......These people and teams manage the best under pressure. How many times have you been sitting watching a tennis match or a golf match saying "there is no way he is going to make that shot", or "When was the last time he went wide on a return?"..... The greats, in individual sport and in team sport manage their games the best when the most is on the line, it is as simple as that. As a fan or as an athlete, this is what sports is all about, this is why we pay to see human people make super human acheivements!!!! Until next time, Colin #7

Russ Cline

Saturday was a very emotional night for me.  We had the best attendance in five years and I was elated.  At the same time, I saw us lose the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot, secure a home playoff game and was devastated.  I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out where we are and how we got here.  These are my thoughts: · Our team had great early success winning six games in a row.  Some we probably should have lost but we didn’t.  I remember a couple of times looking at Dave Huntley after a dramatic comeback victory and we just raised our eyebrows at each other.  Sometimes, if it comes to easy, you don’t work as hard.  This team believed it would continue to come easily and it hasn’t.  Teams got better and we went into a damaging slump after the embarrassing loss to Buffalo.  No team has given up 20 goals in a game this year except the Wings and we did it three times within four games.  With a young team it was especially devastating to their confidence.  We began to make needed changes and inexperienced youth combined with average play by veterans, resulted in a tough time of adjustment.  The look in their eyes changed and the swagger was gone.  Confidence was replaced by locker room “rah rah” that did not translate to the field. · Strangely, the same thing happened to the other two teams that started with five or more consecutive wins.  Colorado started with five straight victories and after we came from behind and beat them in their house they lost three in a row.  They recovered with a veteran team to get to 9-6 by winning four of their last seven.  Minnesota, like the Wings started with six straight wins.  In their last five games, they are 2-5, one with an overtime win against us that could have gone either way.  They are a very good team, but have been favored with four of their 16 games against Chicago.  The Wings won six in a row, lost three of the next four and are 2-2 in the last four games losing one in overtime.  Minnesota is in as is Buffalo, who is in second place and is also 2-2 in their last four games, at 9-6.  Three teams trail Minny at 9-6. · Back to the Wings.  When we started the season, we decided to build through the draft and go young.  We have five rookies playing every week and a number of them American players who did not grow up playing indoor lacrosse.  They are adapting nicely, but have had a difficult time adjusting to game changes by us and opposing teams.  Our veterans have been erratic in their play and leadership.  The Iannucci record breaking season is both a blessing and a distraction.  We spend too much time looking to him to carry us and Saturday night, arguably the most prolific offense in the league had four other player score one goal each.  He tries to do too much and the others aren’t doing enough.  (Brandon) Miller kept us in the game. · Having said that, we are a greatly improved team and WE ARE ONE OF THE ELITE TEAMS WITH A 9-6 RECORD and ½ game out of first place.  Would I have liked to have this thing wrapped up and over … ABSOLUTELY.  Am I still proud of these guys either way … ABSOLUTELY!  By all accounts, we should win Sunday afternoon, but I am a realist and know we could lose.  These are professional athletes.  They know what they have to do to win.  Only they can answer whether they are willing to do it.  I hope to a man, that we will trust the game plan, play disciplined, unselfish and as a team.  If they do, everyone gets another game. · One last word.  Sunday, one of the classiest and best athletes to put on a uniform in any sport will retire as an active player.  Jim Veltman is not only a gifted athlete, but more importantly, is a walking definition of character.  My son was born in 1986, the year the league started.  He has attended many games and will graduate from college in two weeks.  He was at a Wings/Toronto game when he was about 12 years old and I pointed out Jim Veltman and said, “Son, this is the kind of man I hope you can be like someday.”  It’s my highest compliment Jim.  I know you will stay around the game and join me in the Hall of Fame and that’s good news for me personally and for the sport of lacrosse. OK Wings fans …. same position as the last two years.  Win and we’re in.  Lose and we need some help from other teams.  Even if you don’t agree with the blog, I am confident we agree on what we want to have happen this Sunday in Toronto.

Colin Doyle

I hope all is well with everyone in the Yard!! I had a busy weekend after our tough loss on Friday night. We spent the entire day on Satuday at Great America Park up here in Santa Clara. We had fun riding the rollercoasters and exposing the Stealth and the game of lacrosse. We are putting a real push to try and get as many people as possible to our first place battle with Colorado on Friday, as well as our home playoff game. On Sunday, I was back into San Fransisco touring aound some company. All in all, a busy weekend. I've already discussed my NHL thoughts with everyone, so today I am going to try the NBA...even though we are already breifly underway. In the East, I see all the higher seeds going to the second round with the Pistons and the Celtics going to the Eastern Finals. I am going to go agains conventional wisdom and take the Pistons to win the East. Not only are they my team, but I like their make up. They are the true essense of the word "team" and they work incredibly hard on the defensive end. They also have tons of Championship experience as well as enough infusion of youth. I do think the Celtics are good, but I think in a seven game series their lack of depth will show......who knows. Pistons to win the East, basically because they are my team!! In the West, it is a whole nother can of worms. They're are no glaring mismatches in the first round like in the East, but I am still going to call all the favored teams to win their respective series' in the first round. I wanted to go with the Mavs, but after watching game one, I simply like Paul too much!! They are tougher than the Mavs and will go further because of it. But their depth will catch up with them in the second round, when the Spurs beat them in six. The Spurs will get by the Suns in what may be the best series of the entire playoffs. Again, I will go with the better team, and they know how to win as a team......as they showed in game one. Their game seven home floor advantage will pay off big. In the other second round series, I like the Jazz. I don't want to go against the Lakers, but if they don't get their big man back, they will get pushed around in the paint against the Jazz. Their front court is tough, and they have a gem in Williams. In the Western Final I am going with the Spurs over the Jazz and I am going to bore everyone and say that the Spurs will go on to lose to the Pistons in the NBA final in Six!! Those are my thoughts, I'm sure two months from now we can all have a good laugh about how little I know about basketball!! By the way, I had the Sharks and the Habs in the NHL final and unless these next two days are good to me, I could be in trouble. GO HABS!!! Until next time, Colin #7

Colin Doyle

Hey guys, hope all is well in the Yard!! I had a minute, so I thought I'd check in and let you all know how we did this weekend. We lost a tough one at home last night to Portland in overtime. They played us well, but as always little mistakes caught up with us. They clinched a playoff spot with the win, and we still have a shot at a Western Division title next Friday at home vs. Colorado. There is a lot going on in the NLL tonight, with some huge playoff implications. We have an appearance today at Great America in Santa Clara, then I will be home to watch the Habs finish their series with the Bruins. I will also be taking in some NLL action, just to see how things may play out. A tough loss for sure, but we are still in position to win our Division which is where we want to be. We need to clean up our mistakes and the rest will take care of itself. Until next time, Colin #7

Colin Doyle

Hey everyone, hope all is well in the yard. I have been busy the last few weeks doing school and coaching appearances along with a full schedule of our own with the Stealth. I thought I'd stop in and give everyone a heads up with what's going on in the NLL and in Stealth world. After a decisive win over Edmonton this past Sunday, we currently sit atop the Western Division with an 8-6 record. That will guarantee us at least one home game in the playoffs, our first I believe in 3 or 4 years, and my first as a member of the Stealth. We put ourselves in a position to win the West if we were to win the remaining two games on our schedule. We have Portland and Colorado the next two Friday's at home. As much as it has cleared up a little for us, the rest of the league is an absolute mess. The only other team locked in, is Colorado, but they can go anywhere from 1st to 4th. The East is an absolute mess with every team still in the playoff picture with only two weeks left on the schedule!!!! Most teams can finish anywhere from 1st to 6th!!! As I said in an earlier blog, this is on of the most appealing things about the NLL….it is unpredictable and almost always comes right down to the end!!! I won't bother making any predictions as I really don't know what to expect down the stretch, and really my only concern is the Stealth!! We have had an up and down year, but really need to play well down the stretch to make sure we are heading in the right direction come playoff time. This is always the best time of year for lacrosse, as every shift has consequences and every shift has meaning. I will keep everyone posted as the NLL playoff scenario moves closer and closer. Keep you eyes on games this weekend as every single one of them has massive playoff implications. I hope to be able to get some video up sometime in the near future to help show off the great game of lacrosse. I've got to go, the Habs just went up 1-0 in game 4 on the road!!! Cheers, Colin #7

Ryan Cousins

If you weren't at the Swarm vs. Philly game on Saturday you missed a good show! And if you were there, then you know what I'm sayin! We started this affair off quickly and pulled ahead by a number of goals. Everyone was playing well and all the bounces were going our way. As usual the fans were really loud and kept the boys pumped up for the half. After half time all heck broke lose. We found ourselves getting scored on what felt like every 2 minutes for the remainder of the game. With Philly scoring all these goals in we found ourselves down by one G with seconds left in the fourth quarter. So, we called a timeout and the offensive Guru Mike "Linezy" Lines set up an unstoppable 6 on 5 play. Dan Marohl found himself open at the end of this 6 on 5 setup and buried the tying goal. Wow was it sick! Going into OT we had the advantage because of our track record in these situations. Sure enough a few minutes into OT Sean "the red-headed assassin" ripped a worm burner from what looked like 40 feet out (according to him he was right by the crease) that snuck in through the five hole of B. Miller to give the Swarm another victory! Nice shot Polly! After the game we were all thankful for the win but realized we can't let teams back into these games. We just have to keep dominating. I will see all you this Saturday when we take on Rochester. Remember to bring a few friends that have never seen the Swarm in action. We want the X full! Swarm it up! CUZ

Russ Cline

What a crazy weekend for us and the league.  It was a nightmare.  What our team went through this weekend really makes you appreciate the stress and physical challenges of our staff and players. For this trip, there were 14 different itineraries coming from eight different cities.  Scheduling this was definitely quite a feat by our travel coordinator, Beth Coughlin, who is one of the unsung heroes of our team.  The travel dilemmas started when the Philly group arrived in Minneapolis on Thursday night in the middle of a snowstorm.  They boarded their flight to Portland as scheduled, but then had to wait while the plane was de-iced twice and had to refuel.  Their flight, which was supposed to get into Portland at 11:09 p.m. actually arrived around 2 a.m.  The Baltimore and New York groups were suppose to meet the Philly group in Minneapolis and fly to Portland together, but their flight didn’t get into Minneapolis in time to make the flight.  They were re-booked on another flight to Portland that was connecting in Denver.  On the way from Denver to Portland, their flight had to land in Fargo, ND because of a medical emergency on board.  Instead of arriving at 11:09 on Thursday night, they arrived around 1 p.m. on Friday.  Others had flights delayed and a few players said their flights were so bumpy that they never wanted to get on another plane again.  It’s really a credit to all of them that they were able to put all of this aside and get a critical win on the road in Portland.  Congratulations to Athan and the team for his breaking the scoring record for the league.  This is a special accomplishment and we’re proud of Nooch and all who helped him achieve the goal. Observations: · As improved as our record is from last year, we are in a dogfight in one of the tightest races in league history. · In 2003, as a member of the Colorado Mammoth, Gary Gait set the scoring record and was MVP for the league.  The Mammoth’s Brian Langtry was Rookie of the Year that season and Colorado did not make it to the Championship Game.  I am proud of individual records, but the only thing that matters now is this team winning the cup. · We cannot continue to play poorly for portions of the game and expect to make up 8-10 goals against good teams.  We must play four quarters the rest of the way if we are to be in this thing. · I am proud of our rookies and as far as I am concerned, they have earned the right to be called veterans. This weekend is a playoff game for both teams.  Win it and we are in the playoffs for the first time in five years.  Lose it, and we could be sitting at home.  I am proud of what we have done, but it’s not enough.  This Saturday night we will have to play smart, hard and as a team for four quarters against one of the hottest teams in the league.  There are no more next weeks for any of the teams in the East if they want to assure themselves an invitation to the big dance.  I wouldn’t miss this game for anything.  I hope you feel the same way.

Colin Doyle

Hello everyone, as always I hope all is well with all those in the yard!!! Well it is that time of the year again as we gear up for another exciting NHL hockey playoff run. This year has had many great stories, and many more are sure to come as we get deeper and deeper into May. In my opinion, there is no harder feat in pro sports than going all the way in the Stanley Cup Playoffs!! I look for a SOLID, LONG run by my very own HABS, Guy has them playing hard!!! With all that being said, I wanted to dedicate this blog to the most dominating player in the NHL. I really enjoy watching him play, and felt I had to blog about him. The ONLY reason Washington is in the playoffs is because of the play of Alex Ovechkin. Everyone knows that, and even a non hockey fan has to sense the way the NHL has begin to hype their game around him. There are many reasons I believe he is the best player in hockey and there are even more reasons why I love watching him play. I just finished watching the Capitals play their first game against the Flyers and had to blog about why I love watching this guy play. Here are my five top Alex The Great Facts!!! 1.He is a GAMER!! Simple as that. He has proved this year to be his team's best player when they need him the most. Like I said earlier, he carried his team into the playoffs, and they will go deep depending greatly on him. The great players play best when they are needed the most, he fits that mold. 2.He exudes TEAM!! You can see it in the way he plays, he plays to win. Scoring titles and personal accolades will come to him, and for a young player he understands that. It is very rare to find a kid with that much talent that understands that the team comes first. Next time you get a chance to see Capital's highlights, watch how he celebrates after his teammates score……you can't tell the difference from when he scores to when anyone else scores. I love that. 3.HE LOVES THE GAME. Carrying on from my last point, watch this kid celebrate a goal. By far the best, and most exciting celebration that there is in the NHL. It would appear that the business of the NHL doesn't cloud his boyhood love for the game of hockey. It is rare to see that out of anyone for an entire 82 game schedule. I can't wait to see him celebrate in the playoffs. 4.He has a great MENTALITY. I like players that enjoy challenges. Playing in Washington up to this year has been just that, a challenge. The franchise has seen many good players come and go over the years, none of which have been able to take them to the next level. Ovechkin did jus that. Instead of whining about how poor the team was, he came in with a great, hard working attitude, committed to the team long term all the while leading them into the playoffs. Many players would whine about their situation, instead he took it on full on and succeeded in turning them into winners. 5.He is a great ROLE MODEL. For all the reasons I have stated above, I believe young aspiring hockey players can learn a lot from him. He works hard, believes in the team first, he is talented and he loves the game. These are characteristics I try to instill in kids that I come across in the lacrosse world. He embodies what being a professional is all about. Cheers to Ovechkin for being such a great player, leader and role model, but be sure of this: If they meet the Habs along the way, his first playoff will be cut short!!! Enjoy the playoffs, I'll be back tomorrow to get you up to date in the lacrosse world…in the meantime enjoy the NHL playoffs!!! Cheers, Colin #7

Russ Cline

It was a frustrating and exhilarating weekend.  Saturday night’s first quarter was a nightmare, and then we had three really good quarters of lacrosse only to lose in overtime.  I concluded it is not good for my health to feel that many different extreme emotions in two and one half hours.  When I arrived in Philly on Sunday at about 5 p.m., I wasn’t sure what mood would dominate our locker room.  I was relieved to see intensity in the eyes of our players and a mood of determination rather than desperation.  I hoped we would play well, but honestly I had no clue as to how the game would go.  I was relieved after the first quarter to be tied and see Blazer playing one of his best games and the team battling hard.  I think the coaches had a good game plan and overall the players responded nicely.  We only practice once a week and it is very hard to put new schemes in place or change much at this point in the season.  I like the adjustments the coaches have made and the players have responded well to them. Observations: · The ownership group was so proud of all of you for coming out to a rescheduled game on a Sunday night at 8:00 p.m.  With the game broadcast live, it would have been easy to stay home, but you are not that kind of fan.  I hope we can reward you with playoffs and a championship.  You deserve it. · The operations staff at the Wachovia Center are All-Americans.  The change-over was not just smooth, but ahead of schedule.  I know it’s their job, but they put the extra into what they do that makes them the best operations staff in the business.  Thanks for caring about what you do.  It’s becoming a rare thing to see. · I think we turned a corner in the second period of the Chicago game. We were embarrassed in the first quarter and could have quit.  They didn’t, and I think if things turn out well for us this season, we will look back to that game where our guys said “no mas”. · Our team is still trying to trust the game plan and each other on the floor.  When they do, they are very good.  When they don’t, they are average.  We have a lot of different guys playing each night and had five rookies in the line-up last night. · Only four games left for it to happen if we are going to make a run in the playoffs.  It will require not only effort but discipline, determination and selflessness. · What about the Thompson/Rooney duet?  They were textbook on their goals together.  That’s what I’m talking about. · Unless something bizarre happens, Nooch will break the league single season goal scoring record.  That is amazing considering he is only in his second year and will get better as he gains experience. · You can win a lot of games with a mixture of good to great talent.  You can only win championships if you play as a team.  With so many franchises within a couple of games of each other in the standings, the team that will go the distance will be the one that “jells” as a team, not necessarily the one with the best talent. · There were others, but Johnny Christmas, you were full value in both games this weekend. All games are big now.  Four to go and none will be easy.  Tough road trip this weekend traveling to Portland and Minnesota.  April 19 is shaping up to be our highest attendance in several years.  Let’s try to “filler-up”.   Well, we are 8-4 and tied for first in our division.  It’s a hard earned record and I know you are as proud as I am of our staff and team.  Our goal, however, is to win a championship and you don’t do that with blogs.  So here’s to you, our young talented Wings team.  Dig deep, recognize the opportunity and pay the price.  We are with you.

Ryan Cousins

 Well, our weekend in Chicago started off pretty well but ended with a brutal performance later in the game. A bunch of us flew in to Chicago early in the day on Friday, giving us an opportunity to see some of the cool sites of Chi-town. We started off by hitting up world famous Garidino's for some deep and delicious pizza. It was some quality Za! Then from there we jumped on a water taxi and cruised through the river which was a unique way to see the city. Following the water taxi we walked the streets for a couple of hours taking in a all the beautiful buildings and other attractions. After a solid shift in the downtown core, we jumped on the highway to make our way to to the suburbs and the arena. Game day started off with a good shoot-around in the morning, which I thought got us ready for the big game that night. We started the game strong, shooting ahead to a 5-1 start. The lead didn't last long and we found ourselves trying to catch Chicago for the remainder of the game. In a 15-10 loss there really were no stand out performances by any members of the Swarm. I can tell you that we will be looking for an amazing performance by each and every player this weekend against New York. I also want to personally thank all the fans that made the bus trip to Chi-town. You guys were amzing! Over and Out! CUZ   Back on Top  After a tough couple of weeks we are back on top with a true character win against New York on Saturday night. We started our weekend off with a much needed practice at the old faithful CornerKick. The boys were able to catch some intense soccer matches before practice courtesy of some die-hard soccer gurus. After the free viewing we hit the field for some instructional work and blasted a few shots at the goalies. The next morning we were up and on the field at the X for a shoot around that got our minds focused. All the boys knew that this game would be a true testament out character and would prove what we are capable of doing from here on out. As usual, we went to Tom Reid's for pre-game meal where the staff presented a great spread... Thanks Tom! Nap time! The game was a very intense affair. It was back and forth for the duration with some amazing goal tending, solid defense and sick offense. Sean the "red-headed assassin" Pollock and Ryan "Wardo" Ward really shouldered the load and scored some key goals to solidify the W. Once again, Nick "video phone" Patterson put on a stellar performance between the pipes, robbing the Titans of their offensive chances. Swarm 12 New York 9 Thanks again to all the fans at the game! If all of you tell one more friend to come to the next game we will have a full house. Do it! Swarm it up! CUZ    

Russ Cline

This is when I wish I had never agreed to write a blog.  I am supposed to be the adult, so I will try to stay out of my child, although I would probably feel better doing the latter.  I share your tremendous disappointment in our teams' performance Saturday night. For the last four weeks we have not played  fundamentally sound lacrosse on either side of the ball, and we are paying the price. I cannot sugarcoat or excuse the way this team has been beaten three of our last four games.   Unfortunately, it will require more than locker room speeches to try harder or “we’ll get them next time.” Observations: -          When the “run and gun style” works, it's great.  When it doesn't.......  -          Our goalies are not as bad as they have looked by the scores.  No goalie can stop as many quality shots as teams are getting against us for a whole game.  Goalies play on momentum and confidence.  We have killed both for our goalies with bad transition, shooting and defense. -          When you allow 5 man-down goals and one when you are 5 on 3, you are not only playing bad, but you are confused about your roles. -        Our offense  must be more patient and selfless.  We run the floor and shoot without moving the ball to other players. We are shooting from so far out we are putting the opponent in transition and we cannot react for rebounds or their transition. Out of 81 shots Saturday, 31 were off goal. -          We were outscored 6 to 1 in the last quarter. That may be the most alarming stat. -          We have issues with front and back door transition. Our speed has been negated by mismatches and other teams transition game. -          When 3 of your players trap 1 player it leaves a 4 on 2 , so you better get the ball.  If not, you've set up quality shot opportunities for the opposition. -          We have scored 12, 13 and 12 goals respectively in the three losses (37) versus the  opponents  21, 20 and 20 (61).  We were averaging 15 goals a game. Are they that much better than us or do we need to do something different? -          One other thing, we seem to lose composure when things are unraveling.  That’s another by-product of being taken out of your game and being physically dominated.      Talent-wise this is still one of the best teams in the league. They are giving a full effort but we are not executing the basics and our game plan needs adjustments to counter the adjustments our opponents have made. It will be a major coaching challenge because it involves a new approach to managing game tempo, individual player attitudes and team discipline. I remain confident that Dave, Chris and Lindsay will get it done.  We don't need to panic, but something's got to change.  I can tell you to a man our team hates losing. They are disappointed  and rightfully down but have not given up.  So, just like any family, and we are a family, we will stick it out through the tough times, waiting for the good times to return. This would be a good weekend for the good times to return.  It’s certainly in jeopardy but we still have the best won/loss record in the NLL. See you Sunday night.

Frank Resetarits

Easter this year was like none other for myself, and it all starts out on Saturday. A big win during the afternoon put myself and the rest of our squad in a great mood. To celebrate, we took Shaydon Santos up on his offer of a little BBQ and some beers on the beach in Santa Cruz. The spread was unreal. Burgers, corn, potatoes, salad, all the good stuff. After the BBQ we headed to the beach. We got a fire going, brought the keg to the beach, had some good laughs and a few good brews. Other than the fact that I was being called No Fun Frank (it’s a long story behind that) it was a great time.   Easter Sunday came and it seemed tough to top the night before. All the guys who live out here got together around the pool. We worked on the tans and saw perhaps the greatest swimmer in the world. He was definitely Zach Heffner’s boy. Then the idea came up to have a nice little Easter dinner. Everyone pitched in. Todd Fairlie cooked up a glazed ham that would make Emeril yell out “Bam!”   Steve Panarelli cooked up some muscles and then took his shirt off to make sure we could all see his, Sean Morris managed to cook some potatoes that were still growing when they came out, Stacy Doyle brought some wine and Colin brought his daughter and a bunch of bad jokes. Kyle Sorenson and Curtis Hodgson brought the beers and then made sure they all got drank, Heff was taking the pics and talking about speedbumps, Tommy Johnson was wheeling girls while wearing his speedo, Boldie made sure the food was healthy enough to go in his temple/body and Jeff Zywicki demanded his poker winnings the whole time. The dinner ended with two cakes we got from Safeway that were described as “the moistest cake you’ve ever tasted.” Doyle dusted one himself while the rest of us shared picked at what was left. A few beers, and few more laughs and the night was over. A great weekend was wrapped up in a great way. An Easter weekend with your teammates, a big win and in 70 degree weather. Not a shabby couple of days at all. A finalist for the 2007 Tewaaraton Trophy and the No. 5 overall pick by San Jose this year, Resetarits put up 241 points at the University of Albany. Email him at frank.resetarits@nllinsider.com .

Russ Cline

Well, this reminds me of writing this blog last year … disappointed, frustrated and at a loss for words.  I am by nature 50% fan and 50% owner.  After re-writing this blog for the fourth time since Saturday night, I decided to write from both perspectives. Russ Cline, the fan:   If you saw the game you know what happened.  New York had a great game plan and played motivated, strong, disciplined lacrosse for 60 minutes.  We were the exact opposite.  I hate losing, but I despise getting embarrassed.  We were embarrassed on Saturday night and honestly our best player’s performance was mediocre and most players played below average.  We never moved the ball or our feet and reverted to shooting wildly while playing undisciplined defense and committing stupid fouls.  I was deeply disappointed in our performance. Russ Cline, the owner:   I talked with Dave Huntley this morning.  He reminded me that this teams’ style of play, high energy and taking chances on defense and offense, can work against you if you have break downs.  We had some break downs that were exasperated by eight penalties and the five minute major that took away our momentum and got us into a hole that we never dug out of.  Our team never got into its rhythm and New York was in theirs.  No need to panic, we will address the situation.  By the way, the fans who attended the game did their job and did it well. Observations: · New York had only two penalties in the game compared to our eight.  The converted 50% of their power plays. · Penalties are momentum killers.  We gained momentum in the third quarter with a three goal run and closed the score to 11-9.  During our five minute major, New York scored four times taking the game to 15-9.  They also won every face-off during that time. · Without the two empty net goals, we outscored the Titans 4-2 in the fourth.  How big was that major penalty?  · I think we have had the most five on three man-down situations against any team I have seen in my 22 years of watching the game.  New York scored on both. · We did have two short handed goals to the Titans’ one. · Our offense did not move the ball and we could not get inside.  Our defense on the other hand, could not keep New York out of our goalie’s face. OK, I am through.  Mom said, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.  Sorry Mom.  Have I given up on this team … NO.  Am I angry about the loss … DUH?  We have earned the right to be in first place, now we have to defend our right to stay there.  Some will say there are four teams that are only 1-2 games behind us.  I say they are still behind us.  We have been and continue to be in a war.  We need a few good men to step us this weekend against Rochester.  They will be an angry, dangerous team after losing to Chicago.  Should be a good one since we’ll be in the same state of mind.

Colin Doyle

Hello everyone, how are things in the yard? I hope the sporting world has been good to all of you. As we sit in the midst of March Madness (I have Tennessee to win it all), the regular season hockey and basketball playoff stretchs and of course the ever popular pre NFL draft talk, I'd like to take today to discuss why I truly love the game of lacrosse. This past weekend we played Calgary at home in a very pivotal Western division match up, and came away with a very close 13-12 victory. Allowing us to take a share of first place along the way. What intrigued me the most about the game is how it is truly never over until the final whistle blows. Now, many other sports try and boast the "it is never over until it is over" theory, and some have the odd game to attest to it, but it seems week in and week out, the NLL has numerous match ups that have big time lead changes and usually end up being won or lost in the final seconds!!! I can't tell you the amount of games I have been in that I said immediately after "that was the best game I have ever been a part of!!!!" There was our giant fourth quarter comeback with the Rock vs. the Wings at home. There was the dramatic final second, Kaleb Toth shot at Maple Leaf Gardens. There was our 7 goal comeback last year at Colorado in the playoffs. There was the game in Minny when we led by 8 with a quarter to go and watched them beat us last second. There was the last two times we have been to Calgary and stolen two points from them in huge comeback victories. I could seriously go on and on. I have been on both ends of the dramatics this sport offers on many different levels over the years. It made me finally realize why I believe that this sport is so legit. Every game ends in exciting fashion and more often then not, both the players and fans go home in some sort of disbelief. It is common place in our game!!! There are very few duds!!! Back to our game this weekend…..In a nutshell, I will do my best to describe it to those who are unfamiliar with lacrosse. We came out like blockbusters and had a 5 or six goal lead after the first quarter. They came back and got it within two heading into half time. The third quarter was all theirs as they took a three goal lead into the final five minutes. We came back to win the game with 4 seconds remaining on the clock………How can you explain that to someone who didn't see it themselves? It is incomprehensible to think about how many NLL games allow the fan to leave the arena saying…….."THAT WAS THE BEST GAME I HAVE EVER SEEN.!!!" That is why I love the NLL. My Stealth mates and I are off to Edmonton to visit the Rush this coming weekend in a very important Western division battle. Until next time, Colin #7 I'll try and attach a little piece of video we shot right after the game this weekend. Video 

Brian Langtry

While I have been known to lurk on the message boards and smirk when fans issue their scathing remarks directed at me, I rarely expect to find such comical bitterness from a fellow colleague at NLLInsider.com . Had I not been alerted by our local radio personality that a boy by the name of Kevin Fixler had called me the black hole of lacrosse, I would never have had the pleasure of reading his masterful commentary. While I do a fair bit of reading, I tend to abstain from cluttering my mind with such pedestrian writing. However, since THE FIX has chosen to take this road, he will not walk it alone. I appreciate that you are holding me accountable for my play; in return I will do likewise. For your writing, that is. Unless you do play … you did say that you have been behind closed doors, correct? Well, I believe we have an accord. For all of the rest of the DUDS out there scrapping for their respective NLL teams, fear not. I am on the case.

LumberJax

Now that we've seen how the Portland LumberJax can really play, we have to wait over a week to see them play again. They don't return to action until April 5 when they host the San Jose Stealth at 7:30 p.m. This will be the first of three games against the Stealth. It's kind've strange how things turn out. Three of Portland's final five regular season games are against San Jose. With the Mammoth tied for first with the Coloraod Mammoth, these three games are very important. Plus, not even 24-hours after hosting the Stealth, both team's hop on a plane, travel to San Jose and then play at 4:30 p.m. So, April 5's game should be over by 10 p.m. The earliest either team could be on a plane is probably 1 a.m. or so. Then, gametime will be a little over 15-hours away and the plane hasn't even left and the guys haven't had any rest. This could work one of three ways. One, the Jax could play well on Apr. 5 and then follow that up with another god performance on Apr. 6. Or, they could play bad in both games and really be feeling. Third, both team's could split. I see the latter being the most realistic possibility. I'll be back later in the week as the NLL plays this weekend. Go Jax!

xpsp2_crystalc

Ohhh my god that was the best game I have ever seen. Sorry if I made any of the Wings fans upset but you guys taunted us like crazy. Can't lie everyone played crazy good, but in the end my boys came through. When arriving at the arena I had this overwhelming faith that we would win. With a record like the Wings I knew it was going to be tough. Sick game greatest time I have EVER EVER had and yes I did have a cry ball when it was all over and the TITANS rocked the house. Remember PAIN IS TEMPORARY PRIDE IS FOREVER!!! Crystal Titan Fan for Life

jjiloty

My first blog entry on NLL.com: how exciting. Almost as exciting as the time I got to meet Ted Jenner. I still have the empty Coors Light bottle he left on the bar.  Anyhoo, it's good to see Shanny's record in the pick-em finally picking up. I told him if he finishes below .500 all the prizes are coming out of his wallet, not NLL Insider's. Guess that was the kind of motivation he needed. I feel like Dave Huntley.  I'm fired up for the stretch run here. What's up with Colorado losing to Portland last night? I think that Men's Health pub Langtry got went to his head. Big-time star now. I heard next month's cover story is: "How to Kill Wild Animals with Your Bare Hands" by Geoff Snider.  You guys voted in the NLL Girl of the Week contest yet? In honor of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, NLL Insider is doing a season-long contest to find out who your favorite NLL Girl of the Week is. We'll crown a winner of the bracket at the end of the season. I told D Fritts and Casey Powell on Sirius a few weeks back that the prize was a date with me. I'm thinking Arby's. Maybe Red Lobster if it's in the budget. Start politicking girls!  America's Next Top Model has nothing on this contest. (Chantal got my vote this week: something about a jersey made into a mini skirt is tough to say no to.)  Also check out the NLL Offensive Challenge . Winner gets some nice RBK and Inside Lacrosse schwag. Not a bad deal. Anxious to see what happens this weekend now that the All-Star Game is behind us. Props to my man JSap for hooking this up.  Best of luck this weekend.  

Russ Cline

This morning in the Philadelphia Airport (real early this morning) a man came up to me and said, “Great Wings game last night.”  Wow, it’s been a long time coming, but this team has brought back a whole new excitement to lacrosse in Philly.  The atmosphere last night was electric.  Our new guys, A.J. Shannon and Brandon Miller said after the game, “Did you hear those fans?”  Yep, I heard you.  To be 7-1 with the parity and level of play in this league is an amazing accomplishment.  Our goal remains one thing … bring the championship cup back home.  I’ll celebrate today but keep my eyes on the main goal. Random observations: · The addition of Miller and Shannon will be very big as we go down the stretch.  Good job Lindsay. · Great play by the man down team shutting San Jose out on power plays.  Not good to give up two short handed goals. · Kyle Sweeney is the most underrated player in our league.  Game after game he brings everything he’s got.  He should be on the All Star team.  Maybe now that we are winning he’ll get the recognition he deserves.  Great teams are built on those who make it possible for others to do what they do best.  Just know Kyle that we know. · Last night’s loose ball statistic is almost unbelievable – Wings 113 to San Jose’s 64.  That stat is the best barometer for who works the hardest and wants it the most. · We did have a rough stretch offensively after getting a four goal lead.  Now let me see … we win three of four quarters, outscore the opponent 6-3 in the fourth quarter, put up 16 goals and underperformed offensively.  Hmmmm! · Just a reminder, San Jose had won three straight games, had the best road record in the league and came in as co-leaders in the West.  If we get our business done, there’s a good chance we could see them again. · Speaking of struggling, Iannucci struggled last night with four goals, two assists and 13 loose balls.  That’s a career night for 95% of the players in the league.  Come on Nooch … pick it up. · I have never seen a goalie come out of the crease and attack a player for scoring on him back to back. · The league needs to review when a player instigates a fight and the other player does not respond, why both players are sent to the penalty box. · The defense was AWESOME last night.  The team we were playing had a highly explosive, talented offense last night.  Blazer and crew were magnificent. · I don’t think there are two faster players in the league than Borell and Christmas.  Both scored great goals in transition. · How do you spell respect?  Put all your players but one on defense when facing off against Snider.  He reminded me that he had another game with no penalties. ·  Speaking of penalties, the team responded well to the coaches’ appeal to reduce them dramatically. · Next week – New York.  They defeated Toronto last night and are a very dangerous team.  The game will be played at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, so go out and cheer on your Wings. I know there is more but I’ll stop.  I feel very blessed to be part of this great sport.  To have such a fun and professional team and staff, great partners in Chris and Mike, to heave the full support of the Comcast-Spectacor team, and to have you, the fans.  How lucky can a guy be?  Next Sunday is special.  Bigger than sports, bigger than anything to me.  I hope you have experienced the glory of Easter as I have.  Have a good one.

Ryan Cousins

After 3 weeks in a row of being in the loss column we finally pulled off a W in at our beloved Xcel Center in front of our loyal Swarm fans! Going into this weekend we were in the mode of "do or die." We had to get ourselves back on track and winning games. The night before the game we spent two hours going over game film which focused on ways to improve our D and get our O shooting to score. Both were accomplished during the game against Chicago on Friday night. The other hour and fourty five minutes was spent watching Coach Moffat trying to figure out how to use the remote control. What a treat! Following the video we went out for some sushi at a local sushi bar that fullfilled our craving for raw fish. We knew after a good filling of sushi we would be ready for our game the next night. The morning of the game we headed over to the X for a quick shoot around covering more strategies and ways of limiting the Shamrox chances to score. Right after the shoot around we headed over to Tom Reid's where we have all our pre-game meal. Once again Reid's put on a nice spread for us with the hopes of another home victory. Thanks Tom! The game started off just as planned... scoring a bunch of goals to pull ahead of the Shamrox. Basically from that point on the Shamrox were just trying to play catch-up with us but were not successful after 60. Craig "Bang On" Point had a great game with a mountain of goals, as well as Ross Kyle who popped in 2 g's and had a tilt. Good for you guys! I once again want to thank all the loyal Swarm Fans who come out every week to cheer us on! All the boys really appreciate it. Let's keep this home winning streak alive when we see you in a few weeks. Swarm it up! CUZ

Colin Doyle

Hey what's up with everyone in the Yard? Sorry I haven't checked in lately, but I have been extremely busy with travel and family. We have just landed back in San Jose and look forward to some nice weather again!! The four major snow storms we had back East were great, but I think it is time for some sun and fun again. This past weekend I was lucky enough to participate in the annual all star game held in Edmonton. Although we lost the game in O.T., I took some great memories home with me as per usual!! To start, I can't get Chris Mcollroy's (spelling?) wicked mustache out of my mind. By far one of the best I have seen in years. Secondly, I had the chance again to hang out and get caught up with Whipper. Even though he was on the East, we made plenty of time to share old stories. I also took the opportunity to check out the loads of young talent that this league continues to produce. Watching what guys like "Nooch", "Steiner", "Wick", and of course "Jr." can do with their stick is simply awesome. Playing in the West has not allowed me to see some of these guys live for a while, in some cases ever. I also really enjoyed sharing the all-star game experience with my Stealth teammates. It was great to see Wick and Marty get some recognition and represent us as starters. It was also great to see Coz put in his usual great effort. Lastly, I was lucky enough to share the floor with one of my all-time favorites in Dan Stroup. He was a late addition to the West's lineup and it was just great to play with him for likely the last time. We have had quite a past, so I was really excited and enjoyed the game that much more. For me, all star games are a chance to showcase the game and are also a great chance to meet some new people (Jarrett Park, Nick Carlson) and get re-acquainted with many others. At the end of the day I really enjoyed my all star experience. I think we sent the fans home happy, I went home happy, and I think the majority of the other players would stay the same. Therefore, in my opinion…..the 2008 version of the all star game was yet another success. Cheers, Colin #7

LumberJax

The brackets are out and now the waiting begins. Thursday is the first real day of the NCAA Tournament, but there's also a very important game that evening that has huge implications. The Portland LumberJax host the Colorado Mammoth at 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Garden. It's the third and final regular season meeting of the 2008 season between the two clubs. Five of the seven all-time meetings have been decided by three goals or less, so anticipate a tight game. Colorado takes a lot of foolish penalties, so look for Keenan and Co. to take advantage of that. What concerns me is the pressure that the Jax may be feeling. With the Edmonton Rush suddenly hot on the team's trail, does Portland feel the heat? What I mean by that is whether the Jax have a lot of hunger for the final six games. There's no question this team is a playoff team, but with Edmonton playing well, how will the Jax respond. Look for a low scoring, 12-11 type game. It's very tough to beat a team three times, that's why I like Portland to win 12-11. Dan Dawson will be game MVP with 3+ goals and I think Dallas Eliuk will get the start in goal. What do you all think? Go Jax!

Rob Van Beek

well just finished eating some chicken low mein that i made and waiting to go to practice tonight.  hopefully it will be a good practice and all the boys can show up.  practice sucks when the away guys cant make it in. we only get to practice with each other once a week so that one practice very important.  Nooch and i were out today at the police and fire academy's of philadelphia to support our fallen heros promotion at the game tomorrow night.  it was cool to go there today, they were stupid enough to let nooch and i shoot some guns at the range lol.  i think we may be looking into becoming fire fighters here in philadelphia though after they let us try out the course.  some other things going on this weekend for us would have to be Nooch's big spotlight app. in his first allstar game in edmonton and while he is gone for the weekend i will be getting my first motorcycle.  Barbs Harley davidson in NJ has been nice enough to help nooch and i in getting our bike licenses and some bikes to ride for the rest of the season, sweet.  anyways it looks like it is going to be one hell of a weekend, all of it starting off with a big win tomorrow night against san jose and we even get to be graced with "showtime' luke wiles lol oh luker what a beauty lol.  see you all tomorrow night peace beeker

LumberJax

The road to recovery begins a week from Thursday when the Portland LumberJax host the Colorado Mammoth at 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Garden Arena. While the game is still far away, this coming weekend serves as a great weekend to get away. For those not participating in the National Lacrosse League All-Star Game (Dan Dawson, Brodie Merrill and Ryan Powell), this weekend is an opportune time to get away from lacrosse and chill. If that means going home for a few days or going to the beach, great. This team needs a weekend off and should benefit greatly from it. That's all I have for now. I'll blog later in the week with more on the All-Star Game. Go Jax!

Ryan Cousins

With a weekend off and most guys well rested for war in Buffalo, we start our weekend off in Six Nations on Friday... Friday afternoon we had a good practice in Six Nations, which got all the boys back in the mode to play some solid lacrosse. Following practice we were presented with an amazing spread of food courtesy of The Jacobs' family and crew. This was a great feast and was appreciated by all the Swarm members. Thanks Again! After the feast we hit the road where we were slowed down by a powerful winter storm, but we battled through to Buffalo in hopes of a W. Saturday morning we had a quick shoot-around and got our legs ready for the game. Shoot-around was followed by lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and then a nice afternoon nap. The game started off pretty well. We got a few quick goals and had a couple W's in the fight column after T. Hill threw down a beating on Pat McCready and Sully pounded out Rusty "the rat" Kruger. Nonetheless, for the rest of the game it was back and forth lacrosse by both teams. Patterson once again was just sick in the pipes but nobody else on the team had a real standout game. Once again we were hit by the sniper in Buffalo who took down newcomer Dan Marohl and Darren Halls (both suffering lower body injuries). Bandits 11 Swarm 7 Once again the Bandits leave a bad taste in our mouth and we can only hope to battle these guys in the playoffs. See everyone this weekend at the X when we take on the Chicago Shamrox and hope to start a new winining streak. Trust me, we are due! CUZ

Colin Doyle

Hello everyone, hope all is well in the yard!! Sitting out another weekend with a bye, I had some free time to sit back and enjoy tons of around the league NLL action. I took in plenty of lacrosse this weekend via television and the internet. As we reach the midway point of the season, things are really heating up for one heck of a finish in the NLL. I figured with that being said, I'd throw together a midseason report of my own. I'd like to use this forum to talk about some things that have intrigued me so far. 1.39 is the new 25!!! How about JT leading the league in scoring at 39 years old!!! This guy never stops. He simply keeps making himself better and better. Not only are his stats great as always, he had helped lead an injury depleted Bandits roster to a very strong record. On the other end of the spectrum, how about the play of another high thirties man……Bob Watson. He has helped carry the Rock to a very strong 5-3 record and has easily been the best backstopper in the league. I have always believed in how great he really is, but it seems every time people write him off, he responds BIG TIME!! 2.Great rookie crop. In what many claimed would be a weak draft year, rookies seem to be making a huge impact on their respective teams. Guys like Point, Thompson and Hall have stats that speak for themselves. They are making an instant impact on their teams and will continue to do so. Guys like Codron, Pannerelli, and Heim are all contributing well out the back end as well. Buffalo's got the two kids they seem to be using plenty as well as the trio in Rochester that have been used regularly in that star studded line up. Even the Smith kid put himself on the map last weekend in Philly!!! Maybe memory isn't serving me very well, but it has been a long time since I can remember so many impact rookies. This was especially unexpected in a season that lost two teams coming in. 3.The EAST. As it stands right now, it looks like you are going to have to win 9 games to get a playoff bid in the East!! With each team getting win after win, it seems as though fans in the East will be in for a great finish. 4.American influx. Again, with the subtraction of two teams this year, many assumed the number of American players would have dropped. Quite the contrary this season. With Philly, New York, Colorado, Rochester and us using many Americans night in and night out, their contributions have been massive this year. As we all know it bodes well for the future of our game, but it is really amazing to see the American contribution in 2008. 5.Iannucci….What else needs to be said? He is throwing together one hell of a good year offensively. I suspect we are just getting started as far as excitement goes in the NLL. I fully expect great races in both the East and West, as teams continue to get stronger down the stretch. I certainly do not know how things are going to end up, but I do know that fans of the NLL are in for one hell of a finish!!! On a personal note, I was part of READ ACROSS AMERICA this morning in two Northern California elementary schools. I got tot read to 10 different classes and help teach them the importance of reading and the benefits of enjoying reading. It was a great experience, and it amazes me when I get the opportunity to use my athleticism to create awareness for such great issues. I am a big believer in the importance of reading, so it was nice to get out there and share that message with our youth. Here are some pics….enjoy. Until next time, Colin #7

Russ Cline

Chris Fritz and I took our “as usual” morning flight to Philadelphia last Friday. Arrived at 2:30 p.m., rented the car and went directly to the Wachovia Center . Spent the afternoon meeting with the new President of the Boston Blazers, then appeared on Daily News Live on Comcast SportsNet at 6:15 p.m. and talked about how excited I was about the team and Saturday’s game. Frank Miceli calls and says sales are going great and it’s going to be a big day while Chris estimated how many dollar dogs he would eat. We left the arena at 6:30 and headed to DiNardo’s, another one of our pre-game rituals, filled with anticipation. At approximately 7:30 p.m., I got the call from Lindsay Sanderson who was at the airport in Toronto and received the devastating news that he and the Rock were snowed in and the game would have to be cancelled. I called Frank and his words were “You’ve got to be kidding.” I wish that had been the case. After at least 25 calls to Rock ownership, league officials, Mike French, Wings and arena staff, and anyone who would talk to me, we cancelled the game. Forget the money we were going to lose, I wanted this game to be special for the fans and see our team back in action. I felt like I had taken a bath with my clothes on. That night, everyone went into action and the best arena staff and management company in the world went to work unraveling as gently and expeditiously as possible all they had worked on for five months. I spent most of the day traveling home and working with Frank to find a new date. That’s not a small task. You know by now that the best was we could do was Sunday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m. I know you are disappointed and so are we. Everyone gave it their best, but now we have to deal with what we have. I could not begin to tell you how proud we are of the staff at the Wachovia Center and the way they worked after the cancellation. The list is too long to name, but they are the best. This Friday night we are back in action against another red hot team, the San Jose Stealth. Our team is not only ready to play, but pent up to play. It should be a barn burner. I sure look forward to seeing you there … and no repeat of last week.

LumberJax

I've had a few hours to digest last night's game and here are my thoughts: Who would have thought the Portland LumberJax would score two goals on man down chances? The Jax (3-7) had only scored one all season. Now, the bad stuff... Stopping runs:Calgary had two runs where they scored at least three straight goals. That just can't happen. A 7-5 second quarter lead for Portland became a three goal deficit as Calgary went on a 7-2 run. 7-2 run? That was a back breaker and clearly hurt. Penalties: Not to call any one player out, but the Jax made foolish penalties against the Calgary Roughnecks, This plagued the team in its first game against New York and has happened from time-to-time. It's simple, the more the Jax are in the box, the greater chance they have of losing. Their penalty kill can only do so much. I was very disappointed with this game. There was a lot on the line and the Jax didn't deliver. Calgary is not three goals better than this team. With the All-Star Break, I think each player needs to analyze the first 10 games and figure out what they can do to help this team. It can't hurt, can it? I'll be back later in the week to analyze the first half of the season. Go Jax!

CheerPSU82

Okay, so I'm about to go out and buy myself a lacrosse stick so I can join a Fann Cup team. Is there anything I should know when buying one? I use to play field hockey and based on your height you got a corresponding stick. Anything like that I should be aware of when purchasing a stick? What brands are good? Where should I go to buy a stick? HELP!

CheerPSU82

I was watching the special on the Phillies’ 2007 season the other day, the one where Jimmy Rollins narrates. It was a spectacular season; I think the most memorable moment for me was being in the ballpark while 45,000+ fans chanted “M-V-P.” What does this have to do with lacrosse, you’re asking me? I’m getting there. Throughout the show, they showed glimpses of the team, encouraging each other, joking with each other (Shane Victorino’s shaving cream pies), celebrating each other, working together on and off the field (Rockies game helping out the grounds crew). They were loose, and they genuinely seemed to like each other, they cared about the team, about winning together. Players stepped up when called upon. And it reminded me a lot of this Wings team. When they’re down, they don’t give up. This team last year, or the year before, or the year before…would give up. They have confidence and they know that they can come back if they’re down. How many times did the Phillies do that last year? Numerous. Our rookies Rooney and Thomson kept us in several games when our big guns were having slow starts. Whether it’s Jake Bergey’s clutch goal or Rob Blasdell shutting down opponents late in the game, you can see the team battling together. You can see them having confidence in each other’s abilities. It's something we haven't seen in Philly for a while. Locker rooms that are loose and that have the talent to back it up always seem to do well. The Phillies had that chemistry last year. The Flyers started out the season like that, ’til recently when their entire lineup changed due to injury. And now the Wings. Oh, one last thing. If the parallel between the Wings and the Phillies holds, Athan Iannucci will win a title similar to Jimmy Rollins' and Ryan Howard's. Sadly, the Phillies didn't make it to the World Series. But we all know about Billy Penn's curse on the big 4, and lacrosse is not one of the big 4 (as evidenced in our six championships). Enough rambling. GO WINGS! 

LumberJax

The only good news from Saturday's defeat is that the Portland LumberJax like to follow a bad performance with a win. The previous worst defeat of the season was a 13-6 loss to the Calgary Roughnecks on Jan. 26. After the loss, the Jax regrouped and won their next game on Feb. 2 in Edmonton. Fast forward to now and Portland will look to do the same thing. The Edmonton loss was brutal,m so now the Jax will look to take the season series from the Roughnecks. Both teams are 3-6 and sole possession of third place is on the line. That's all I have for today. I'll be back later in the week for my preview and predictions.

Russ Cline

This will be short.  My observations and feelings. · If you had told me at the start of the season that with a new coaching staff, a roster filled with rookies and a dramatic roster overhaul, that we would be a 6-1 at this point, I would have told you to readjust your expectations.  WE ARE 6-1 AND LEADING THE DIVISION. · I am very pleased with the overall development of this team and the exciting brand of lacrosse they play.  They have been fun to watch and have brought a new energy to the league, the Philadelphia market, and me. · I thought we played sloppy Friday night and won anyway.  Good teams can do that sometimes.  Saturday night we played sloppy and didn’t get away with it.  We lost to a very good team.  It’s not a disgrace to lose to Buffalo, but it is inexcusable if you are a good team to melt down and lose your composure on the bench and field the way we did.  Five bench minors has to be a record. · We are eighth in the league in power plays and penalty killing.  No team has ever won the championship without winning more power plays than they lose.  We have had more penalties than the opposing team in every game we’ve played except one (the first Buffalo game).  This team needs to take its extraordinary talent and play disciplined lacrosse or teams like Buffalo who went 9-13 on the power play Saturday night will take us down. · Some still want to blame the officials.  Officiating is always a factor in games, but once you know how they are calling the game, make the adjustment.  They are not going to change but we can. · Do I still believe … ABSOLUTELY.  We are a good team that will get better.  We will see Buffalo again and I can’t wait.  Remember point #1:  WINGS 6-1 … leading the Eastern Division. This Saturday is our chance to start a new winning streak.  Now that we are one of the league’s best teams, we will get every team’s best effort against us and we will have to play at our best to reach our goals. This Saturday is also Dollar Dog Day.  What a deal!  It’s also our first photo day where you can get your photo taken with members of the team after the game.  Bring the family for lunch and watch a great game against Toronto, who, by the way, have won four of their last five games. I look forward to seeing you Saturday for a 1 p.m. start.  Let’s get it going starting with team introductions