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BUF at SD - Sat. 10pm ET on ESPNews Schedule

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 2
FINAL
Philadelphia
8
Halifax
18
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Vancouver
8
Toronto
19
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
San Diego
15
New York
14
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Albany
11
Buffalo
10
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Rochester
16
Georgia
11
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Colorado
6
Saskatchewan
18
WK
2
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL
Las Vegas
11
Panther City
13
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
12
San Diego
13
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Toronto
7
Rochester
11
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Vancouver
9
Calgary
11
WK
3
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
5
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Panther City
9
Las Vegas
3
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Buffalo
11
Toronto
8
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Rochester
14
Albany
13
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Philadelphia
13
Georgia
12
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Halifax
20
New York
11
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Colorado
12
Panther City
9
WK
5
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
Halifax
13
Buffalo
18
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
San Diego
17
Calgary
14
Sat, Dec 31
FINAL
Panther City
9
Saskatchewan
11
WK
6
Fri, Jan 6
FINAL
Philadelphia
14
Las Vegas
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Panther City
9
Rochester
17
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Halifax
14
Albany
11
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Buffalo
18
Georgia
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Toronto
15
New York
7
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Calgary
8
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Vancouver
11
San Diego
16
WK
7
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Albany
11
Halifax
10
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
10
Colorado
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Halifax
8
Toronto
17
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Panther City
12
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Georgia
9
Buffalo
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
San Diego
10
Calgary
14
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Las Vegas
16
Vancouver
19
Sun, Jan 15
FINAL
Rochester
11
New York
8
WK
8
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Buffalo
12
Rochester
15
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
15
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
Toronto
14
Philadelphia
5
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
New York
16
Albany
10
WK
9
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Rochester
7
Halifax
17
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Buffalo
13
Philadelphia
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Buffalo
16
New York
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Las Vegas
10
Saskatchewan
15
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL/OT
Toronto
11
Calgary
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
San Diego
13
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Panther City
20
Vancouver
7
WK
10
Fri, Feb 3
FINAL
Georgia
10
Colorado
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL/OT
Calgary
12
Halifax
11
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
New York
14
Toronto
22
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Albany
5
Philadelphia
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Rochester
10
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Panther City
10
San Diego
12
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
14
Vancouver
8
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Colorado
8
Las Vegas
13
WK
11
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Toronto
11
Georgia
10
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
13
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Halifax
14
Rochester
16
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Albany
12
New York
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Vancouver
13
Panther City
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Colorado
9
Calgary
13
WK
12
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
9
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
16
San Diego
11
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Georgia
7
Toronto
16
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
Albany
10
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
12
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Colorado
7
Panther City
13
Sun, Feb 19
FINAL
New York
12
Halifax
13
WK
13
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Panther City
12
Colorado
14
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Calgary
9
Las Vegas
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL/OT
New York
10
Rochester
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Albany
4
Georgia
20
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Vancouver
16
Saskatchewan
12
WK
14
Fri, Mar 3
FINAL
Buffalo
10
Halifax
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
New York
12
Philadelphia
19
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
San Diego
15
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Rochester
8
Toronto
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL/OT
Georgia
9
Albany
8
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
10
Panther City
16
Mon, Mar 6
FINAL
Toronto
10
Philadelphia
11
WK
15
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL/OT
Halifax
9
Buffalo
10
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL
Calgary
16
Colorado
10
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Albany
6
Toronto
12
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Philadelphia
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
San Diego
12
Saskatchewan
11
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
5
Sun, Mar 12
FINAL
Rochester
19
Georgia
18
WK
16
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
11
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
San Diego
16
Vancouver
9
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Georgia
13
Philadelphia
12
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Toronto
12
Halifax
14
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Albany
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Colorado
13
Buffalo
8
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
8
Panther City
11
Sun, Mar 19
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
9
Rochester
8
WK
17
Fri, Mar 24
20:30:00
San Diego
Panther City
Sat, Mar 25
19:00:00
Toronto
Albany
Sat, Mar 25
19:00:00
Halifax
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 25
19:30:00
Georgia
New York
Sat, Mar 25
21:30:00
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Sat, Mar 25
22:00:00
Buffalo
San Diego
Sat, Mar 25
22:00:00
Colorado
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 25
22:30:00
Rochester
Las Vegas
WK
18
Fri, Mar 31
19:00:00
New York
Georgia
Fri, Mar 31
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Colorado
Fri, Mar 31
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sat, Apr 1
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Apr 1
20:00:00
Albany
Panther City
Sat, Apr 1
21:30:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 2
13:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Sun, Apr 2
18:00:00
Rochester
Philadelphia
WK
19
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sat, Apr 8
22:30:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
WK
20
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Georgia
Albany
Sat, Apr 15
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 15
21:30:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 15
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
WK
21
Fri, Apr 21
20:30:00
Calgary
Panther City
Sat, Apr 22
18:00:00
New York
Halifax
Sat, Apr 22
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 22
21:30:00
Colorado
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 22
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Apr 23
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Albany
WK
22
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Halifax
Georgia
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 29
22:30:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
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Stories/Op-Ed

Gajic An Ambassador On And Off The Floor

By Stephen Stamp | Staff Writer

There’s a lot more to lacrosse teams and their players than we see on the floor.  A great example from the roster of the Colorado Mammoth is transition player Ilija Gajic.

Gajic could apparently do it all when he was moving into senior lacrosse. How tough was he to face? His current coach in Colorado, Chris Gill, was playing with the New Westminster Salmonbellies of the Western Lacrosse Association when Gajic was named the top graduating player in the BC junior league. Gill was helping the Bellies’ coaches prepare for the WLA draft.

“In their draft prep they had 10 or 15 questions they asked every single draftee,” Gill relates. “One was, who was the toughest guy in junior and who was the scariest guy to play against, and every single answer was Ilija.”

Needless to say, New Westminster picked Gajic and he was a key member of the team, helping lead them to three straight Mann Cup finals beginning in 2008. The same athleticism, toughness and drive led to him being the second overall pick by Colorado in the 2009 NLL draft.

He was originally seen as an offensive player, based on his raw talent. As he will himself profess, playing in an offensive structure wasn’t his greatest asset, though. As Gill points out, “His best part of his offence was running the ball from centre in and just picking and choosing whether he was going to pass, shoot or go on a breakaway. He could read the play and he was so strong.”

Eventually, he shifted to a transition role and is once again a valuable member of the Mammoth roster after a two-year stint with the Vancouver Stealth.

As mentioned above, there’s a lot more to Gajic’s story than his skill and what he does on the turf. Gajic has always been a fan favourite, largely because he is so accessible to and friendly with the fans.

“Every single kid wanted to talk to him after the game,” Gill says of their time together in New West. “We’d go out there for three stars, he was always one of the stars. The coach would be in the dressing room wanting to talk and Ilija’s still out there talking to the fans, talking to the kids, signing autographs. Yeah, he lives for that stuff, man. He’s a great ambassador of the game.”

It’s more than just mingling with fans, though. Gajic enjoys and even seeks out chances to visit children’s hospitals and take part in events to support worthy causes. He’s a regular at children’s Make A Wish Foundation events in and around Denver, where he played in university before joining the Mammoth.

Gajic, as you might expect, plays down the extracurricular work he does. “Not that I’ve gone out of my way, I’ve just been fortunate to get hooked up with these organizations,” he told NLL.com. He may profess to just being lucky, but you tend to “get hooked up with these organizations” when you virtually never say no to a request and you clearly enjoy yourself while taking part, not to mention bringing joy to the folks you interact with.

Gajic is particularly active with charities addressing colitis and related diseases. It hits close to home since he developed ulcerative colitis in his mid-20s.

“I had to be on drugs and everything. You have to learn how to control it, what your body can take and what it can’t take,” Gajic says. “Fortunately, I don’t have Crohns, I have ulcerative colitis and it’s in a part of the body that can be controlled. I’m not on medication any more but I still hear horror stories from people I’m close to, what they have to deal with and it’s terrible.”

Gajic is glad he was able to keep playing the game he loves, especially given how big a role sports have always played in the life of him and his family. His mother, from Vancouver, was a field hockey player. His dad hails from Serbia and played soccer at a high level. Their four sons—Milan, Nenad, Ilija and Alex, in order of birth—played all kinds of sports but lacrosse is where they really made their mark.

The Burnaby clan were major contributors to the dominant run by their hometown Lakers, among the four of them earning nine Minto Cup championship rings. They also got to play together with the Salmonbellies.

“It was awesome. We’ve been fortunate to be close in age so we’ve gotten to play together a lot. It’s a lot of fun,” Ilija says. “I think once the game starts you forget about it and they’re just any other teammates. But it’s always kind of cool to have that experience. In the future, you can say we all played at a high level together.”

Ilija and Alex have even gotten to play internationally together. They led Serbia to its first ever international wins at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in 2015.

With his trademark sense of humour, Ilija pumped up the outstanding performance at the tournament by Alex, who lost the sight in one eye several years ago. “He lit it up. He was good out there. The one-eyed bandit was just sniping out there.”

Kids just seem to gravitate towards Ilija. It was no different at the worlds. I was fortunate enough to witness his interaction with a young lacrosse player who travelled from Long Island, New York to the Onondaga Nation to interview players for a school project. The youngster was nervous at first as his mother brought him over to talk with Ilija, but the Serbian made him comfortable throughout the interview.

Gajic didn’t just answer questions, he asked about the young player’s lacrosse league and his project as well, all while sporting a freshly applied cast for the broken thumb he had suffered at the tournament. For those who know him, none of that was out of character or surprising from Gajic. He’s an asset on the floor and an ambassador off it.

And he is more than happy to be part of Serbia’s efforts to grow the game. “Going to play for that country made my dad very proud and therefore made me very proud,” Gajic says. “That’s my team. I love those guys and I can’t wait to get back and hook up with those guys again and battle with them.”

For his teammates and fans in Serbia, Colorado and elsewhere, the feeling is mutual.

NLL