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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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InclusionNLL UnitesStories/Op-Ed

Isaiah Davis-Allen Finds Acceptance in Lacrosse

Isaiah Davis-Allen thinks he may be the only person of color in the National Lacrosse League who is from the south, and that makes a big difference.

“Technically the south,” the Philadelphia Wings’ defender says, since he comes from Fairfax County, Virginia, which is in the far northeast part of the state, abutting Washington, DC, so it’s not very far south. Still, there are big differences for a black person even a little further south.

The history of race and racism in the United States is not old news when you’re in the south; it is living history. The movie Remember the Titans was based on a true story about a coach being brought in to coach the football team at a high school that was recently integrated. The father of one of Davis-Allen’s friends was on the Titans before integration came to the school. The challenges and wounds are that fresh.

That is why it is important not just for people of color that they get a chance to take part in lacrosse and other activities, but for white people as well.

For the former point, just seeing someone who looks like you can change what you believe you’re able to do. For Davis-Allen, growing up in a community where football, baseball and basketball reign, a couple of factors led him to the sport. One was that a lot of military families live in his hometown, so “navy folks brought the sport down.”

That gave him a chance to see black people playing lacrosse, which simply wasn’t the case in many areas nearby. “There is a whole section of D.C. that doesn’t have the sport,” he points out. With exposure to lacrosse, Davis-Allen began to follow it and started to see black players playing at higher levels.

“Jovan Miller was a big player at Syracuse at the time, so when I saw him I thought I could play,” Davis-Allen says. “It’s important to have superstars of color because that’s what everyone sees.”

“Part of the reason it’s important to see players of color isn’t just for the people of color but also for everyone else,” he adds. Davis-Allen has run into some obstacles related to race in his life, he says. That hasn’t really been the case among professionals, though, either in the NLL or the PLL, where he also plays.

“At the pro level, it’s been pretty accepting.”

Davis-Allen says he gets the sense that the makeup of the sport is different in Canada, where the vast majority of NLL players grew up, than where he is from.

“I’ll never forget talking to people up here (North of where Davis-Allen grew up) when I first played lacrosse, how accepting they are. I said ‘I’ve a feeling you have no idea how it is in certain other places,’” Davis-Allen explains.

There is pushback against inclusivity for black people. “Being from the south, you see that every day. It is hard to be the person who looks different in a locker room.”

Trying to get a sense of what he means, I mentioned to Davis-Allen a time that I was in Barbados for a vacation and my mother and I took a bus which was standing room only, and on which we were the only two white people. Everyone was friendly and accommodating, but it was an odd feeling not to look like anyone else around you.

“Yes, that’s how it works for me every weekend,” Davis-Allen interjected. Going from Baltimore, which is mostly black, you’re just going to completely different atmosphere.”

And not everyone is pleased to see members of different races intermingling.

“My cousin is from Prattville, Alabama,” Davis-Allen explained. “Down there, cities are still fairly segregated, schools are still fairly segregated—he moved up here and felt the difference immediately.”

“Coming from the United States, there’s still only about half the country that has moved beyond segregation in the school systems, and Baltimore is not one of those areas,” Davis-Allen says.

“School attendance is based on zoning,” he continues. “As neighbourhoods change, the zones change. For example there’s a whole difference here in Baltimore (where he now lives), city vs county. They wanted to extend our light rail from Baltimore out to Carroll County.”

According to the US Census Bureau, Carroll County’s population is over 90% white.

“There was pushback,” Davis-Allen says, “because [Carroll County residents] didn’t want the influx of people of color coming out there.”

Unfortunately, that example is not an isolated instance. “You see it in D.C., too,” Davis-Allen says. “It’s been the same in any city I’ve seen.”

Davis-Allen wants young black people to get the chance he has gotten, to play lacrosse and go as far as they can with it. He sees value in letting them see people who look like them. Box lacrosse has an edge over the field version of the game in achieving that.

“I coach a lot in Baltimore and I have coached in the Bronx,” Davis-Allen says. “The participation we get with players of colour is more in Baltimore. A bunch of the kids I coach showed up to the Wings game against PCLC and they loved it. It’s important because when you’re starting off the sport, there are costs which can be barriers to entry. It’s easier in box because you don’t need as many players. We can play a pretty good version of box on a tennis court or parking lot or in a gym to get them started.”

As far as making the adjustment to playing the box game after starting out in field lacrosse at the relatively late age of 14 and now having just played box for four of five years, Davis-Allen says there was plenty to learn and adjust to when he tried to make it in the NLL

“It was a lot of watching, a lot of studying, a lot of asking questions. Coming from a defense perspective, it was a completely different experience. You pride yourself on staying in front of a guy outdoors. Indoors it’s not as important, it’s more team defence. In field, I made my money being able to cover the ball. The transition took a while. I’m still learning the nuances, still a work in progress. I still feel like I’m learning every practice, every game, asking questions of more experienced teammates and the coaches.”

The coaches in Philadelphia have been integral to him learning the box game.

“Having a coaching staff that’s willing to work with you, giving me minutes is important. Film study is huge, trying to figure out not just schemes on a surface level but why coach is telling me to do certain things, then trying to execute on the floor.”

Then there’s the challenge of alternating seasons between the NLL and the PLL. “It’s tricky going back and forth from outdoor to indoor and indoor to outdoor,” Davis-Allen says. “Every year it’s a bit of knocking the rust off. Luckily, there’s a lot less rust to knock off now.”

Davis-Allen is pleased that he has had the opportunity to make the move indoors, to add the box game to his life experience. And he is happy that the National Lacrosse League has recognized and celebrated Black History Month.

“It’s great what the NLL is doing, they’ve always tried to be progressive as far as the overall sport has gone.”

Being from the south, Davis-Allen says that such actions undertaken by the NLL are more important than many people realize.

“It’s important to note that my experience here in the States is obviously different from people in Canada or even more north in the US. I’m only about three hours away from where [black teammate] Trevor Baptiste grew up, but it’s a vastly different area.”

The process of the races learning to live comfortably with each other is ongoing, but steps like a professional lacrosse league celebrating Black History Month help to keep progress happening.

NLL