An exciting start to the NLL division finals gives way to a fascinating weekend as the East and West representatives for this year’s Champion’s Cup showdown will be decided Saturday night.
We now have a sample of what to expect out of the two series as the action switches to Georgia and Saskatchewan. I outlined the “X-Factors” for each team last week (Link: http://bit.ly/2qvAkkB), but what are the keys to actually seal the deal and advance?
WEST FINAL – Keys to Win the Series
Colorado at Saskatchewan: Rush lead 1-0
Although the 18-9 Rush Game 1 “W” looks lopsided, it wasn’t until the 4th quarter when Saskatchewan pulled away. That dominant late effort certainly should not be overlooked, but the Mammoth demonstrated during the regular season that they can hang with the the two-time defending champs.
How does Colorado pull off the upset or the Rush advance to a third straight Champion’s Cup? Stephen Stamp from IL Indoor and NLL.com joined me to break it all down.
https://soundcloud.com/nllradio/nll-west-final-keys-to-victory?in=nllradio/sets/keys-to-victory-in-the-east-west-final
EAST FINAL – Keys to Win the Series
Toronto at Georgia: Swarm lead 1-0
This match-up came as advertised except for the low scoring opening two quarters. Both sides displayed stellar goaltending and stout defense, but it was Georgia’s second half run that the Rock could not ultimately not come back from.
Neither squad made many, if any, glaring mistakes and that sets up what should be a nailbiter for Game 2. My NLL TV broadcast partner Brian Shanahan and I discussed the road to victory for Toronto and the Swarm to advance.
https://soundcloud.com/nllradio/keys-to-victory-east-finals?in=nllradio/sets/keys-to-victory-in-the-east-west-final
Andy McNamara has been a play-by-play commentator for the NLL on TSN, NLLTV, and world lacrosse tournaments since 2011. He’s also a sports talk host and anchor on TSN 1050 sports radio. Follow Andy on twitter @AndyMc81
