Editor’s Note: The NLL Top 25 was voted on by the League’s Head Coaches and General Managers.
Ahh, transition. The most exciting position in the game of lacrosse. Akin to the interception in football, fans love watching an NLL defenseman cause a turnover and head up the floor on the run, either to take a shot himself or set up a teammate for an epic goal. Transition specialists have flash and style, and are some of the fastest runners in the sport. Watching them is like watching poetry in motion, and here are the five best, as decided by League coaches and GMs.
5. Jake Withers, Halifax Thunderbirds
Jake Withers is the reigning Transition Player of the Year and could have easily won last year’s Defender of the Year award as well. He excels at faceoffs and transition but has the wherewithal to take care of his end of the floor first.
Most of Withers’ goals come from his own faceoff wins, but he’s not averse to causing turnovers (28 last season) and running the floor. He doesn’t score as much as some of the players ahead of him on this list, but what’s special about Withers is the number of chances he creates for his more offensive-minded teammates. A lot of those chances come from his loose ball scoops, last year 282, which set the single-season record in the league – and was 98 more than the next closest player (Zach Currier, who finished with 184).
In just six short seasons, Withers has grown into an all-around player that any team should want on their roster.
4. Matt Gilray, Rochester Knighthawks
Matt Gilray is in the middle of a grand coming-out party. In his first three NLL seasons, he was a stable defender, but not a very noticeable player. You still might not notice him when he’s on his end because he does such a good job. But in the past two seasons, Gilray has been running more – and scoring more. He racked up 48 points in his last 36 games, while also stepping up the number of shots he takes (63), loose balls (328) and caused turnovers (50).
He’s tall and lean, which adds to the speed he gets dashing up the floor, and he has learned how to be more intentional with his passing and shooting. Gilray shows his maturity in these situations, and it’s no wonder he wears an A for the Knighthawks.
3. Zach Currier, San Diego Seals
Zach Currier didn’t have his best season in 2023-24, scoring only a single goal, but he is widely regarded as one of the best players in the game today at any position and has back-to-back Transition Player of the Year awards (2022, 2023) to prove it.
Currier has an intensity when he plays the game that forces opponents to re-evaluate every strategy. If you get in his way, he’ll take you down, strip you of the ball and run right up the floor for a scoring opportunity. In 2022 he set the NLL record for forced turnovers in a season at 62. He’s also a loose-ball machine with 1,156 so far in six seasons. If he keeps up that pace, he’ll crack the NLL’s All-Time Top 10 list in the next two years.
In his seven years in the league, Swarm defender Bryan Cole has proven himself as one of the most adaptable defenders in the game. As the years go on, he has become more of an offensive threat. Post-pandemic, he’s had seasons of 28, 42 and 31 points, last year scoring 14 goals and 17 assists for sixth on the team. Five of those 14 goals came in one game (the second season in a row he’s had a five-goal game), on February 10 vs the Rochester Knighthawks. Two of them were on the power play and one was shorthanded, showing his value on special teams.
Cole also upped his loose ball (85) and caused turnover production (15) last season, showing the growing confidence in his game.
A former NLL Cup winner (2017), Cole’s winning pedigree is a boon for the younger players around him.
Ian MacKay with a SNIPE in transition and the Bandits take a 1-0 lead over the Rock. pic.twitter.com/SqMiSsRtrA
On a team full of superstars, Ian MacKay has cemented his position as one of the most dynamic athletes in the league. Surrounded by players like Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith, MacKay makes himself heard on transition and he complements the offence well. He has 133 points over his 82 career games plus an additional 41 playoff points. Last season he was seventh on the Bandits in scoring with 12 goals and 17 assists and led in loose ball scoops with 160 after finishing second in that category the prior two seasons.
MacKay was also pressed into service at the faceoff dot last season (until Connor Farrell joined the team); he’s a player that will do everything he can to help out wherever the team needs him. His is one of the most recognizable names on the Bandits. By all accounts, he’s a great teammate, and he uses his charisma to ingratiate himself with the fans, and supports several charities with his high profile in the sport.
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