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Breaking: League Adopts Unified Standings Format & Updated Playoff Structure for 2023-24 Season

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 1
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Halifax
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Albany
Las Vegas
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
Sat, Dec 2
19:00:00
Calgary
Rochester
Sat, Dec 2
19:30:00
Philadelphia
New York
WK
2
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Dec 9
19:30:00
Colorado
Georgia
Sat, Dec 9
20:00:00
Rochester
Saskatchewan
Sat, Dec 9
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sun, Dec 10
16:00:00
Las Vegas
Panther City
WK
3
Fri, Dec 15
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
Sat, Dec 16
13:00:00
Albany
Philadelphia
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
Halifax
New York
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
San Diego
Buffalo
Sat, Dec 16
22:00:00
Georgia
Vancouver
WK
4
Fri, Dec 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Panther City
Fri, Dec 22
21:00:00
Georgia
Colorado
Sat, Dec 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Rochester
WK
5
Fri, Dec 29
18:30:00
Philadelphia
Halifax
Fri, Dec 29
19:30:00
Georgia
Buffalo
Fri, Dec 29
22:00:00
Rochester
San Diego
Sat, Dec 30
16:00:00
New York
Toronto
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sun, Dec 31
20:00:00
Albany
Saskatchewan
WK
6
Sat, Jan 6
19:00:00
Halifax
Albany
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Panther City
Georgia
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Colorado
Buffalo
Sun, Jan 7
15:00:00
New York
Philadelphia
WK
7
Fri, Jan 12
18:30:00
Toronto
Halifax
Fri, Jan 12
22:00:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Buffalo
Rochester
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Panther City
New York
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Albany
Georgia
Sat, Jan 13
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Jan 13
22:00:00
Calgary
Vancouver
WK
8
Fri, Jan 19
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
Georgia
Toronto
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
San Diego
Albany
Sat, Jan 20
20:00:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sat, Jan 20
21:00:00
Calgary
Colorado
WK
9
Fri, Jan 26
22:00:00
Colorado
Vancouver
Sat, Jan 27
18:00:00
Rochester
Halifax
Sat, Jan 27
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
Georgia
New York
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
San Diego
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 27
22:00:00
Panther City
Las Vegas
WK
10
Fri, Feb 2
19:00:00
Halifax
Philadelphia
Fri, Feb 2
19:30:00
Vancouver
Georgia
Fri, Feb 2
21:00:00
New York
Calgary
Sat, Feb 3
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Albany
Sat, Feb 3
19:30:00
Rochester
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 3
20:00:00
Panther City
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 3
21:00:00
Toronto
Calgary
Sun, Feb 4
18:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
WK
11
Fri, Feb 9
18:30:00
Las Vegas
Halifax
Fri, Feb 9
20:00:00
Colorado
Panther City
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Calgary
Toronto
Sat, Feb 10
19:30:00
San Diego
New York
Sat, Feb 10
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Vancouver
WK
12
Fri, Feb 16
18:30:00
Buffalo
Halifax
Fri, Feb 16
22:00:00
Philadelphia
Las Vegas
Sat, Feb 17
19:00:00
Colorado
Albany
Sun, Feb 18
19:00:00
Halifax
Calgary
WK
13
Fri, Feb 23
21:00:00
New York
Colorado
Fri, Feb 23
22:00:00
Georgia
San Diego
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Rochester
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Vancouver
Toronto
Sat, Feb 24
19:30:00
Albany
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 24
20:00:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 24
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Calgary
Sun, Feb 25
16:00:00
Georgia
Panther City
WK
14
Fri, Mar 1
19:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Fri, Mar 1
20:00:00
San Diego
Panther City
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Toronto
Las Vegas
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Buffalo
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 2
13:00:00
Calgary
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 2
19:00:00
New York
Albany
Sat, Mar 2
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Colorado
Sat, Mar 2
22:00:00
Toronto
San Diego
Sun, Mar 3
16:00:00
Rochester
Panther City
WK
15
Fri, Mar 8
19:00:00
Vancouver
Albany
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Calgary
Georgia
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 9
17:00:00
Colorado
Toronto
Sat, Mar 9
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Mar 9
19:30:00
Las Vegas
New York
Sat, Mar 9
22:00:00
Halifax
San Diego
Sun, Mar 10
15:00:00
Panther City
Philadelphia
WK
16
Fri, Mar 15
18:30:00
Panther City
Halifax
Fri, Mar 15
21:00:00
San Diego
Calgary
Fri, Mar 15
22:00:00
Las Vegas
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Rochester
Albany
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 16
19:30:00
Philadelphia
Georgia
Sat, Mar 16
20:30:00
New York
Saskatchewan
WK
17
Fri, Mar 22
20:00:00
Buffalo
Panther City
Fri, Mar 22
21:00:00
Albany
Calgary
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Halifax
Toronto
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 23
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
New York
Sat, Mar 23
21:00:00
Rochester
Colorado
Sat, Mar 23
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Mar 24
17:30:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
WK
18
Sat, Mar 30
13:00:00
Buffalo
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 30
19:00:00
Halifax
Rochester
Sat, Mar 30
19:30:00
Toronto
New York
Sat, Mar 30
22:00:00
Vancouver
Las Vegas
WK
19
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Calgary
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Buffalo
Colorado
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Panther City
San Diego
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Halifax
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
New York
Rochester
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
Toronto
Albany
Sat, Apr 6
19:30:00
Las Vegas
Georgia
Sat, Apr 6
20:00:00
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 7
16:00:00
Philadelphia
Panther City
WK
20
Fri, Apr 12
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Colorado
Sat, Apr 13
19:00:00
Rochester
Toronto
Sat, Apr 13
19:30:00
Calgary
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 13
20:00:00
San Diego
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
Colorado
Las Vegas
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sun, Apr 14
16:00:00
Albany
Panther City
WK
21
Fri, Apr 19
19:30:00
Rochester
Georgia
Fri, Apr 19
22:00:00
Vancouver
San Diego
Sat, Apr 20
18:00:00
Colorado
Halifax
Sat, Apr 20
19:30:00
Albany
New York
Sat, Apr 20
20:00:00
Toronto
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 20
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 20
22:00:00
Buffalo
Las Vegas
Sun, Apr 21
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
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Rock Looking to Avenge Week 2 Loss in Alterna Cup Matchup

Challen Rogers thinks his Toronto Rock are up to the challenge of getting on a roll.

The 2-2 Rock have been on an up-and-down rollercoaster this season, with an opening win followed by a loss followed by a win followed by a loss. Toronto’s only real consistency so far has been its slow starts.

But Rock captain Rogers is confident his squad can turn it on, turn it up and turn it around against the visiting Halifax Thunderbirds on Saturday night at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton ON. The East Division matchup and all-Canadian Alterna Cup tilt is also the Sports Interaction Game of the Week on TSN (7 pm ET/TSN2).

“It comes down to focus,” says Rogers. “We’re a team that when we have confidence, we’re a tough team to stop. And confidence comes from preparation. It boils down to starting on time, being engaged with every shift and playing freely.”

The Rock are chasing the 2-0 Thunderbirds in both the NLL Eastern Conference and Alterna Cup standings. The two teams met earlier this season on Dec. 10, a 11-7 Halifax home win in which the Thunderbirds jumped out to a 6-1 lead by halftime and 7-1 early in the third quarter. As it sits, Toronto is at the bottom of the charts at 0-1 in Alterna Cup matchups whereas the Thunderbirds are leading at 2-0.

“We had a slow start, and when we score minimal goals in the first half it can be deflating,” says Rogers, the two-time reigning NLL Transition Player of the Year (4 goals, 5 assists this season). “Mistakes happen in this sport all the time. It’s about minimizing those self-inflicted mistakes and finishing our opportunities. We need to give ourselves the best opportunity to win.”

Toronto lost 12-6 last week at Buffalo in another rough-and-tumble chapter of that historic rivalry. But familiarity breeds contempt, and Rogers foresees a similar Bandits-type rivalry with Halifax.

“The rivalry between Buffalo and Toronto stems from decades of battles,” says Rogers. “What creates a rivalry are two teams that have a history of hard-fought and close games.”

“I certainly think that there is a rivalry brewing with the Thunderbirds. Halifax has to be at the top of our list. Every game we always seem to have tight battles with them, and we’ve been neck and neck with them in the standings. With both our aspirations to win the East and win a NLL championship, I think that the games will only be more intense and certainly spark a rivalry.”

The Rock will get a boost from the return to the lineup of veteran scorers Dan Dawson (3 goals, 6 assists in three games this season; Saturday will mark his 300th career game) and Tom Schreiber (8 goals, 2 assists in two games) but will be missing forward Reid Reinholdt (5 goals, 9 assists) and defender Brandon Slade, both out with lower body injuries.

The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, expect captain Cody Jamieson to make his season debut on Saturday, returning to the lineup from injury, but is a gametime decision.

Against Halifax on Saturday, Toronto will be simultaneously trying to slow down Thunderbirds forward Clarke Petterson (6-goal sock trick, 1 assist in Dec. 10 game versus the Rock) while getting to goalie Warren Hill (45 saves on Dec. 10). Halifax has not played since that game against Toronto, or any road games yet this season, due to pandemic-related postponements.

“Hill played very well last time,” says Rogers. “We’re looking to get some by him early and build momentum.”

Thunderbirds netminder Hill has an 8.40 goals-against average and .824 save percentage in two games this season while his Rock counterpart Nick Rose is 10.25 and .776 in four games.

And while Toronto tries to claw its way up the Eastern Conference standings with a win against Halifax on Saturday, the all-Canadian Alterna Cup competition is also in the back of Rogers’ mind.

“Any chance you’re able to put yourself at the top of the Canadian leaderboard, it feels good,” says Rogers, from Coquitlam BC. “We want to be the best and if we’re at the top of the Alterna Cup standings, we’re on the right path.”

Saturday’s game will be be broadcast nationally in Canada on TSN as the Sports Interaction Game of the Week.

“The nationally televised games help our sport grow and give young lacrosse players around Canada a vision and a potential dream,” says Rogers. “Exposure is what the sport of lacrosse needs. And with the best sports network in the country televising NLL games, it can only help the sport grow and get more eyes on the sport.”

Due to current government COVID restrictions there will be no fans in attendance at FirstOntario Centre on Saturday, which makes the TV and digital coverage even more important.

“For all our fans not being able to attend the game, they will still have the opportunity to watch us from home and be able to cheer us on,” says Rogers.

The Toronto Rock have one of the most loyal fan bases and were off to a 2-0 start this season in front of the Rock faithful.

“I certainly think it’ll be different not playing in front of the best fans in the league, but it gives us more incentive to win for those that aren’t there,” says Rogers. “We know the energy that they bring every night propels us, but we’re going to have to find that energy from within.”

NLL