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Season opens on December 1st. Find 2023-24 schedules here and buy your tickets today

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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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Stories/Op-Ed

Rush’S Stars Highlight Box Lacrosse’S Meteoric Rise

The Edmonton Rush are National Lacrosse League champions for the first time after defeating the Toronto Rock in the Champion’s Cup Finals to cap off the NLL’s 29th year. With the Rush’s title coming just a couple weeks after the thrilling conclusion of the NCAA championships, the lacrosse spotlight shines especially bright on players playing both versions of the game. Star players helping lead the Rush on its quest for the Cup once starred playing field lacrosse at the collegiate level. Those players, who come from a box lacrosse background, are not only finding success in the outdoor game, they’re dominating it.

Though the nature of the two versions of the sport are very different, players that practice both disciplines are succeeding at unprecedented levels. According to a recent study by Yale University’s lacrosse department, there are several noteworthy trends including the fact that seven of the top 10 career goal scorers in the NCAA played a significant amount of box lacrosse during their development.

While only 4% of current NCAA lacrosse players have a box background, the study found that nearly half (48%) of the top 50 NCAA goal scorers in history played box growing up. This year, two of the five Tewaaraton Award finalists, college lacrosse’s version of the Heisman Trophy, have deep roots to the indoor game.

Those two finalists are Wes Berg and Lyle Thompson, both top prospects for this year’s 2015 NLL Draft. Berg finished seventh all-time in NCAA goals scored with 188 and recently led the University of Denver Pioneers to the NCAA Division I title this past weekend, after entering the tournament as the Big East champs. Lyle Thompson is a Tewaaraton finalist for the third-straight year. He won the award in 2014 along with his brother Miles, a star rookie in the NLL this past season, as they became the first Native American players to receive the prestigious honor. Lyle Thompson is the all-time scoring leader in NCAA history with 400 career points (175+225). This past summer, he helped the Iroquois national team to its best-ever finish in an international tournament, taking home bronze at the 2014 FIL World Championships.

It’s no secret that the box lacrosse invasion into the field game is here is stay. University at Denver head coach Bill Tierney preached the game’s benefits in terms of translating to the outdoor game after his box-heavy team won the national championship.

“I would have every kid under the age of 12 play box lacrosse exclusively or at least a majority of the time,” Tierney said. “The number of touches of the ball and the ability to develop better stick skills in a game of box lacrosse far surpasses what happens on a field. Learning how to pass and catch in traffic, understanding how to shoot, and developing a sense of physicality are all positive traits developed by the box game.”

Several current Edmonton stars were big-time players in the field game as well, using the skills they learned growing up playing box lacrosse.

Jeremy Thompson, Lyle’s older brother, played 32 games at Syracuse University, putting up 53 points (33+20). Thompson is currently a crucial part of Edmonton’s transition game and serves as the team’s face-off man as well.

2015 NLL Rookie of the Year favorite Ben McIntosh is fresh off his college days with Drexel University, where he scored 100 goals, and added 42 assists in 62 games. McIntosh’s 2.67 goals per game average his senior year ranked 16th among all D-I players while his 3.61 points per game was good for 25th in the nation.

Mark Matthews, who has led the Rush to the Cup Finals with a combined 128 points (58+70) between the regular season and the playoffs, played his college days at Denver University, playing with Berg in his final year. In four years, Matthews put up 217 points (156+61), and was the all-time career points leader at Denver, until Berg passed him for the distinction. Matthews, who helped lead the Pioneers to the Final Four in 2011, eventually became the first overall pick in the 2012 NLL Draft and won NLL Rookie of the Year.

“I owe everything I have to box lacrosse,” Matthews said. “You learn a lot of different things compared to the ‘run-down-the-alley’, and only passing when a guy is ‘barenaked’. The stick skills and the stuff that we learn when we are younger, learning to catch it in tight spaces, that really helps in the field lacrosse game.”

Also on the right side for the Rush is forward Zack Greer, who had the most impressive college career of any player on the roster. Greer scored 248 goals between Duke University and Bryant University, making him the NCAA’s all-time leading goal scorer. The NCAA only officially recognizes 204 of those goals as Bryant was considered a reclassifying institution during his final year. But his 204 goals are still enough to keep him as the college game’s all-time leader in goals.

Both Greer and Matthews were gold medalists as a part of Team Canada’s victory in the 2014 FIL World Championships.

There’s no doubt that experience playing both the indoor and outdoor games have allowed these players to excel in lacrosse overall. But it’s now clearer than ever that their dominant skillset stems from how they first learned to play the game…in the box. They faced their biggest challenge of their pro careers, using all the lessons and experience gained, to achieve the ultimate goal of raising the Champion’s Cup. And they did.

By Mike Wilson (@RushBeat) for NLL.com. Photo by Dale MacMillan.

NLL