Nothing to lose or everything to gain? Bandits, Rush duke it out for Numero Uno.
The time is finally upon us… this season’s most exciting teams are going head-to-head in battle for 1st place. We knew it was coming, but who would have expected this? The 9-2 Saskatchewan Rush are expected to host the 8-1 Buffalo Bandits this Saturday, the latest in a series of uncertainties in the National Lacrosse League. These two teams last saw each other in Week 15 of the ‘23-’24 season, ending in a 15-14 overtime win for the Bandits, closed out by forward Tehoka Nanticoke.
Based on current standings alone, it’s clear to even casual NLL fans that this weekend’s results are far from a sure thing. Though both teams are fresh off a win, the Bandits have major ground to recover after a shocking home loss to the San Diego Seals in Week 12. Previously thought undefeatable, the Seals’ monumental win opened up the floodgates for other teams to do the impossible in Week 13 (Las Vegas, Rochester).
Though the Seals fell to Buffalo in the rematch, the damage had already been done. With the impossible realized, Buffalo’s grasp over the League food chain had visibility loosened. “Every team’s a threat,” Buffalo Head Coach John Tavares told San Diego Sideline Reporter Hayley Elwood, crediting the initial loss to San Diego as an opportunity to start fresh, free from the additional pressure of an undefeated record. “It’s not easy to be 7-0, but it’s easy [to have] one loss, and it compounds into another loss, and the bickering starts, and it continues that way,” he explained. “It could be a nasty spiral if you let it be.”
Down Goes Buffalo!
Led by Wes Berg (5G, 1A) the Seals march into Banditland and hand the Bandits their first loss of the season; a 14-13 overtime thriller.
Extending into the continuing season, the Bandits are eager to wash away the losing experience and are now playing with a clearer view of the coming horizon. “You would like to go undefeated, it’s obviously unrealistic, that happening,” said Buffalo transition Ian MacKay. “But now that [a loss] happened, it’s all about how are we going to respond to this? Let’s learn from this.”
The team also credits early season wins to an accumulated sense of complacency heading into the San Diego game, a feeling they will not soon regain. “When we were just getting by, you almost forget about the bad habits that continued throughout those wins,” said forward Dhane Smith. “Now we can focus on those things and try to get better at them.”
While Buffalo focused on improvements from the inside out, the Rush had been keeping a close eye on the weeks to come since their bout with Calgary in Week 12. Though none of their wins had come easily in the early weeks, Saskatchewan had already made peace with the difficult path to come in the playoff stretch. “You look at our schedule going forward, it’s pretty difficult, both in terms of our opponents and travel,” said Co-Head Coach and Rush General Manager Derek Keenan. “That’s just the nature of the League. We’ve got a pretty resilient team, and we’re going to rely on that resiliency to get through this.”
The Rush’s focus is on each week as it comes, choosing instead to concern themselves with the competition in front of them rather than the scores or standings. “It’s one game at a time,” said Rush Captain Ryan Keenan. “We have to get shots on net… the results should come from there.”
“There’s no love lost, really, between any of our teams in the league,” said D. Keenan. “It’s a short season, everyone gets 18 games and every one is really important, we just go game to game, week to week, prepare as best you can and let the chips fall where they may.”
The Bandits are scheduled to take the floor in Saskatchewan Saturday, March 1, at 8:00pm ET on TSN+, ESPN+, & NLL+
Destination: Canada, Directive: Payback!
The Black Bears’ last visit to Duluth in Week 7 earned them their third win of the season, beating the Swarm 14-10. This Friday, Georgia has the opportunity to not only get payback, but also climb their way back into the League’s Top 3. The Swarm currently occupy the number four seat, trailing inches behind the 6-4 Halifax in goal differentials. While any game involving Ottawa’s Jeff Teat and Georgia’s Lyle Thompson, who is now just one score away from breaking 350 career goals in the NLL, is bound to illicit a few offensive highlights, a win at the Canadian Tire Centre this weekend will undoubtedly go to the team that adjusts quicker on the defensive end.
The Swarm are still missing Adam Weidemann and TJ Comizio on the defensive end, but the recent return of defender Jeff Henrick in Week 11 has helped shore up their defensive push alongside the ever-reliable Brett Dobson in cage. Similarly, Ottawa has switched their lineup considerably over the last few weeks, swapping reactivated players from the Injured Reserve List. The Black Bears also signed Roughnecks defender Kieran McKay to a one-year agreement Wednesday, February 25, but it’s still unconfirmed if he’ll be suiting up this Friday to support the defensive line.
Tune in tonight at 7:00pm ET for NLL Friday Night on TSN as the Georgia Swarm take on the Ottawa Black Bears. Watch on TSN, TSN+, ESPN+, & NLL+.
Something lost, something new… Colorado hosts Calgary (with a twist)!
It’s Grateful Dead Night at the Loud House this Saturday, an evening that should guarantee chill vibes and good times for Mammoth fans, but with the Roughnecks in the building, the forecast calls for the exact opposite. These teams are fresh off unexpected losses in Week 13 and are eager to reclaim their respective spots in the Top 4 of the League standings. Both Calgary and Colorado boast two of the more aggressive squads on both sides of the ball, as well as a few of the League’s stat leaders and most prominent stars. Colorado will most certainly have been prepped on the Roughnecks’ offensive line (Dickson, Dobbie, King); the new additions on the defensive end have the potential to shake up the Mammoth’s offensive gameplan.
Calgary acquired Toronto goalkeeper Nick Rose and defender Tyler Hendrycks on Tuesday, February 25, a trade that shocked the League and fans alike. Though Colorado has yet to see Calgary this season, they hosted the Rock in Week 10, in which Rose’s 39 saves secured Toronto’s 9-8 win in overtime. These additions to Calgary’s already heavy d-line could spell out a second home loss for the Mammoth, especially considering Colorado forward Zed Williams’ placement on the Injured Reserve List on Wednesday. Transition Kai George has been activated in his stead for this weekend’s matchup, but there are still many uncertainties at play.
The Calgary Roughnecks travel to Denver to take on the Colorado Mammoth on Saturday at 9pm ET. Watch on TSN+, ESPN+, & NLL+.
Familiar faces in new places could spell disaster for Halifax.
There’s lots to celebrate in Sin City this weekend! It’s Heroes Night this Saturday, celebrating first responders and retired and active members of the US Military, featuring service vehicle displays, and most importantly, all the Desert Dog Good Boy Lagers fans care to enjoy, available for just a buck each! But the big news in Las Vegas is the big man on campus, forward Holden Cattoni, newly acquired from the Philadelphia Wings on Tuesday in exchange for Shane Simpson.
Following their league-shattering upset over Colorado (14-7) this past weekend, Las Vegas is on a mission to cement their first consecutive wins of the season, enlisting the help of Cattoni to bolster their left side offense and find a little consistency in the second half of the regular season. This trade couldn’t have come at a better time as the Desert Dogs prepare for the arrival of the Halifax Thunderbirds, now on a four-game hot streak after their road win in Ottawa. As if they weren’t formidable enough, Halifax defender Tyson Bell has also reached the end of his seven-game suspension and is now eligible for reactivation for Saturday’s matchup. Though still unconfirmed, Bell’s re-addition to the Thunderbirds’ defensive line could be the cherry on top of their continued upward mobility in the standings.
The Halifax Thunderbirds take on the Las Vegas Desert Dogs on Saturday at 10pm ET. Watch on TSN+, ESPN+, & NLL+.
The FireWolves prepare to face Rochester’s thinned defensive line.
The first 3,000 fans Friday night will receive a Legends of Lax Marvel comic book.
The Firewolves are crossing the proverbial street for the Rochester Knighthawks’ Marvel Super Hero Night this Friday. The Knighthawks will be suited up in exclusive Black Widow jerseys designed by the legendary Jeffrey Veregge, showcasing the late artist’s Indigenous heritage-inspired designs. This also marks Rochester’s first home game since Week 9’s contest against Colorado, and they are eager to catch a dub at Blue Cross Arena. A win for the Knighthawks this weekend would give them their first home game since Week 1 and their first consecutive wins of the season. Albany finds themselves in a similar situation, looking to scrape themselves off the bottom of the league’s standings after last week’s home win against Philadelphia.
The Firewolves could sweep one out over the the Knighthawks this weekend, with Rochester missing goalkeeper Riley Hutchcraft and forward Turner Evans again this weekend, both on leave for the birth of a child this week, as well as Mitch Ogilvie and Brandon Slade being moved to the Injury Reserve on Thursday ahead of Friday’s contest. Given Albany’s offensive inclinations, they have the opportunity to take advantage of Rochester missing a considerable chunk of their defensive line.
The FireWolves face off against Rochester Knighthawks on Friday at 7pm ET. Watch on TSN+, ESPN+, & NLL+.
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