Buffalo Bandits at Vancouver Warriors – 02.20.26 (Jaclyn McKee)
The second week of the March to May kicks off with NLL Friday Night on TSN! The Vancouver Warriors are back at Rogers Arena after a long weekend on the road for Women in Sports Night against the Toronto Rock.
Vancouver snuck away with two big wins during their doubleheader weekend on the road in Week 14. Beginning in Las Vegas, the Warriors quickly put together a heavy lead over the Desert Dogs, holding their hosts scoreless during the third quarter to stack a seven-goal lead heading into the fourth. Though Vegas’s five goals in the fourth cut the lead down to three scores, the Vancouver defense, helmed by goaltender Christian Del Bianco, sent the Warriors off to San Diego with a 14-10 win to start the weekend. Despite the day of rest in between outings, the Seals gave the Warriors a good scare at Pechanga Arena, keeping them off the scoreboard for the first quarter and staying a goal ahead of Vancouver headed into the fourth. But in their tight 9-7 win, Warriors goaltender Del Bianco once again took center stage, stopping 44 shots against San Diego for a combined 85 saves on the weekend. His two assists against the Seals would cement his 108th NLL point, and further etch his name in the history books as 2nd All-Time in goalie points.
Now waiting for them back in Vancouver, the Toronto Rock are ready to put another tally back in the win column. In the first week of the March to May, the Rock were saddled with a home bout against the former champs, the Buffalo Bandits, who have since kicked themselves back into a winning gear. Though the Rock fell to the Bandits 14-9 at TD Coliseum, their efforts were not without results, holding the champs to a two-goal deficit headed into the fourth, and with big individual efforts from Mark Matthews (4G, 3A) and Owen Hiltz (2G, 2A).
With two new wins under their belts, the Warriors are still sitting in third place on the League standings, but now have tied the #2 Colorado Mammoth’s 9-3 record. A third straight win over Toronto this weekend could finally push them to the second seed, depending on the results of the Colorado-Ottawa game later in the weekend. For the 6-5 Rock, while a win might not oust the Warriors from the podium, a seventh win would bring them ever closer to the Top 4.
The Warriors host the Rock this Friday Night on TSN at 10:00PM ET. Streaming is also available on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Henderson, USA – Jan. 17, 2026: Philadephia Wings vs Las Vegas Desert Dogs at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, USA. (Photo by Candice Ward/National Lacrosse League)
The ‘Birds are bustling on the way back to the Scotiabank Centre for another exciting week of home Halifax lacrosse! With the wind back in their wings, the Thunderbirds are set to host the Las Vegas Desert Dogs for Marvel Super Hero Night!
The Thunderbirds lined up against the Calgary Roughnecks in last week’s competition, snagging a tide-shifting 14-10 victory at the Saddledome. Goaltender Warren Hill’s 48 saves, as well as the Halifax defense’s combined 15 caused turnovers, kept the Roughnecks at bay through the first half and completely scoreless through the third quarter. Additionally, the combined 12 points from Clarke Petterson (5G, 2A) and Cody Jamieson (6A) put the Thunderbirds in a position to ride out the fourth quarter with a five-goal lead. Having now broken their previous five-game losing streak, Halifax is now just a few short wins away from joining the postseason conversation.
On the visiting bench, the Desert Dogs are now back, fighting an uphill battle in the early weeks of the March to May. Despite their recent successes, Las Vegas has found itself back on a three-game streak, and with last weekend’s 14-10 loss to the Vancouver Warriors, they’ve now quietly slipped out of the Elite Eight. Now sitting in the tenth seat with a 4-6 record, the Desert Dogs need a win this weekend to get back up to -1.
Bust out your Spider-Man pajamas for Marvel Super Hero Night! The first whistle blows on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+ at 6:00PM ET.
Denver, Colorado – February 27, 2026: Colorado Mammoth player Jordan Gilles (23) and Andrew Kew (42) after the game. San Diego Seals at Colorado Mammoth at the Ball Arena in Denver Colorado, United States. (Photo by Isaiah J. Downing/National Lacrosse League)
The Colorado Mammoth are back-to-back in the Loud House, set to take on the visiting Ottawa Black Bears. In keeping with the theme of the evening’s other matchup on the East Coast, the Mammoth look to make another superhuman effort on Marvel Super Night!
Following their uncharacteristic lineup against the Toronto Rock in Week 13, the Mammoth cut the fat and got back to business for their return to Ball Arena last weekend against the San Diego Seals. Their nail-biter 14-12 win featured twin six-point performances by Andrew Kew (4G, 2A), and Jack Hannah (3G, 3A), which kept the Mammoth well in the conversation despite a five-goal deficit to end the first quarter. Though Kew and Hannah spearheaded the evening’s offensive campaign, all eyes were set on second-year goaltender Nathan Whittom, whose 25 saves and two assists not only cut the lead to a single goal in the third quarter but also earned him his first career win between the pipes for Colorado.
The Ottawa Black Bears, donned in Deadpool-styled jerseys for their evening abroad in Denver, have quickly climbed their way back into the top eight with three straight wins. Thanks to several multi-point performances from Jeff Teat, Rob Hellyer and Riley O’Connor, as well as an eight-goal final bracket, the Black Bears were able to seal the deal in overtime. With their win over Oshawa last weekend, as well as the losses incurred by San Diego and Las Vegas, has stationed the 7-5 Black Bears in the fifth seat in the League’s current rankings from their previous place in the race for eighth place.
With both squads headed into the weekend with an extra win, neither the Mammoth nor Black Bears can afford to give up a game this early into March. Dropping a game to Ottawa this weekend could drop the Mammoth down to the third seat, depending on the results of the Vancouver-Toronto game on Friday, and an Ottawa loss could drop the Black Bears a step closer to losing the spot in the top eight they worked so hard to reclaim.
Colorado can clinch a playoff berth with a win vs. Ottawa AND a Las Vegas loss at Halifax AND a Rochester loss vs. Calgary.
Grab a second helping of Marvel Super Night on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+ this Saturday at 9:00PM ET.
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 28 :: Rochester Knighthawks v Saskatchewan Rush :: February 28, 2026 in Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY, USA (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu)
If Saturday’s games are all about superheroes and saving the day, then Sunday’s games are to make the day saved a little bit more exciting. Set up in the Flower City to lead off a whole afternoon of NLL Sunday Matinee games, the Rochester Knighthawks are scheduled for a bit of afternoon delight against the Calgary Roughnecks.
The Roughnecks, though still a bit down on their luck, are still in a position to pick up a late-stage playoff berth. While their ninth loss might not instill confidence right away, they’re closer than ever to a breakthrough in the later weeks of the season. In their 14-10 loss to Halifax last weekend, Calgary held the Thunderbirds to a single-goal lead headed into the second half, and kept them to just one goal in the fourth.
But the Roughnecks’ schedule has not lined them up with easy wins. If they hope to keep the train moving and their playoff hopes alive, Calgary has to first make it out of Rochester with a win. The Knighthawks have moved in and out of the Elite Eight several times over the last few weeks, with their 13-12 overtime loss to Saskatchewan in Week 14 knocking them down to the ninth seat and just out of immediate playoff contention. In their run-in with the #1 Rush, Rochester held their opponents to a single goal-deficit down to the final minutes thanks in part to Zed Williams’ five goals and Ryan Lanchbury’s eight assists, as well as Connor Fields and Ryan Smith’s combined 11 points.
Both teams are in need of a win this weekend to pick up the steam in their current race for eighth place. But with the Roughnecks just a few dropped games away from early elimination, and the Knighthawks feeling the sting of their overtime loss, these squads are going to come out swinging from the first whistle.
Your Sunday afternoon begins at 1:00PM ET with the Roughnecks and the Knighthawks on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
CALGARY, AB – FEBRUARY 14, 2026: The Calgary Roughnecks against the Philadelphia Wings at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/NLL)
Closing out the NLL Sunday Matinee double feature, the Philadelphia Wings make their return to Xfinity Mobile Arena for an afternoon of high-energy lacrosse against the Oshawa FireWolves. The Wings, hot off their two-game series against the Georgia Swarm in Week 14, are back in the win column and hungrier than ever for another win. Conversely, the FireWolves find themselves still looking for the right spark to ignite a late-season dash to the playoffs.
While the Rush were the first team to 10 wins, Oshawa was the first team to 10 losses, with their dust-up against the Ottawa Black Bears last weekend sealing their fate. Their matchup against Ottawa started out and remained promising, though, holding each to one goal in the first quarter before pulling ahead to a 10-5 lead by the end of the third. Oshawa’s Alex Simmons and Tye Kurtz have remained a constant force on the FireWolves’ offensive line, each notching three goals and an assist in last week’s contest. But with just two wins under their belt heading into the weekend, the efforts of just two FireWolves might not be enough to pull the team into the postseason.
Though Philly managed to snag a third win against the Swarm to break away from the FireWolves and the Roughnecks at the bottom of the pack, they’re still far from out of the woods. While the Wings offense is full of heavy hitters, defensive lines across the League have seemingly gotten wise to Brennan O’Neill’s position in their system, blocking the passing lanes to him in his slot at the head of the offense and making later contact with him during his downhill dodges to break his shot rhythm.
While his attention has opened opportunities for Dalton Young and Eric Fannell to lead the scoring for the Wings, Michael Sowers recurring stint on the Injured Reserve, as well as the lack of variety in their offensive system, has prevented the Wings from finding consistent success. With both these teams just a few short wins away from the preliminary chopping block, a win is needed now more than ever to keep them in the conversation.
Simmer down for more dayside NLL action on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+ this Sunday at 3PM ET.
